Diatom problem, need advice

[Tiari]

I have read many articles and posts on Diatoms, but am still a bit at a loss as to what exactly I should do in my circumstances. Perhaps someone could be of assistance to my newbie self? It would be much appreciated.

Here's the scoop:

6gal Fluval Edge with LED lights, stock Aquaclear 20 with stock media. Tetra submersible heater, white aquarium gravel, plastic aquarium plants one striated rock from pet store and fake ceramic meant for fish tanks log.

Stats, 77 degrees constant, ammonia 0, nitrite 0, nitrate 10ppm or less after water change, recently completed cycle. Fish, 1 Betta, 1 mystery snail, and three ghost shrimp.

So I have Diatoms, or what I believe are Diatoms. Started as little rusty spots on the white gravel, now spreading to plastic plants, and all decorations. Gravel looks filthy actually.

Now being its a fluval edge, gravel vacuuming is nearly impossible, or so I've found. Tank is near drained by the time I can get a 4 inch square section done. Instead, i have been hand mixing the gravel, to aerate, then doing water change, and rinsing filter media in tank water only. Decorations get taken out into a fish only bucket, with water that has dechlorinator in it, and scrubbed off of this brown ick with a fish tank only toothbrush.

For all my cleaning I can't really get it out of the gravel, which is an annoyance.

So my questions are these. Would my diatom problem be caused by the cycle just completing? What things could I do to make this situation better considering the set up I have? I can't really change the lighting being as it is, and my filter would cut down some of the phosphate removers I have seen suggested.

I do have phosphate cut to fit remover pads, would those work to cut down the problem? Should I continue cleaning everything this much, or should I just leave it and inhabitants at all yes?

Also, I now have a slight green patch forming amidst the brown diatom, I am assuming green algea, just starting, is this a good sign? Any helpful information would be great, as this is a vexing problem.

Thanks!

[Lady Hobbs]

Diatoms are unsightly and none of us want them but they are normal and the first stages of a newly set up tank. Fortunately, it's a nutrient imbalance but it will go away in a couple months. I had phosphates right from my tap at 2 which is very high. Even .25 can be a problem. The silicate/phosphate sponge may help but the only sponges I saw were those that say to remove once the phosphates are registering low.

To me it would mean adding the sponge back every week after a water change so it didn't seem logical to even use them. I ended up buying Phos-ban and putting it in the filter. It remains there for about 3 months or until changing it is needed.

Low lights on too long may contribute to the phosphate. High lights will help but if the lights are only stock lights and left on for several hours a day, that may be part of the problem. Also higher nitrates. But, it will go away! I also used Play Sand and the silicates in play sand really can make a mess along with phosphates. Phosphates is also in fish food so try to not overfeed.

Have you taken a reading of your water with a test kit?

[Tiari]

Thanks so much! Okay I'll look into some phos ban. the lighting level with the LED's is low, but its on a lot and I use the moonlights at night. Could the moonlights be causing any problem, my family really loves me to leave those on all night.

How would I put phos ban in my filter? It the aqua clear 20. Will I need some sort of filter bag?

[Tiari]

I don't have a test kit for phosphates or silicate or any of that ......... yet lol

[Lady Hobbs]

It comes in a bag but perhaps the bag may be too large for the filter. If so, you can remove some and pour it in a panty hose. There are other phosphate removers as well as the Phos-ban.

No expert but I don't believe the moons should bother. Perhaps the LED's should not be on so long tho. 8 hours perhaps? If you could increase intensity that would help but you likely don't want to bother with that cost and can't say as I blame you just for a diatom problem.

That's fine you don't have testers for phosphates and silicates. I was thinking of nitrates?

Adding: I'm now thinking about your small filter box. Why not go ahead and use those sponges since you already have them? I just don't know how much room you have in those filter boxes for a bag of Phosphate remover and I know the sponges will fit.

Otto's will also eat diatoms but to buy fish for something that will soon go away on it's own seems a bit drastic when your tanks aren't planted.

[Tiari]

I've looked into getting oto's, but my Betta is, what I would call bi-polar. Calm sometimes, then strikes for no reason with aggression. Since oto's are so peaceful, and need to be in groups larger than a six gallon could allow, I nixed that idea. Also, no where in my area carries them. Adorable as they are and I would love them, still, I don't think my Betta Fluval would be the most humane environment for them.

I do test for nitrates. I have two test kits, an API master test kit, as well as multi test strips. I use the API once a week for a baseline reading, or use it after a test strip reading seems off to me. The test strips are easier for a day to day general check in on the tank, but always go to the master test to make certain.

Usually nitrates are extremely low, barely registering, they were only up to 10ppm just as the cycle completed but now with weekly water changes stay very very low. If it starts to climb I immediately intervene and do a pre-emptive water change of about 10-15 %.

[Lady Hobbs]

Thanks. Nitrates are then ruled out and nuttin' much to do other than grin and bear it until those diatoms disappear and use those phosphate sponges.

[Tiari]

Hrm. Did API test today, and PH came up way high, around 7.8 Not sure if thats a real problem though, I don't like messing with PH.

[jemaasjr]

I am not saying it works real good but you can slow the diatoms down with various common algae control chemicals. Read the label to see if they deal with brown algae. On the occasion when I use the stuff I put it in the day before I change water and take to over dosing a little in the absence of results. Diatoms are one of my issues also.

In the longer run I would focus on getting rid of the silicates if you can. You keep reintroducing the phosphates with the fish food, but there are only so many soluble silicates in the tank. Several phosphate filters also deal with silicates.

Just a wild guess here, maybe if you stir around on the gravel enough, it wears against itself and introduces more silicates. You could try just pulling the gravel right out of the tank for a while. Some gravels come with a coating that would probably prevent the silicates in the stone itself from being released.

[Tiari]

Hrm, interesting idea with the gravel. I'll have to see about that.

As for Algae treatments for the tank, I can't use any of them that I know of, because I have inverts in the tank and it will hurt them :(

Diatoms are still spreading *headdesk*, but will be patient about it, and maybe up water changes to see if that helps as well.