Diatoms - How long does it last?

[newsalt]

I have a 15g tank that completed its Nitrogen cycle on 12/18/03. A diatom outbreak started almost immediately afterwards. How long will it take until they disappear? Is there something I can do to speed it up? I use RO water for top off and water changes. Do I need stronger lights? My lighting is a carry over from my freshwater tank. It's a 15w single bulb flouresent in a typical aquarium hood. The hood has a clear plastic section that protects the bulb from the water. Do I need a higher what bulb? The lights are on for about 8 hrs. a day.

 

[fidojoe]

Your lighting is fine (until you want corals), diatom algae likes light, so that would only agravate the problem. They lasted about a month and a half in my 50 gallon, and in my 20, they just started last week, and I don't plan on them going away any time in the very near future. The best way to make them dissapear, which is only a temporary, fix is to keep the lights off for a couple days. This has been said many many times, but nothing happens fast in SW, its going to take time for them to go, but they will eventually.

 

[jks1]

I agree, you will go through several algae/diatom phases in the first 6 months. Do you have any clean-up critters?

 

[newsalt]

I have a few blue leg hermit crabs, a few nassarius snails and a few astrea snails. The snails don't live long in my tank, but that's another story...

 

[wooddood]

we use nutr/sea marine tank scrubber by custom sealife.follow the directions and you wont have any algae problems.we use it religeously.

 

[ReefLady]

The good thing about seeing diatoms is that what you are *seeing* is the dead skeleton of the diatoms. So, once you *see* them, they're usually on their way out. This is providing of course, no nitrates or silicates are added to the tank - this is their primary food, and why it is so typical to see them post-cycle.

Here's a good link that explains diatom algae:

>What is Brown or Golden Algae, What Makes it Grow,<

HTH!

 

[Craig Manoukian]

You will probably experience a green algae, brown diatom, and red cyanobacteria blooms as the natural maturation process of your tank. They all appear as your tank chemistry changes and the nutrients they need are present. When your tank chemistry is balanced and the environment they need is not present, your tank will be nice and clean.

Go slow and let it grow. It is my opinion that using chemicals without knowing exactly what your chemistry is doing may unduly mask vs. solve a challenge you are experiencing.

HTH :smirk:

PS

Great Link Teri!