Diatoms? Yes, I messed up

Discussion in 'Algae' started by scajeo, Feb 28, 2015.

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  1. scajeo

    scajeo Sea Dragon

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    The system never went through a visible cycle. There was nothing evident in the tank nor did my numbers ever vary to show something was going on. This is the first thing that's happened since it's been up.
    I remember your thread on the ATS and have given it some hard thought. I thought you did a really nice job with it. Space is at a premium right now unless I figure out how to get water up to the attic without cooking it during the summer and turning it cold during the winter.
     
    Last edited: Mar 6, 2015
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  3. scajeo

    scajeo Sea Dragon

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    ho...hum....

    Just watching the cyano / diatom / whatever it is.

    Another WC scheduled for Monday and maybe a light brushing of rocks.
     
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  4. mdbostwick

    mdbostwick Vlamingii Tang

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    If you use a filter sock in your sump, use a turkey baster to blast the crap out of the cyano on the rockwork and try to encourage it into your overflow and then replace the sock for cleaning. Siphon the sand during WCs if you can but just the cyano on the top. When the cyano gets loose and you don't get it out of the system it decomposes back into nitrate and phosphate and therefore continues the cyano process over and over.

    As far as an ATS i saw a video on youtube where the guy made an in-sump ats which used a air pump for circulation. You might check it out if you are thinking of going the ATS route. I don't know how well his model works but it seems like a simple version to create.
     
  5. scajeo

    scajeo Sea Dragon

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    Thnx md. I'll look up the sump ATS and see what comes up.

    I started changing out the socks every two days after I've done a small area of turkey basting. Somethings not right or I'm doing something wrong because it keeps coming back. I wonder if I hook up a siphon to the baster and draw it out as soon as i baste. Got to put a little thought into this. Still trying to figure out what the root cause of this is. The only thing I can come up with is overfeeding. Just before the major outbreak we changed out to feeding out of a baster to limit excess food. It's been working great making it easier to control how much we feed but also how much everyone gets. I wonder if the overfeeding was the root cause of all this and now I just need to eradicate and continue with my new practices.
     
  6. mdbostwick

    mdbostwick Vlamingii Tang

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    What are your nitrate and phosphate readings? My issues with cyano happened while my No3 and Po4 were both reading 0 with salifert tests. So basically just undetectable levels which is frustrating beyond belief. Like i said i tried many different methods and no one thing has really made me think it was the thing to turn it around.

    When you blast it and the stuff comes off if it goes into the filter sock you are good and won't need suction for that. I tried attaching a toothbrush to a siphon hose and scrub and siphon the cyano out, it was more frustrating than beneficial. I have thought about, but never put into action, somehow siphoning into my overflow and having a filter sock which the hose goes straight into, so you can siphon for as long as needed without your water level being effected. Then you would be able to really siphon as much as possible and do a WC afterward since this would probably stir up nitrate and phosphate in the water. It is just a thought I never put anything together for.

    I never ran any phosphate absorber so i can't say anthing toward that. I have thought about doing the Zeovit thing and have actually come up with a plan for building a reactor since people really seem to be proud of 2 plastic tubes. I know i can't pay 500 for some plastic.

    Bottled bacteria didn't really seem to do much for me but if it were done while carbon dosing it may have worked, not sure on that. If you do carbon dose I have heard that vodka and sugar sometimes makes the cyano thrive an vinegar usually works against cyano so take that for what it is worth.

    Sorry for the long windedness here, just wanted to give you some ideas on what may or may not be worth a try.
     
  7. scajeo

    scajeo Sea Dragon

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    Nitrate is 0
    PO4 is .08
    Using red sea. My PO4 was at 1.64 the first time I checked it but has since dropped down to .08 after WCs.

    I never thought about running a tube down my overflow and into my sump for a continuous ability to siphon. GREAT IDEA! My biggest worry is/was what brought this all about. I stirred up the entire sandbed and the next day the outbreak happened so I've been worried about cleaning anything without having a siphon close by to clean up whatever is stirred up. With your suggestion I could clean everything and then do my WC which I have another 25g all ready.

    Without buying chemical or a huge CUC I'm really at a standstill other than normal husbandry that's not working yet.

    thnx md!
     
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  9. scajeo

    scajeo Sea Dragon

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    I taped a 5/8" hose to a turkey baster and ran it into one of the socks in the sump. I started out with a smaller hose but it wouldn't suck up everything the baster blew up. I went through the entire tank and basted everything (gently) and it worked really good. The sock was filthy at the end of it all but I didn't have to worry about being limited to just the amount of water for a change out. Excellent suggestion md. I don't think the battle is over but at least I have some sort of tool that I can combat this stuff with. I taped the hose to a fork and brushed that through the sand to stir the crap off of it.
     
  10. Reefbuilder

    Reefbuilder Scooter Blennie

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    I think we have all battled it at some point. Keep doing what you are doing. I am not a fan of the chemical as it defeats what you are trying to build. I blow my rocks off and do the hose in the sock trick as well downstairs. My tank is at the one year mark and it is really only when I got my Phos steady under 0.05 is when it rally pulled back.
     
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  11. scajeo

    scajeo Sea Dragon

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    It's still hard for me to figure out exactly what I have. I don't know if it's diatoms, cyano or dino. To me, all the pictures look the same. Only thing I know for sure is it's easily blown off. I think I red somewhere that dino almost disappears at night and then returns in the day. If that's true then I'm down to diatoms or cyano but who knows. I did a WC today and will check params tomorrow. The battle is far from over but at least this gives me something to do and I don't feel so helpless.

    I haven't been able to drop my PO4 below .08. How you get your's down?
     
  12. Reefbuilder

    Reefbuilder Scooter Blennie

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    Time... I also use bio pellets, while waiting for the bio pellets all in one to kick in I was running some gfo. The bulk reef high capacity one. I also cut my feeding back,
     
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: diatoms