Diatoms on live rock

Discussion in 'Algae' started by jhawkor, Jun 13, 2009.

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  1. jhawkor

    jhawkor Millepora

    Joined:
    Apr 22, 2009
    Messages:
    935
    Location:
    Garden Plain, Kansas
    I recently had a bad diatom bloom that almost completely covered my sandbed and rocks. One week later the diatoms are off the sand but still all over the rocks. I tried blasting them with a turkey baster but that did little good. How can I get this nasty brown powder off my rocks? I have a clean up crew coming soon from reefcleaners that consists of 80 dwarf ceriths, 32 florida ceriths, 27 nassarius, 11 large nerites. Will they clean it up?
     
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  3. steve wright

    steve wright Super Moderator

    Joined:
    Feb 17, 2009
    Messages:
    11,284
    Location:
    shenzhen Guangdong PRC
    they will clean it and it will go away, IME it always goes away
    the brown is the dead diatoms and the CUC will eat them and even if they didnt bacteria will consume them ( even without a CUC , I have had diatoms come and completely go

    if your not using tap water , that is, as with tap water you could continue to introduce silicates and thus keep your diatoms indefinitly

    Steve