Brown diatoms

gobie1313

Non-member
Have my reef for over 10 years .
The only thing that has changed is adding a new lightening system. I keep getting brown diatoms on the sand bed, not a lot but enough to piss me off.
I’ve added 3 vortechs on easier side to increase the flow ( no change).
I use ro water, protein skimmer, 2 20 gal fuges with chaeto, and a phosban reactor. Dose white vinegar.
Question currently run my lights for 8 hours a day,
How much time should I shorten the time
To eliminate the brown diatoms without effecting my coral growth?
I have mostly softies, leathers, shrooms,
A ton of frogspawn some Zoas 1 green slimer
And 1 large lps ( forgot name it’s brown on outside
Grows mostly vertically and when u break it off it’s blue on the inside)
Any info would be helpful
 
Diatoms like silica from my understanding. Check your ro and have you changed salts recently?
 
Just changed out the membrane and all ro filters in past year.
Been using the same Red Sea pro salt
So do I think it might not be lights ?
Its only sand bed.
 
Maybe its not diatoms? Maybe its cyano? Your tank has a lot of nutrient removal methods in place and also uses RO water so I think it would be difficult for diatoms to grow. Cyano, on the other hand, likes low nutrient conditions, and also grows on sandbed.
 
Maybe its not diatoms? Maybe its cyano? Your tank has a lot of nutrient removal methods in place and also uses RO water so I think it would be difficult for diatoms to grow. Cyano, on the other hand, likes low nutrient conditions, and also grows on sandbed.
 
Lighting has to be a factor. It is possible that setting a minimal light period, like 5-7 hours or something would help.

I also have a 10 year tank, and cyano comes and goes, but it is all gone right now. I attribute the decrease to stopping the vinegar dosing, getting rid of my caulerpa refugium, and getting rid of my filter floss and GFO, and feeding my fish more regularly. All my corals are happier with those changes also.
 
Wow
Lighting has to be a factor. It is possible that setting a minimal light period, like 5-7 hours or something would help.

I also have a 10 year tank, and cyano comes and goes, but it is all gone right now. I attribute the decrease to stopping the vinegar dosing, getting rid of my caulerpa refugium, and getting rid of my filter floss and GFO, and feeding my fish more regularly. All my corals are happier with those changes also.
 
Wow that’s pretty drastic on the changes.
Thought all those are supposed to improve the water quality lol
I’m going to try and reduce lighting by couple hours
 
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