Diatoms or brown Algae

[Joe Fish]

Are diatoms and brown algae the same thing? What will eat that stuff? I've noticed a couple spots of it on my powerheads and skimmer. I had some on my live rock, but is somehow gone now. Would a Astrea snail eat it?

 

[wayne]

No diatoms are diatoms (animals)and algae are algae (plants). Diatoms usually disappear when they've exhausted available silicates - good reason not to use tapwater....
Snails, Cteno tangs eat them

 

[rohnds]

diatoms are diatoms (animals)and algae are algae (plants).

Here is definition and description of what diatoms on the Wikipedia
Diatom - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

Diatoms are just another form of algae.

Rohn

 

[wayne]

You live and learn .....

 

[Joe Fish]

Yeah, like not to use tap water....

 

[Lorna]

this too will pass........

 

[Joe Fish]

brown algae and diatoms when using tap water? So I could get a couple snails? I have a couple left handed hermits, but I think they are disappearing on me. Or they are hiding really well.

 

[Lorna]

I think nerite snails will eat diatoms though I haven't found any that will clean the sand. I have a black sea cucumber that takes care of my sand bed turning it over. Increasing the flow will help and reduce the light period for a couple of days may help it disapate

 

[wayne]

I would agree to wait it out and see if the diatoms disappear to be replced by another algae. Most snails will eat them, hermits won't. If you don't have msuh silicate in your water they will inevitably use it all up and disappear after a couple of weeks. If you keep on adding silica in your water changes they will be an ongoing problem.

Expect to see a few types of algaein the tanks first year.

 

[rohnds]

Diatoms (brown algae as is commonly called) is due to mainly SiO4 and PO4 is your water. The best way to get rid of this is using RO water. A diatoms are common symptom of almost all new tanks. A good cleaning crew and sand sifters would help greatly. If you are using RO water, expect the diatoms to dissappear after few weeks.

Rohn

 

[Joe Fish]

Would distlled water be similar to RO water?

 

[rohnds]

Distilled water and Ro water are pretty much the same. The difference is in their methods of purification. Distilled water is purified by boiling it and then collecting it the condensation as water.

Rohn