Diatom Control

[D'minor]

Having a diatom bloom that's been blooming for the past few months. Turbo snails are not doing anything with the sandbed. Doing 10% water change once a week. No RO/DI unit. Thus looking for control instead of prevention.

Any crabs or snails that will control diatom growth and also consume detritus ?

Btw, great site !

[hippo]

Having a diatom bloom that's been blooming for the past few months. Turbo snails are not doing anything with the sandbed. Doing 10% water change once a week. No RO/DI unit. Thus looking for control instead of prevention.

Any crabs or snails that will control diatom growth and also consume detritus ?

Btw, great site !

First thing, identify the cause of diatom bloom. Nitrate and phosphate, in the presence of lighting are nutrient for diatom.

First defence line:

Reduce nitrate by regular water change, refugium with macroalgae and denitrator.

Reduce phosphate by using filter media like seachem phosguard or rowaphos.

Second defence line:

Add snails to eat up diatom.

Use magnet cleaner.

Cheers

[harmony]

The second line of defence -- Snails. What snail is more suitable? Especially to deal with Diatom on sand bed.

[roidan]

those trochus or turbo snail..hehe

[D'minor]

My turbo just graze on the sides of the tank, never on the sandbed. Can't remember how many times i pull out that poor guy from the glass and place it on the sandbed.

Looking out for nassarius or cerith but couldn't find them at lfs in the east.

[reefer guy]

sea cucumber?

[blacknails]

Yup... For sandbed my black sea cucumber always clear up any minor diatoms... I think black sea urchins help and erm... If I'm not wrong the edmerald crab helps too..

[pospeh]

I have to disagree with the previous posts.

Diatoms (if that is what you have) is caused by silicates in the water, not phosphates or nitrates. It is common in newly established tanks, and should go away after the tank has matured.

Snails do not eat diatoms, or any of the regular cleanup crew like cukes or hermit crabs.

If you want to cure them now, perhaps you can use RO/DI water to filter out the silicates, or try silicate absorbing media.