@#$%&* Diatoms.

[Brette]

Diatoms! Everywhere. My tank is a few months old and I keep cleaning the diatoms every week and every week they make a reappearance. I test the water regularly and everything reads 0. I've read that they go away once the tank is more etsblished.

However, i've also read that if your tap water contains silicates (which diatoms feed on), you could have them indefinetely because every time you do a water change you add more. argh!

Thoughts?

 

[minxfishy]

I know it feels like forever when you have a bad case of it, but it does go, try keeping the lights on less, In some tanks that Ive never tried to keep real plants in, Ive only had the tank lights on for 3/4 hours a day and never had the problem, with others 8-10 hours a day, then its been awful and takes a long time to get rid of it.

 

[Pleccy]

As minxfishy said by reducing the photoperiod you will effectively starve the diatoms of a primary food source. They also consume uneaten fish food and waste produced by the fish.