# Diatom Algae taking over tank



## Goose14 (Nov 28, 2014)

Hi all, Goose again

I have been battling what I believe to be Diatom algae. Any clue on what to do about it? I Thought about adding a pleco but from what I have read they don't get along nicely with cichlids. My tank is a 75 gallon that has been up and running about 2-3 months. I am due for a water change tomorrow so I was considering taking a few of the rocks out and cleaning them in some of the old water, but not sure if I should just leave it. The cichlids seem to enjoy eating it from what I can see. I was going to move a few rocks around anyway to mix things up a bit, they are starting to show a little more aggression towards one another lately.

Stocked with 5 acei, 6 yellow labs & 3 blue Maingano with 2 fluval C4s and a fluval 306

Plan on adding some more Maingano possibly, along with either white top afra or white Pseudotropheus socolofi.

Thanks in advance :thumb:


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## Deeda (Oct 12, 2012)

Diatoms are common in newer tanks and should eventually go away. If it really bothers you, you can scrub them with a brush and tap water but it will eventually return.


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## Rare7 (Dec 31, 2014)

It might go away but as stated might come back. You water might have reason as to why as well, food, lights. All truth you tank looks great with that rustic look. Skip feeding and he if your yellow labs might start glazing on rocks. If you hold on it, it might start turning green which will look great. Dont fight it, again your rocks looks great just like if they were back in the big lakes. A few of my guys are always glazing on the rock so i can never have the nice green look on the rocks.


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## hose91 (Mar 5, 2014)

I fought that too, for about 3 months or so. It lasted longer than I thought, but did eventually go away. I added about 10 Nerite snails, and they were mostly big enough to withstand my Mbuna's curiosity and also did a pretty good job knocking the diatoms down. I read that diatoms are sort of silica dependent, and it looks like maybe you've got PFS in that tank like mine, so it seems that eventually the silica gets used up or transferred out with your reg water changes and the rocks get clean again (assuming you have no silica in your tap water). So, be patient, and if you want, go snag some Nerite snails from your LFS (they don't reproduce in FW). Mine are pretty big now, still have over half a dozen, and they make for a cool counterpoint to the fish. I'm always curious where they'll be when I turn the light on in the morning. They don't appear to have a long life, and they CAN get picked off by your Mbuna, but that didn't seem to have any large impact on my tank. Good luck!


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## DJRansome (Oct 29, 2005)

Deeda said:


> Diatoms are common in newer tanks and should eventually go away. If it really bothers you, you can scrub them with a brush and tap water but it will eventually return.


Plus one.


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## Goose14 (Nov 28, 2014)

Thanks for all the replys. I'll just let the diatoms be and let it run its course. It does appear to be turning green now on one of the rocks.


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## pelphrey (Apr 9, 2014)

My tank has been running for about 6 months now and I still experience the same issue you have. I'll leave it alone for awhile then I'll take the rocks out and run them through a hot cycle in the dish washer. After that is done, I'll let them cool down for 10-15 minutes then put them back into the tank.


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## wortel87 (Apr 15, 2014)

if they dont go away you have to little light or not the right spectrum.


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## Matt1628 (Oct 22, 2014)

My 180 gallon tank did the same thing. I did not like the way it looked because I have black sand with white rocks. When the rocks turned brown, it made the tank look too dark. I added three bristol nose plecos and within a week they cleaned 95% of all the brown algae out of my tank. I have peacocks and haps and they act like they plecos are not even in the tank.


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## skurj (Oct 30, 2011)

+1 to most of the above responses. My 180 also went through a heavy diatom phase at about the same point you are in, I added some tiny plecos which put a tiny dent in it, but the diatoms receeded by themselves in the end as the tank aged.


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