# Struggles with diatoms



## Rimbaum (May 22, 2014)

When I first bought all the stuff for my betta Ahti, my parents said I had to pick up what was available at the store we were at, right then and there. (Thanks store credit cards) This meant that I couldn't have any of the carefully planned stuff I'd wanted to do. I wanted live plants, driftwood, sand, and a 2-3 gallon tank. I wound up with standard aquarium gravel, a Penn Plax plastic rock formation, some plastic plants (carefully chosen! They passed the pantyhose test), and a tetra 1.5 gallon cube. I had to wait a couple weeks before getting a heater.

There's a few nitpicky things I have about the tank, but what I do like is the LED lighting. It really brings out Ahti's lovely colors and iridescence. Unfortunately, where the lighting is strongest, I have discovered diatoms growing on the rock decoration.

So far, I've tried reducing the light, but I have a terrible, terrible memory and lose track of time easily. So the light has wound up staying on for much longer than it should, even when I'm trying to keep it timed.

Today, I asked my stepdad if he had a light timer, because I didn't want to have to go buy one. Luckily, he had two just sitting unused out in the garage. After a bit of fiddling to figure out how to work it, I have it set for 7 hours of light, spaced out throughout the day.

Tomorrow I plan on doing a 90% water change, so I'll take the time then to scrub the decorations and see if that and the reduced lighting will help at all.

Photo 1: The rock formation in question
Photo 2: A better picture of the tank as a whole, complete with fishy photobombing.


----------



## shellieca (Jul 12, 2012)

For me personally, I don't worry about the diatoms, I kind of like the look of it. This often happens in a newer tank & should eventually stop.


----------



## Rimbaum (May 22, 2014)

I wouldn't mind the diatoms so much if it weren't for the fact that they're so localized. They only show up directly under the LED lighting, and that kinda makes it look ugly.

Did a 100% water change instead of the 90% I had planned on. I had to stir around the gravel before pouring the water out and some of the worst of the waste just would not go away unless I poured it all out. Sigh. Oh well, at least it's clean now. I scrubbed the decorations with my fingers as well as I could, because I didn't have an unused toothbrush to do it with. Kind of worried about paint coming off if I did use a toothbrush, anyways. The plastic rocks... eh. They're Penn Plax, which kind of says something by itself.

Took the opportunity to rearrange the decorations a bit to keep Ahti stimulated. I'd love real plants instead of the fake ones I have in, and an actual pile of rocks and/or driftwood to replace the plastic rocks currently in there.

Photo 1: The rock formation after I scrubbed off as much of the diatoms as I could
Photo 2: The new layout.


----------



## shellieca (Jul 12, 2012)

I don't your normal water change/tank clean schedule but with a tank your size you will need to be doing 2-3 water changes with a 100% each week especially if the tank is uncycled. Having the lights on a set schedule should helpt but because you are essentially "resetting" your tank with a scrub down & 100% water change this problem may persist.


----------



## Rimbaum (May 22, 2014)

I do a 50% water change every other day, and try to do a 100% each week.

I have a filter and some marimo, although I don't actually have a test kit. The nearest PetSmart is a 20-mile drive away, so we don't go in that often. The next time I go though, I'll see if I can get my tank water tested.

Since the marimo are spongy, they should hold a decent amount of bb. I also didn't change the filter, I just swished it in the old tank water. I shouldn't be doing a total 'reset' with those two not having been changed, right?


----------



## Rimbaum (May 22, 2014)

Ahti seems to be really confused about the light going on and off automatically. He's so used to me coming over and clicking it that he just looks up at the light and stares for a moment like "what the heck happened?"

Also, have to keep an eye out for the cats now. After having Ahti for just over a month, the cats have finally discovered that there's something up on the living room bookshelf. What is it? It swims around, but I can't touch it. There's something in the way. Why does it swim and hide in those plants? I can still see it.

Sigh. Cats. They're also drinking the water from the vase I'm keeping a lone marimo in. I've suspected it for a few days now, but I just caught them both earlier. No wonder I have to keep refilling the vase!

The vase in question:


----------



## Rimbaum (May 22, 2014)

Forgot to mention that I did a 50% water change yesterday. I can see the diatoms starting to come back already, ugh. I'm not surprised, because I wasn't really able to scrub the decorations down as thoroughly as I'd like. I could still see plenty of brown spots in the crevices when I put them back in.

At least this time it looks like it's not going to be so localized? I might be able to tolerate the diatoms better if it's not so obviously directly under the light.


----------



## DaytonBetta (Feb 4, 2014)

I wouldn't stress about it. Just do appropriate water changes for your volume, and keep the light to less than 8 hours a day. I wouldn't scrub things. In every aquarium I've owned the diatoms were a temporary phase in a newer tank. As it matures they will go away. Now, you may end up with a much uglier algae, but the diatoms won't last. 

You could put the moss ball you have in the vase in the aquarium and that will help remove some of the nitrogen that feeds algae.


----------



## Rimbaum (May 22, 2014)

DaytonBetta said:


> I wouldn't stress about it. Just do appropriate water changes for your volume, and keep the light to less than 8 hours a day. I wouldn't scrub things. In every aquarium I've owned the diatoms were a temporary phase in a newer tank. As it matures they will go away. Now, you may end up with a much uglier algae, but the diatoms won't last.
> 
> You could put the moss ball you have in the vase in the aquarium and that will help remove some of the nitrogen that feeds algae.


I do have a smaller marimo in the tank, and a nano marimo that I accidentally split off and am trying to grow using the nitrogen in the tank water.

I sure hope I don't end up with an uglier algae. My parents don't want me to put any more live plants in the tank because they say it's "perfect" the way it is and adding plants will just "crowd out" my fish and give him no room to swim.

All this despite my attempts to show them heavily planted tanks of my size.

I'd love to add in some fast-growing plants, maybe floaters like frogbit or dwarf water lettuce. I personally wouldn't even mind duckweed, to be honest, but my parents refuse to pay for them or the ferts I'd need to sustain a planted tank.


----------



## Rimbaum (May 22, 2014)

Well, it's not just diatoms anymore. There's hair algae growing right alongside the diatoms, and my slow-growing marimo just isn't enough to get rid of the excess nutrients from the fish poo.

A friend is sending me an unknown plant that has rapidly taken over their spouse's aquarium in less than a month after being severely cut back. It's a floating plant, and from the pictures I was sent, it looks something like narrow-leaf anacharis? I think. Definitely a plant that can survive and thrive being uprooted, so I'm sure it'll do well in my tank.

As fast as it seems to grow, I'm sure it'll starve out the algae and diatoms in no time.


----------



## BambooTikiBettaGirl84 (Jun 29, 2014)

I have the same problem with one of my 2.5 tanks. My issue is more that it's EVERYWHERE! On the tank walls, the plants, the decor and the gravel. I have a feeling that it's because I have it near a window because my other 2.5 is the same age as the other tank and it doesn't have the brown stuff.

I was told that eventually the stuff will go away with enough water changes and just some time for the tank to cycle. I really hope that is true!


----------



## BettaLover1313 (Apr 15, 2013)

I had algae problems for awhile (still a bit in one spot) but I bought Nerite Snails to help solve the problem and they've done wonders with my tank! Apart from the rag lessening the filter flow, my tank is pretty algae free. They are awesome little critters!


----------



## Rimbaum (May 22, 2014)

BettaLover1313 said:


> I had algae problems for awhile (still a bit in one spot) but I bought Nerite Snails to help solve the problem and they've done wonders with my tank! Apart from the rag lessening the filter flow, my tank is pretty algae free. They are awesome little critters!


While I would love to eventually get a nerite, I wouldn't feel comfortable with one in a 1.5 gallon tank, and especially not with the lid design I've currently got. I'm worried enough about the cats getting into the tank, I don't need to worry about snails getting out!

My friend should be shipping me some plant clippings sometime this week. It apparently explodes in their tank, even with being uprooted, and once I get it in my tank I can ID it properly. I'm sure Ahti's poo will make it grow fantastically in my little tank and help eat up the excess nutrients.


----------



## BettaLover1313 (Apr 15, 2013)

Rimbaum said:


> While I would love to eventually get a nerite, I wouldn't feel comfortable with one in a 1.5 gallon tank, and especially not with the lid design I've currently got. I'm worried enough about the cats getting into the tank, I don't need to worry about snails getting out!
> 
> My friend should be shipping me some plant clippings sometime this week. It apparently explodes in their tank, even with being uprooted, and once I get it in my tank I can ID it properly. I'm sure Ahti's poo will make it grow fantastically in my little tank and help eat up the excess nutrients.


Yeah, that would be a bit small. Definitely don't want to worry about cats getting in or snails escaping!


----------

