# Diatoms, shrimp, snails and EasyCarbo



## daizeUK (2 Feb 2014)

Hi,
I seem to suffer from persistent diatoms.

To give background, I've had a 64L low-tech tank for about a year.  It suffered from diatoms for most of that year until I eventually started double-dosing EasyCarbo.  Now I'm happy with plant growth in that tank and it's all clear of diatoms.

A couple of months ago I set up a 120L yeast-CO2 tank and it is also suffering from diatoms.  It's taken me a while to get to grips with the CO2 but I think I've finally got it stable.  It has no other algae but I want to get rid of the diatoms.

I would like to keep amano shrimp in this tank and would prefer not to dose EasyCarbo, certainly not at double dosage...

I've never kept shrimp before so I have no idea if they will eat my diatoms for me.  I'm hoping they will!   But even if they don't I want shrimp anyway.

I'd like some advice on the best way to deal with the problem, should I:

Add shrimp and let them clean up the diatoms?
Nuke the tank with EasyCarbo for a couple of weeks until the diatoms disappear, then stop the EasyCarbo and add shrimp?
Blackout the tank for a few days then add shrimp?
Add both shrimp and snails to eat the diatoms - if so then what would be the best species of snail?

Thanks!


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## Andy D (2 Feb 2014)

Diatoms are down to too much light.

What lights do you use and how long are they on for?


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## Marina Dubro (2 Feb 2014)

If already running and "settled down" aquarium there is an outbreak of brown algae, the main cause is too much organic matter in the water.


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## Marina Dubro (2 Feb 2014)

on the Ukrainian site I have ridden  that brown (diatom) algae prefer blue spectrum lamps. In some cases, when added to the red spectrum lighting, kelp disappeared at the same light intensity.
Of course, all manipulations with light cleaning of the aquarium should be accompanied by an excess of nutrients. It would be good to reduce the portions of food for aquarium fauna.


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## Marina Dubro (2 Feb 2014)

can help shrimp and fish feed on algae: young Ancistrus (Ancistrus dolichopterus), different ototsinklyusy (Otocinclus) - effective, but more whimsical, girinoheylus or Chinese Algae (Gyrinocheilus aymonieri). Plant girinoheylusa better only one of the major or moving fish, as it pugnacious. Help and snails: horned snail (Clithon sp), tiger snail (Neritina natalensis).


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## daizeUK (2 Feb 2014)

*Andy D* - Thanks, the 120L is a Juwel Lido with 2x T8 15W tubes.  Lights are on for 8 hours a day.
Depth of tank is 46cm / 18 inches.  The diatoms appear on substrate, rocks and leaves.

*Marina Dubro* - Thanks for the info!
I don't think the tank ever settled down, there have been diatoms pretty much from the start.
What would cause too much organic matter - just fish food / waste?  I feed the fish very lightly twice a day.
Stocking is 5 harlequins, 7 threadfins and 3 small male platies.
My water is too hard for Otos  at 15dH.  I think the tank is too small for other algae eaters (it's 2ft wide).
The lamps are 6500K daylight spectrum.
I will have a look at those snails!

Thanks for the replies, help is appreciated.
Daize


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## Andy D (2 Feb 2014)

I would start by reducing lighting period to 5 or 6 hours.


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## daizeUK (2 Feb 2014)

Okay will do, thanks.
Do you recommend I try to get rid of the diatoms BEFORE adding shrimp/snails?


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## Andy D (2 Feb 2014)

I would always try to attack the root cause of the issue. Far better to try and eliminate it than cover it up IMO 

But, shrimp and snails are nice although snails are perhaps not too common in tanks on this forum.


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## daizeUK (2 Feb 2014)

Really, why are snails not common?  Do they damage plants?
Unlike shrimp I've never been really keen on snails, I'd only consider getting them for cleaning purposes... if I can deal with the cause of the diatoms myself I probably won't bother with snails!


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## Marina Dubro (2 Feb 2014)

Replace the lamp 830 range (instead of 640). If you can, then 935. And  feeding  the fish twice a day is too much. Fish is better to feed only once a day and do not feed one day a week. same the shrimps.


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## Marina Dubro (2 Feb 2014)

Sorry for my English
, if you see any errors please tell me and I will correct this


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## ceg4048 (2 Feb 2014)

Yes,
	   Your error is that Diatoms do not care what color the light is, so that changing colors in a tank is a useless tactic against diatomic algae.

The OP is advised to improve flow/distribution, remove algae by hand, perform a 3-4 day blackout. Extra water changes is always a good idea. 2X-3X water changes per week for a few weeks will always help.

Cheers,


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## Marina Dubro (2 Feb 2014)

Sorry, Now reread the gallery from Latvia. Russia, Ukraine. all write the same thing ----- excess nitrates, lack of light and or the old lamp with the wrong spectrum. They write its very important.


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## ceg4048 (2 Feb 2014)

No. Sorry. That is just the Latvian, Russian and Ukrainian versions of the neural interactive programming we call The Matrix.
I always have excess nitrates, often reduce the light and always use old lamps with wrong spectrum and I never get diatoms. So this can't be true.

Please refer to Diatom dilemma... | UK Aquatic Plant Society

Cheers,


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## Marina Dubro (2 Feb 2014)

I'm not saying it's necessarily a reason. I just pointed to one of the possible. maybe I'm wrong but use the advice of experienced aquarists always not so bed.
And now is cleaned manually, change the water often and do not overfeed the fish. 
Again sorry


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## ian_m (2 Feb 2014)

daizeUK said:


> My water is too hard for Otos at 15dH


Yet another error. Fish caring about dH. My Otto's live in very hard water (2nd hardest in UK) and they are fine and yes they did scoff all the diatoms I got after I initially set up my planted tank. No they don't really touch BBA, but will eat dead BBA that has been treated with Excel.


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## daizeUK (2 Feb 2014)

Thanks all for your help and advice!
I will try the blackout and increase water changes and lower my photoperiod.  I've also improved my CO2 so I'm hoping that may help to address the root cause.

I always assumed that my T8 bulbs were not strong enough to be responsible for algae but perhaps I was wrong.

Also thanks for the info on oto's, I'll keep that in mind!


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