Search results for query: orthosilicic

Thanks Darrel, any suggestions on where I can buy snails online? (Good source)

Hi all, Good. Diatoms are <"incredibly effective"> at obtaining the smallest trace of orthosilicic acid (Si(OH)4) from water, so silicate levels in water tends to be a bit of a red herring. Ramshorn Snails (Planorbella duryi) are effective at removal. cheers Darrel

Hi all, Unfortunately we are in <"unknown unknowns"> territory. I'm guessing it isn't the rainwater, but it is purely a guess. A <"lot of mineral nutrients"> are more available at lower pH and alkalinity values, iron (Fe) is the one <"we often encounter">. I've always <"been a rainwater...

...for your reply. So they will always be present in the rainwater too? Or maybe there must be a different source for those traces of orthosilicic acid? I used a second hand rain barrel. There were some old leafs in the rain barrel. Also on the roof there are leafs and mosses present. I...

Hi all, It shouldn't. The quartz (SiO2) in gravel is inert <"Aquarium sand and diatoms...">. You only need the merest trace of orthosilicic acid (Si(OH)4) for diatoms to be able to extract it, diatoms are universal in fresh (and salt) water. In fact they occur everywhere there is liquid water...

...still don't tell you anything useful. Silicate content is a <"total red herring"> in terms of diatom growth, they <"need a source of orthosilicic acid">, but diatoms are universal in freshwater, because they are so effective at sequestering plant available silicon (Si). I'm pretty sure they...

HEY.. I found it..BUT there is conflicting information. 2 inquiries 7 months apart..

...Scotts are a USA based company <"Scotts Miracle-Gro Company - Wikipedia">. In terms of diatom growth there <"are ~always enough"> orthosilicic acids <"available to them">, they are incredibly adept at harvesting it. I have snails <"and Ceratophyllum demersum in my tanks"> and both may help...

...silicon present (because the diatoms are producing frustules), but it is at a level below our detection limit. You could try adding orthosilicic acid, but I'm not sure it will make any difference. Diatoms are actually quite mysterious organisms, even now <"A review on diatom...

Hi Darrel. Thank you very much for the response. As you mentioned, I have a hard water around 400 ppm and from tap ph is 8.0-8.2. I have attached photos of floating plants, do you still think that I have nutrient deficiency ? Also we dont have that sodium here in the Netherlands. I have...

Hi all, There is nearly always enough silicon (Si) to support diatom growth. They can only take up the silicon <"in the form of orthosilicic acids"> and diatoms are incredibly effective at it. You could try adding <"some Hornwort"> (Ceratophyllum demersum) , it is also silicified. I have...

Hi all, Double whammy really. Diatoms need <"orthosilicic acid (H4SiO4) in solution to make their skeletons">, and that is totally unrelated to the quartz (SiO2) in your sand, which is literally <"insoluble for all of eternity">. You can theoretically limit diatom growth by removing all the...

...of diatoms">. The issues are <"all to do with solubility">, the ability of diatoms to extract Si from water and the amount of <"orthosilicic acids"> (H4SiO4) in solution. If people are insistent, I point them towards the <"Gunflint Chert">, because it has only had a meagre 1.88 * 10^9...

Hi all, Basically there are always enough <"orthosilicic acids">, in solution, to <"support Diatom growth">, we know this because <"diatoms are universal"> anywhere there is liquid water. You are good for a while, because PO4--- is <"highly mobile within the plant">. Diatoms can't shuffle...

The phosguard isn't going to be permanent. It's there whilst I deal with the issue. It also removes silicates hence why I'm using it. As I said above I've renewed the root tabs as to supply what they need for now. I'm pretty confident that I'd re evaluate if the plants started to show signs of...

Hi all, Quartz sand is totally insoluble, for all of eternity. Diatoms can only build their frustules from orthosilicic acids in solution. Phosguard will remove orthophosphate (PO4---) from the water column, and phosphate is one of the three macro nutrients that plants need most of, so it will...

...underground. Elevated temperature and pressure causes silicate* to form/dissolve in underground water. And this gets into our water supply. This is well worth a read: https://www.lenntech.com/periodic/water/silicon/silicon-and-water.htm Hope this helps. * More accurately, orthosilicic acid...

The last rapport i got was from 2019 and it listed 9,3mg/l Na. i dont know if this is hi or low in a planted aquarium context. 100l of RO water a week? hmmm i am already too far down this rabbithole. I dont really fell like spending that much on a RO setup. I can try rainwater in summertime...

...(Na) and potassium (K)). <"I'm not sure it has any">. The added sodium silicate is soluble and some of that silicate will end up as "orthosilicic acids" and these are the silicon containing compounds that Diatoms us to build their frustules, but Diatoms are incredibly efficient at this, and...

Hi @dw1305 It's rare that there is a simple cause -> effect relationship in lots of things, isn't it? I suspect that orthosilicic acid (H4SiO4) and other factors all play their part in the growth of diatoms whose hard frustule is comprised of SiO2. But, what is certain is that diatoms must...

...not sure you can directly relate the <"silicon (Si) content of the water directly with the growth of diatoms">. If you removed all the orthosilicic acid from the water column it would stop diatom growth, but it would have <"to be all of it">. For me it is back to <"theoretically possible">...

...if they weren't all 100% SiO2 and pretty much <"insoluble at normal temperatures and pressures">. But only if it is in the form of an orthosilicic acid (H4SiO4)? I've been told that freshwater always contains enough "diatom available silicon" for diatom growth, mainly because they are...

Hi all, <"More than one"> thread. I'd probably start with <"Aquarium sand and diatoms">. cheers Darrel

Hi Darrel (@dw1305) Interestingly, neither silicon nor silicates nor diatoms get a mention in the index of Diana Walstad's book, Ecology of the Planted Aquarium. Nor The 2Hr Aquarist. So, it's obviously not considered important to the growth of aquarium plants. At least, by some. But, take a...

...be "enough". While silicon (Si) isn't usually quoted as an essential plant nutrient, some plants extract silica (presumably also from orthosilicic acid) and use it for both stem strengthening and <"as a deterrent to grazing">. The most common examples are the phytoliths in grasses (think of...

...you can get silicon in solution (it is how you get bands of quartz in rocks etc.) and that is the silicon that ends up as traces of orthosilicic acid in rivers, streams, aquifers, tap water, the sea etc. Diatoms extract orthosilicic acid from water to build their frustules, and they are...

...the nitrogen (N2) gas in the atmosphere, you <"can't equate N2 gas with nitrate (NO3)"> and you can't equate SiO2 with silicon. <"Diatoms are incredibly efficient"> at extracting silicon (Si) from solution, but that silicon has to be in the form of <"orthosilicic acids (H4SiO4)">. cheers...

Yes I do live in an area of very hard water. I've done a 50% water change now with RO water which has helped with this and reducing pH. Also measured very high phosphate levels which could of contributed to the diatom bloom? I've purchased seachem phos-guard which seems to be working after a few...

...in freshwater and <"are incredibly efficient at extracting silicon from the water"> and I'm pretty sure there will always be <"enough orthosilicic acid"> in your water to support diatom growth. I'm <"not a great fan of test kits">, they may work, they may not, but I'm personally convinced...

Hi all, I couldn't find out, but I assume it does. Whether it suppresses Diatom growth would be another question, this one <"Influence of Ceratophyllum demersum L. on phytoplankton structure in a shallow eutrophic lake"> says it does. <"Silica uptake in aquatic and wetland macrophytes: a...

Hi @dw1305 So, does that mean that Hornwort can absorb orthosilicic acid to construct its skeleton? If so, that would be a great way of combatting diatoms. JPC

...relevant bit to this discussion is: The real problem is that the the author has to use the SiO2 content of the water as a proxy for the orthosilicic acid (H4SiO4) content, without knowing the empirical relationship between the conversion of SiO2 to H4SiO4. Because diatoms are pretty...

Hi Folks, This is the article I had in mind but I was mistaken in thinking that it advised on silicate reduction. It does, however, have some other information that may be of interest: https://www.aquaculturealliance.org/advocate/silicon-diatoms-in-aquaculture/ *orthosilicic acid/SiO2 JPC

Hi @dw1305 So, that's about 0.2 ppm, if my calculation is correct. I think it may be possible to get below this figure and I believe I have an article discussing this. Will try to find it. JPC

Hi all, That is correct, but only relevant if you can get the concentration below two micro-molar orthosilicic acid in solution, one you are below that level it will begin to limit diatom abundance. Yes that is the one. It is back to the "fixed nitrogen" and "nitrogen gas" difference...

Hi all, I don't think it says that sand or diatom frustules etc are even minimally soluble at ambient temperatures or pressures. It says, for amorphous silica but I think we would be dealing with crystalline silicon dioxide and that that is insoluble. cheers Darrel

...someone was reporting diatom problems. It seems that silicon dioxide (e.g.sand) can slowly dissolve in water to form something called orthosilicic acid. This is where Wikipedia has some useful information: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Orthosilicic_acid My guess is that this is a form of...

...think as temperature, alkalinity and pressure increase SiO2 becomes more soluble. SiO2(s) + 2H2O(l) ↔ H4SiO4(aq) There are traces of <"orthosilicic acid in nearly all water">, we know that because pretty much anywhere with liquid water has diatoms, and they are incredibly good at extracting...

Orthosilicic acid (H4SiO4) is in tap water and coats the insides of water distillation equipment and I assume steam boilers in power plants. However never found a problem at fish tank temperatures. The only diatoms I have found are in the inside of the lav flush tank. Tried to grow them but...

...Basically they are almost universal where ever there is liquid water and incredibly efficient at extracting trace amounts of silica from orthosilicic acids. I think you could get a different diatom assemblage at higher silica levels, possibly with species with a faster growth rate, if other...

...sell people a silicate removal resin. Diatoms have a frustule built of silica, but they build this by abstracting minute amounts of orthosilicic acids from liquid water. Quartz (like you get in sandstone or granite) is a silicon dioxide (SiO2), <"but it is insoluble">. Diatoms are...

Hi all, It won't be the rock, diatoms are incredibly efficient at sequestering silicon (Si), but they can only use it as <"orthosilicic acids">, and quartz (SiO2) isn't soluble. cheers Darrel

...and removing it with the other. If you are interested in its silicate removing properties of the <"Phosguard">, it doesn't effect Diatom growth. Diatom frustules are made of silicon dioxide (SiO2), but they can only extract it from the water in the form of <"orthosilicic acid">. cheers Darrel

Hi all, It won't do any harm, but you don't need this one, diatoms can only use <"orthosilicic acid to make their frustules">, they can't use other forms of silicon (Si). cheers Darrel

...silicon dioxide based. The author says they've collected into huge deposits in the sea, then he tells you they are soluble......... The orthosilicic acid that Diatoms process into the frustule only forms at very high pressure in the deep oceans, and arrives back at the surface in ocean...

...but Clive is right the real issue with diatoms and silicon (Si) is that the silicon has to be in the form of orthosilicic acids (H4SiO4), and for the Diatom to use it to build its frustule these silicic acids are formed by the acidification of silicate salts (such as sodium silicate) in...

...and sand, clay and many rocks are composed of silicon, but diatoms cannot use silicon in this form. It must be silicic acid, typically orthosilicic acid (H4SiO4) which they process into Silicon Dioxide (SiO2). In order for sand and other silicon containing rocks to be hydrated into...

Hi all, The frustule is built from silicon (Si), but the Diatom can only extract the silicon from "orthosilicic acid" (H4SiO4), and these silicic acids are formed by the acidification of silicate salts (such as sodium silicate) in aqueous solution. In the case of silicon it is inert when it is...

...it isn't one I'm familiar with, but I'd be very surprised if "aluminosilicate", wasn't in the description. Diatoms can only use orthosilicic acids (from the hydration of sodium silicate) to build their frustules, so the silicon in glass, quartz, clays, diatomite etc isn't utilizable, and I'd...

...as silica oxides (SiO2) in crystalline forms. If silicon levels were implicated in diatom growth you would really need to test for orthosilicic acid (H4SiO4), and these silicic acids are formed by the acidification of silicate salts (such as sodium silicate) in aqueous solution. If you want...

Hi all, Yes, but silicic acids are formed by acidification of silicate salts (such as sodium silicate) in aqueous solution, not from the silicon (SiO2) in diatom shells. Diatom shells don't dissolve, they accumulate in huge amounts in sediments. This is the biogeochemical cycle for marine...

isn't orthosilicic acid just a dissolved form of silica, which as I understand isn't very soluble but when it does dissolve it can result in other silicic acids as well

Hi all, If it is Rowaphos it would. This is another one I'm a bit agnostic about however. Diatoms can only incorporate orthosilicic acid (H4SiO4) to make their "skeletons" (Frustule), so silica is a bit of a red herring. A lot of us will have huge amounts of Diatom frustules in their tanks...

...Dioxide is not the form that diatomic algae use to build their frustules. The form is Silicic Acid, and the most abundant form is orthosilicic acid (H4SiO4). The algae process this form biogenically to manufacture SiO2. So as Darrel says, the SiO2 content of the water is totally irrelevant...