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_Maq_
Member
Probably because diatoms compete poorly with other algae which develop later. (Even if you think your tank is algae-free, they are there.)
But I also noticed that diatoms also doesn’t grow in a new tank that that cycled in a few days using bottled bacteria?
_Maq_
Member
I think not. Never heard of such a dependence. And diatoms, like other algae, like ammonium more than nitrates.
PARAGUAY
Member
Things l have understood about Diatoms, they are expected in a newly planted set up tank, dealing with it involves good husbandry at start daily water changes ideally a week or two, plenty of plants, fast growers help, and shrimp and later ottocinclus and juvenile SAEs. Looks like the ADA aquariums soon sort it out with adding around 50 to 100 shrimp as soon as the tank allows and later Ottos and SAEs. Diatoms in a established aquarium something maybe needed like increase water changes add more plants check general maintenance.
most likely, diatom blooms coincide with the cycling period. They are known as first colonizers of disrupted or new environments,temperate lakes in early spring for example. They are usually rapidly replaced by green algae if conditions allow. In some cases, like nutrient poor, cold lakes green algae never get the chance to become dominant.
That‘s in nature, but to an extent we have a similar environment in a newly setup tank:you typically are low in some nutrient or another, low microbial density etc. Even in low tech or fish focused tanks you will get an accumulation of some nutrients over time and luckily or not a progression to green algae.
That‘s in nature, but to an extent we have a similar environment in a newly setup tank:you typically are low in some nutrient or another, low microbial density etc. Even in low tech or fish focused tanks you will get an accumulation of some nutrients over time and luckily or not a progression to green algae.
I think @_Maq_ and @Ria95 have answered the question quite nicely. To add to that, a diatom bloom can still show up again in a mature tank if the cycle is out of whack, for example if you stir the soil heavily or partially change the soil with an ammonia rich soil. I've been there.
And here is the picture of one of my tanks currently cycling with a full blown diatom bonanza and some GSA shooting stars...
And here is the picture of one of my tanks currently cycling with a full blown diatom bonanza and some GSA shooting stars...
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Hi all,
In terms of <"the cycle"> and <"cycling"> I just don't think they are particularly useful terms, mainly because there isn't a binary switch from "not fish safe" to "fish safe" it is a <"continuous on-going process">.
cheers Darrel
I'm pretty sure it doesn't, but it may well be to <"do with tank stability">, but we can't easily measure that as a parameter, we can only estimate it <"from visual clues">.
In terms of <"the cycle"> and <"cycling"> I just don't think they are particularly useful terms, mainly because there isn't a binary switch from "not fish safe" to "fish safe" it is a <"continuous on-going process">.
cheers Darrel
_Maq_
Member
I like your setup. At least, it's mightily original. When I compare it to those never-ending thoughtless imitations of Amano designs...
Are you planning a winding path in-between two rocks?
_Maq_
Member
In many instances, unicellular algae fit well under the term "microbes", together with all other unicellular organisms. Algae are photosynthesizing autotrophs but that does not preclude competition for many resources with other microbes.
So, if you truly observed fewer diatoms due to bacterial inoculation, that's quite interesting but no miracle.
This is a shrimp breeding tank. Not an aquascapeI like your setup. At least, it's mightily original. When I compare it to those never-ending thoughtless imitations of Amano designs...
MichaelJ
Member
Agreed. Its a phase as they say....
I always considered diatoms an inevitable part of a new tank (I never experienced not having diatoms in a new tank - planted or not)... then it's Blue Green Algae and then it's often "real algae" such as BBA, GSA, GDA etc. you might be able to skip this step if your lucky... eventually, as the tank matures and stabilizes around solid parameters and plants grows in, fertilizers are dosed in correct quantities and maintenance is up to par, then all algae eventually recede, which may take some time. Algae are always there of course, but only to a level where their presence are negligible - that's generally what we call algae-free.Cheers,
Michael
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Wookii
Member
Having the extra diatoms will be perfect for them then! Interesting the colour of your Phyllanthus Fluitans suggests very low nitrogen levels in the water column - I have found them to be almost perfect litmus test for nitrate levels, tending to go green above 15ppm and getting increasingly red down to 3-4ppm.This is a shrimp breeding tank. Not an aquascape
Indeed. Not long ago a random guy over facebook was convinced that these were naturally red. I thought rather than waste time explaining, I would take a picture, so I went outside of my house, took some floaters from one of the ponds which is high in nitrate and added them to another pond which is low in NO3.
In the tank in the post above, I haven't added any ferts in there and although I used 50% TAP, the NO3 content is pretty low. I haven't tested ammonia either but I suspect it's in the ~3ppm range. Anyhow this is beyond the scope of this thread so I'll leave it here.
Hi all,
You might be interested in my experience with <"Azolla">, where I had the brilliant idea of the students squashing the red plants to extract the nitrogen fixing cyanobacteria (just so that they were easier to see), only to find they didn't have any, unsurprisingly they were all in the large, green plants.
I think it is because the <"red anthocyanin, in the cell vacuole"> is <"normally masked by the chlorophyll in the leaf mesophyll layer"> and (<"assuming that nothing is actually missing">) that amount of chlorophyll (<"RuBisCO">) is directly related to the amount of fixed nitrogen available.
cheers Darrel
That is useful to know, I might <"have another go with it">. Other people have actually suggested it as <"an alternative plant"> for an improved "Duckweed Index".
You might be interested in my experience with <"Azolla">, where I had the brilliant idea of the students squashing the red plants to extract the nitrogen fixing cyanobacteria (just so that they were easier to see), only to find they didn't have any, unsurprisingly they were all in the large, green plants.
I think it is because the <"red anthocyanin, in the cell vacuole"> is <"normally masked by the chlorophyll in the leaf mesophyll layer"> and (<"assuming that nothing is actually missing">) that amount of chlorophyll (<"RuBisCO">) is directly related to the amount of fixed nitrogen available.
cheers Darrel
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Hi all,
Potentially a mixture of Limnobium laevigatum and Phyllanthus fluitans might be the optimal mix for the <"Duckweed Index">? But I would need to keep Phyllanthus alive long enough to find out.
I'm going to guess at higher nutrient levels Limnobium <"is always going to out grow"> Phyllanthus.
cheers Darrel
I should have said that I don't think that the sensitivity to nitrogen levels of "Red Root Floater" (Phyllanthus fluitans) outweighs <"the problems with not being able to see iron (Fe) deficiency etc."> as clearly in a plant with red leaves.
Potentially a mixture of Limnobium laevigatum and Phyllanthus fluitans might be the optimal mix for the <"Duckweed Index">? But I would need to keep Phyllanthus alive long enough to find out.
I'm going to guess at higher nutrient levels Limnobium <"is always going to out grow"> Phyllanthus.
cheers Darrel
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My pond outside has exactly these two. Phyllanthus is a weed. The whole surface of the water is usually covered in a matter of a week. I need to scoop them weekly else they simply block all light. On the other hand, the Limnobium seems to grow slower at least in terms of multiplication. They do grow much longer roots though so I guess that if they were to access the substrate at some point this could change the scenario. In another pound which was Under heavy light though, Limnobium would tend to kind of extend itself out of the water (leaves not touching the water anymore) which would then give it an upper hand by shadowing Phyllanthus fluitans.
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