Diatoms thrive on excess nutrients, in particular silicate/silicic. I have noticed in new tanks and actually when adding new equipment (plastic) a boon in diatoms, however small. While I have know scientific proof or expertise on the matter it is a pattern I have witnessed more than once in my tank(s). A combination of manually removing, active skimming and an aggressive water change regimen should defeat this enemy in a reasonable amount of time. Various snails commonly offered by vendors may also play a role in eradicating diatoms.
It is worth noting in the picture above, this is a worst case scenario, don't wait until your enemy is this well entrenched. While it might not be evident everything in the tank has diatoms on it and other algae to a much lesser degree. Of course if brown is your favorite color, disregard everything i've said......
Originally Posted by Rabidgoose
Yes...Diatoms
There's nothing like being a Reefer!
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