The Puffer Forum

Hello I'm new here
I have a 46gal bowfront, brackish water aquarium. 3 figure eights.
I did fishless cycle in about 3 and 1/2 weeks with seeded material. Amm is 0, NO2 is 0, and the past week my NO3 has been pretty much 0.
I noticed the past couple weeks I've had this light tan dusty stuff all over the drift wood, rocks, and plants which are all live. I also had some brown algae I cleaned off some of the plant's today. Is the dusty stuff diatoms?
I also have a hand full of ghost shrimp that I put in my tank the day I started my cycle.
I've done several water changes and the dust just comes back. :/ So Can anyone help me with this?
Oh, also I had 2 of my first 3 puffs get bad ich and I lost them. Third is great never got a spot on him. I bought 2 more and now have a total of 3 again. All are pigs and happy and healthy:))
Thanks for any help

Common in new tanks. Keep brushing it off--it will pass.

Thank you! It's ugly and makes my tank look dirty. Hope it passes quickly. I have sand substrate and first thought it was sand settling on everything.
Thanks again for your help

Diatoms suck, but they WILL pass. Did you attempt to treat the ich the first two F8s had? Ich is a nuisance but can be treated, usually successfully, with nothing more than heat and salt.

Welcome to the forum

As already stated above, diatom blooms are common in new/young tanks. Whether or not they persist depends on the source water's soluble silicate level. If you call your water utility, they will give you the soluble silicate levels in your water. If you have high soluble silicates, then diatom algae will persist. If the silicates are low, the diatoms will fade out.

Thanks everyone:)

I have well water so I don't know how to tell what's in it...this is all new to me. First tank I've had in about 7 years. Never even heard of cycling back then.
With the ich, it was really bad! I used quick cure at half the dose or a little less.
Should I get a couple oto's to help with diatoms? You know in hoping the puffs dont get them :/
All the ghost shimp have survived, but they stay hidden.

Get the API Master test kit & test for what we asked about above. You certainly can answer the other Qs?

I have the API master test kit. I ment I don't know how to test for silicates. Or what the even is :/

I believe that's something you'd have to get from your water supply company.

Pufferpunk wrote:I believe that's something you'd have to get from your water supply company.

I have well water.

Well then not much you can do but continue holding on.