Diatoms crashing my tank

[Plant-master]

Hello, I’m I have settled up my 3 gallon cube for about 5 weeks now and am Trying to start and new Carpet of d arc hair grass. But the diatoms seem to be all over and running it. How can I stop them. 

[a tired fish keeper]

Maybe do the light/reduce on time, do more water changes about 2 a week should be enough, and remove the algae manually.

[Patrick_G]

I agree with @a tired fish keeper, cut back on the light level or photoperiod and try to scrub or siphon out as much as possible. It a common problem and luckily it usually goes away as the tank ages.  I would normally add Amano shrimp and Otocinclus but it’s a pretty small tank. I have a couple of those three gallon cubes and only keep very small fish in one and only plants in the other. 

[Plant-master]

On 1/29/2022 at 6:38 PM, Patrick_G said:

I agree with @a tired fish keeper, cut back on the light level or photoperiod and try to scrub or siphon out as much as possible. It a common problem and luckily it usually goes away as the tank ages.  I would normally add Amano shrimp and Otocinclus but it’s a pretty small tank. I have a couple of those three gallon cubes and only keep very small fish in one and only plants in the other. 

Ok will do! Thanks for you help

[Mmiller2001]

What is the substrate?

[Plant-master]

On 1/30/2022 at 12:49 PM, Mmiller2001 said:

What is the substrate?

Fluval stratum 

[Mmiller2001]

I would increase water changes and run a leaner dose of nutrients.

[Plant-master]

On 1/30/2022 at 3:04 PM, Mmiller2001 said:

I would increase water changes and run a leaner dose of nutrients.

Ok,but I wasn’t using any type of Fertilizer.

Edited January 30, 2022 by Plant-master

[Mmiller2001]

On 1/30/2022 at 3:08 PM, Plant-master said:

Ok,but I wasn’t using any type of Fertilizer.

I would dose a comprehensive fertilizer, but mildly until you increase the plant mass.

Edited January 31, 2022 by Mmiller2001

[Plant-master]

On 1/30/2022 at 4:53 PM, Mmiller2001 said:

I would dose a comprehensive fertilizer, but mildly until you increase the plant mass.

Ok, like would easy green be ok

[Mmiller2001]

That would be fine.

[laritheloud]

Might be an unpopular opinion but I just do regular ol' maintenance and let all the diatoms and algae run its course. All of my tanks have had diatom and algae blooms, and all of them eventually reached a point where everything was in balance and matured enough to keep the algae mostly out of sight. Usually around the 3 to 5 month mark is when the algae decreases and fades away completely for me, depending on if it's a high or low tech setup.