Is this a diatom bloom?

[amagad]

This brown algae is increasing by the numbers. About a week or two ago, I've completed my cycle. I had some plants, and java moss but took it out to help alleviate what was the start of this bloom of some sort. Just want to know when this stuff will go away? It's actually making the water smell. I have 0 ammonia and 0 nitrite and just did a 50% water change

[BV77]

Yeah it is.. very common in a new tank.

[weedkiller]

aww look at them likkle fishes all trying to hide behind each other... huddled in the corner with nowhere to go
get some bottom feeder algae eater, they will get real fat

[Obsidian]

The diatomes won't hang around long enough to worry about getting a bottom feeder to deal with it. They should be gone within 3 months of the tank cycling, often times much sooner. In my 10 they lasted about a month, in my 20 about a month and a half post cycle. If you are worried in the meantime just wipe off the glass and turn the gravel every so often.

[amagad]

Thanks all for your input. At this time, I removed all the pool gravel partly to remove the potential for unlimited silicate source and also to grow the discus until they mature to a bigger tank.

Question, looks like the diatoms are maybe turning into green algae? I suppose this is yet another phase?

[rtro92]

get some oto's and a moss ball. Oto's nom nom and mb will use up the nutrients in the water.

[weedkiller]

what is your nitrate ppm level?

[amagad]

I got rid of it by giving the tank a good scrub and cleaning the tubing. I think it was the diatoms that had a foul stench and burned my nose slightly 20 ft from the tank. Really thinking of getting a uv light like the green killing machine

But yes I have two otos in there