# Growing Brown Diatoms



## ace123 (Mar 3, 2008)

I know there have been discusions about this on this site before but just hear me out. It is said that brown diatoms come from low light and a high silicate level. If I wanted to grow brown diatoms (for some ottos) couldnt I just go pick up a bag of quartz from somewhere, put it in a shallow container(with some tank or tap water) and some bigger rocks for the diatoms to grow on and just put it in the sun. 

To further simplify my question does quartz give off or have enough silicate(s) to grow the diatoms. 

I know I can give them wafers and I do put wafers in for a couple of cories but the ottos dont seem so thrilled with them. The next step is to hit up the food store for some veggies. 

TIA


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## ace123 (Mar 3, 2008)

I was doing some more research and found that play sand and blasting sand contain high silicate so substitute that for quartz


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## @[email protected] (Oct 24, 2007)

be careful not to overlight though. i noticed my diatoms vanish when i increased the light (that was the only difference) and i was quite happy about it since it was in a tank.


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## Homer_Simpson (May 10, 2007)

ace123 said:


> I know I can give them wafers and I do put wafers in for a couple of cories but the ottos dont seem so thrilled with them. The next step is to hit up the food store for some veggies.
> 
> TIA


Lol, I hear you, when the otto finished off all the diatom algae in my 5 gallon, he went into a depression for a couple of days and would not eat the algae wagers. He kept checking the tank walls in a panic for diatom algae and appeared in denial that there wasn't any left. With the usual I feed my otos, I microwaved a piece of zucchini for him and put in the tank. In no time at all, he was suckling on it like a baby suckles on a nipple ring. He appears to like the zucchini as a substitute for the diatom algae.


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## mistergreen (Dec 9, 2006)

I personally think the silicate thing is a myth... Silicates are everywhere. Diatoms use silicate molecules to build their exterior.. That's all.. It doesn't feed them or anything.

Brown algae is common in new tanks because there's free ammonia floating around.. Try sun light and decaying fish food in a container.. And then scrape or grow them on rocks for your otos.


ps. my otos like omega one's veggie rounds.


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## ace123 (Mar 3, 2008)

I will try a couple meathods and see what happens, maybe I will actually find the real cause of diatoms (if there is any one in particular)

Thx


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