Persistent diatom algae issue

[flintcore]

I've been using a phosphate remover. The only test kits available locally are from API. I've been wondering, what do dinoflagellates look like? I've read about them but never seen any pictures. Could it be hydrogen sulfide causing the issue? I've had sand sifting snails for a while now, and they seem to be doing their job. I'm still stumped as to why the algae keeps coming back.

[felinxo]

You can grab 'em on eBay, Seffie x

[rusticore]

I'm really struggling with this diatom algae in my tank, it's everywhere. I've got no silicates or nitrates, I'm providing plenty of bright light, but my sand has turned this awful browny-gold color. Every time I do a water change, it's back within 2 days. I'm at a loss, I've even got 5 sand sifting snails that should be helping to control it. I've noticed that in areas with no light, there's no diatom algae, but as soon as the sand is exposed to light, it's like a plague. Can anyone suggest what might be eating it, or what's going wrong?

I'm curious, what type of phosphate remover are you using in your tank? Dinoflagellates have a pretty distinct appearance - they can look like a mix of cyano, human mucus, and diatoms all rolled into one.

[flintcore]

I use a phosphate mat from aqua one it seems to do the trick, works very well for me. if its a mix of cyano, human mucus, and diatoms, would that be a brown colour or more greenish, i'm just trying to understand what i'm looking at

[rusticore]

I'm really struggling with this diatom algae in my tank, it's everywhere. I've got no silicates or nitrates, I'm providing plenty of bright light, but my sand has turned this awful browny-gold color. Every time I do a water change, it's back within 2 days. I'm at a loss, I've even got 5 sand sifting snails that should be helping to control it. I've noticed that in areas with no light, there's no diatom algae, but as soon as the sand is exposed to light, it's like a plague. Can anyone suggest what might be eating it, or what's going wrong?

I've come across some pretty nasty stuff in my tank before, but the description of dinoflagellates sounds pretty grim - a mix of cyano, human mucus, and diatoms. The colour I'd imagine would be a dirty brown, which is actually pretty similar to what I'm seeing in my tank right now. I'm starting to think that maybe, just maybe, my phosphate remover isn't doing the trick after all.