3 Days, Lights Out - Bye, bye nuisance algae!!

[Dog Boy Dave]

Tagging along as well. I just moved from a 90 to a 200. A month later, I'm fighting a cyno outbreak.

If you didn't have cyano in a fresh build then you should be afraid. Why do you feel like you need to "fight" it. Let it cycle. Cyano doesn't hurt a thing.Its a symptom of what is going on in your tank. If your design is right and your nutrient input is in line with the tanks capabilities then let it cycle. It takes about 4 months to cycle cyano out of a new sand bed if you used wet seeded sand. It isn't that big of a deal. Your efforts to kill this stuff do much more harm to the biology of your system than allowing the algae or cyano to cycle through. If it doesn't clear up then fix your design or adjust your nutrient input. Ask your self, what is this algae or bacteria doing? It is using nutrients. That is what you want to happen. By eliminating the organisms that are currently processing your excessive nutrients you are interrupting the very cycle that we depend on for export.

 

[howaboutme]

If you didn't have cyano in a fresh build then you should be afraid. Why do you feel like you need to "fight" it. Let it cycle. Cyano doesn't hurt a thing.Its a symptom of what is going on in your tank. If your design is right and your nutrient input is in line with the tanks capabilities then let it cycle. It takes about 4 months to cycle cyano out of a new sand bed if you used wet seeded sand. It isn't that big of a deal. Your efforts to kill this stuff do much more harm to the biology of your system than allowing the algae or cyano to cycle through. If it doesn't clear up then fix your design or adjust your nutrient input. Ask your self, what is this algae or bacteria doing? It is using nutrients. That is what you want to happen. By eliminating the organisms that are currently processing your excessive nutrients you are interrupting the very cycle that we depend on for export.

+1

Not only new sand but if you started out w/ any dry/base rock, it will go through the cycle of leaching PO4 unless you cure it beforehand. Cyano is part of the maturation of your tank. It looks ugly but don't panic. If you start resorting to this and that, you run the risk of crashing your tank. Remember, most tanks crash because we want to mess w/ the chemistry.

 

[Dog Boy Dave]

+1

Not only new sand but if you started out w/ any dry/base rock, it will go through the cycle of leaching PO4 unless you cure it beforehand. Cyano is part of the maturation of your tank. It looks ugly but don't panic. If you start resorting to this and that, you run the risk of crashing your tank. Remember, most tanks crash because we want to mess w/ the chemistry.

What this guys said +1

Here is a video of my system. It was taken around Christmas 2013. The main tank has been running for over six years as well as the smaller sand bed. As the fish have grown they have begun to overwhelm my nutrient export routines and I knew I needed to expand my capability. The last portion of the video shows the newer part of the system. You might want to jump forward as the beginning is just some fish swimming around some coral in the reef portion of my system. What I think is important here is the lagoon section shown at the end of the video. This section was brought on line in July and I used seeded sand and all the live rock used was from this or another established system. As you can see in the video, in December algae and cyano growth was excessive. I expected this with a new sand bed but I also know this system and knew that as this new sand bed (and the 60 mangroves) came on line nutrients would decrease. The system looks pretty rough and dirty in this video but htat was to be expected with a new sand bed being brought on line. Here in February the sand bed in the lagoon stays almost white. Most of the cyano has cycled and as long as it continues to decrease, then I know I am on track. My point is manage your system as a whole. Learn how much nutrient (phosphates) you can export long term and learn to dance around this sweet spot. Quit following advise from people who are having problems and do the research to understand your options and the chemistry behind them. After you understand your system and your options forge your own strategy about how to manage your system. Algae and cyano are your friend quit fighting them. Here are some links with the theory behind your nutrient export routines so you can review them and think about what your options are. Trying to kill organisms in your system that are actively reducing nutrients seems to be the wrong step down the wrong road if you would ask me. Here are some links I hope they help. http://www.advancedaquarist.com/2012/3/chemistry]Phosphate and the Reef Aquarium by Randy Holmes-Farley - Reefkeeping.com

Ron Shimek's Website...Deep Sand Beds

Phosphate and the Reef Aquarium by Randy Holmes-Farley - Reefkeeping.com

<a data-cke-saved-href="http://www.advancedaquarist.com/2012/3/chemistry" href="http://www.advancedaquarist.com/2012/3/chemistry">[video=youtube;ll94icWTFhs]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ll94icWTFhs[/video]






[/URL]

 

[Dog Boy Dave]

Aquarium Chemistry: Phosphate And Math: Yes You Need To Understand Both ? Advanced Aquarist | Aquarist Magazine and Blog

 

[puffin04]

Tagging a long as well! I am having issues as well but have been manually removing it and letting the tiger turbos do there job!

Steffen Sparks

 

[gregcoyote]

I had a similar problem in my 500 gallon reef system. Started using bio pellets and a tough cyano like material began to form. It was a bacteria in my case set off by the high carbon levels. Stopped the pellets and the problem went away.

 

[HiddenUser]

For reference...Here is how things now look 4 days later. (Same-ish shot from picture in first thread)

 

[HiddenUser]

One week in (Post Lights Out), everything is still good thus far. Did a 25% water change on Saturday as well.

I think the combination of Lights Out, multiple water changes (one being 50%), replacing carbon, bringing GFO back online, and lighter feeding all together is what has made this successful for me.

 

[Dendro Dude]

Go 6 X ý U y xheaper x rough gush n u 2