Another one on cyno.

[Atlantisdelux]

So, I know this is probably the most discussed algea issue but I can't find anything that will help.

My tank has been running for roughly 4 months, including the 1 month cycle period. It is a 40 breeder with a 20 sump started with Marco key largo dry base rock and pink Fiji live sand seeded with about 10# of live rock from my 10 gallon frag tank that was moved into the 40 after cycle.

Iv got roughly 15 snails, 5 hermits, 5 nasiras (sp) 2 scarlet cleaner shrimp and 1 brittle star that came in on a rock.
Some zoas, a small hammer, a frog spawn, some encrusting gargonian finger, a few small Kenya trees, and 2 frags of Monti that are up and down on health.
Other than the Monti everything is THRIVING, along with the ted slime.

Everything was going really well for the first 3 months then things turned bad. I haven't fed my tank anything for over a month, I'm running carbon and phosban (in bags), Iv blacked out the tank for 4 days which helped then everything returned, Iv run a cycle of chemclean with the same results.
my tank is as turbulent as I can get it without it splashing over the edges.
Iv tested my water, and 2 different LFS have tested with everything looking fine.

Short of shutting down and starting over, any ideas? Is it normal to be getting this large of a bloom with feedings?
I never had this issue with my 20 gallon and everyone says the larger the easier.

Thanks for any advice.
Sincerely
-beaten down but breathing

 

[rpate2]

What kind of lighting are you running?

 

[Atlantisdelux]

What kind of lighting are you running?

I'm running a 4x 24w fixture, I forget the name of it.

That was temporary housing for a pistol shrimp goby I returned, and there's a small power head behind the rock structure on the left blowing across the back of the tank.
This picture was taken after moving things from my 10 so its an older photo.

The bulbs were just replaced when I started this 40

2x 24w ati aquablue special for 6 hours

2x 24w ati blue plus for 8 hours (1 hour before and after day lights kick on)

 

[Janci]

Cyano is not an algae but a difficult bacteria to get rid of.
Even by restarting there is no certainty that the new setup will not get this bacteria.
Lowering the light intensity will not remove the bacteria.
As far as I understand cyano feeds on nitrogen and blooms when there is an imbalance between phosphates and nitrates.

In short, lower the light intensity to avoid the bacteria get out of hand.
Remove the red slime patches by siphoning and small water changes.
You can stir the sand bed (little by little, not copletely all in one day) to release what is there from nitrogen and let any other detritus be removed by the filter/skimmer.
You will have to repeat this till it slowly disappears.

At least that is what I will do as I suffer the same in my tank at the moment.
I have also used Chemiclean in the past but never with good results.

Good luck

 

[saltyfilmfolks]

Iv tested my water, and 2 different LFS have tested with everything looking fine.

fine is relative. knowing the numbers is important as is an indication as to whats going on.
grab a test kit, even API yes, Po4 no3 and PH are all you really need at this point. Test the Ph at the end of the day and first thing in the AM.

Im assuming your running rodi.
Are you running a refugium.
And yea, It might just be your particular ugly phase.

 

[Atlantisdelux]

I know, I should have had all my numbers ready, but I had some down time at work this am and wrote this up real quick.
Not quit a refugium, but I do have a spot in my sump with the leftover rock from my 10, it just has no light.
Is it possible its taken this long for things to die off on the LR that I put in the sump? I would have thought the die off from my sump rocks would have started my original cycle.

 

[saltyfilmfolks]

It takes a lot longer than that for stuff to happen. particularly building up the important bacteria deep in the rocks.
chato or macro will help take up co2 as well as nutrients.

 

[Atlantisdelux]

It takes a lot longer than that for stuff to happen. particularly building up the important bacteria deep in the rocks.
chato or macro will help take up co2 as well as nutrients.

Well, the rock in the sump was in an established 10 gallon.
When I started the 40 I moved everything over and put a lot of the established rock in the sump (with no light) and used only a few pieces up in the display along with the Marco rock.

 

[saltyfilmfolks]

Well, the rock in the sump was in an established 10 gallon.
When I started the 40 I moved everything over and put a lot of the established rock in the sump (with no light) and used only a few pieces up in the display along with the Marco rock.

yea that should be fine. really good IMO.

 

[Mandrew]

How do you like the coverage of a 24" fixture over a 36" tank? I was considering going from a 29g rectangle to a 40g breeder and it would be sweet if I could keep my 24" light

 

[saltyfilmfolks]

How do you like the coverage of a 24" fixture over a 36" tank? I was considering going from a 29g rectangle to a 40g breeder and it would be sweet if I could keep my 24" light

what light is the question. @Atlantisdelux is t5. its pretty sweet.
look at the pic, squint your eye. the fall off on the sides is minimal.

 

[Atlantisdelux]

This is the tank right now. I did a treatment of chemiclean 3 days ago and the cyno is right back at it

I started another treatment right now just because last time the entire sand bed was completely covered and it cleaned up almost all of it, so I'm hoping another dose will really help.
I still dont know what the root cause is though, I haven't fed the tank anything in a month. Now its just feeding off my water changes? Do I stop those?

 

[Atlantisdelux]

How do you like the coverage of a 24" fixture over a 36" tank? I was considering going from a 29g rectangle to a 40g breeder and it would be sweet if I could keep my 24" light

I was really skeptical at first, I only used it because it was off my old tank and I had it. I planned to replace it with LED, but I'm finding myself more fond of T5 and halide tanks.
LEDs are amazing and if your into the new style shrooms and zoaz with all the crazy new tie-dyed colors then LEDs can do crazy things for you.
I'm aiming for the more natural tones and I (PERSONALLY) feel bulbs hit the tones I like better.
But as far as a 24" fixture on a 40B the t5s barley hit my floor with just the slightest shadow in the back corners. I could play with hight but I like how everything (other than the cyno) looks right now.

 

[saltyfilmfolks]

Youre using rodi water?

I still dont know what the root cause is though,

need to know your phosphate level.

if the po4 is leaching from the rock, in a way its kinda good.
I rehabbed my 30g that was taken over by cyano by letting it grow and doing water changes. counter intuitive, but think about it,if its fueled by po4 bound to the rock, the cyano is eating itself out of a job.
thus the reccomend for a P04 kit, and refugium. the chato will eat some of the Po4, and consume co2.

 

[Mandrew]

The light I have is a sunblaze 24" 4 bulb t5.

 

[Atlantisdelux]

I use the red sea kit and they've always shown somewhere between the 0.1 and 0.2 and thats looking from top down.
Ive read about people having phosphate issues with some of Marcos rocks but the key largo is supposed to be free of everything because its dug from the sand not the sea.
Not saying it can't happen and that things dont live in the sand. Its just that I'm testing so low I kind of rule it out.
Not having had any issues way back when I ran my 20 gallon mixed reef (now I'm seeing how confusingly lucky that tank was) all this random growth is new to me.

 

[saltyfilmfolks]

.01 and .02 would be low. .2 would be a little high.
With very little in there to compete for the nutrints a little odd alge isn't surprising.
Nor imo all that concerning.

I honestly see more problembs on r2r with zero then some.

 

[Atlantisdelux]

I did use hydraulic cement when bonding my rock, which Iv read mixed reviews on, but if something was leaching phosphates wouldn't that show up in my test? Or could a cyno outbreak really consume it so fast that it could be supplied without remaining in the water column long enough to be seen on a test?

 

[Atlantisdelux]

Are you recommending I add coral? If so can I give you my wife's number so she doesn't think I'm lying!!!
Haha but honestly even with the slime all over everything, I'm growing coraline algea nicely, my hammer and frogspawn have never been so full and my gargonian just finished a big shed and is now looking amazing. Things seem a bit dull on color but their thriving.

 

[saltyfilmfolks]

I would consider the old rock more of a suspect.
But again. Not a worry. Rocks dont stay white, and the bacteria and cyano will consume and po4 in the tank given time.

A smidge Of gfo or poly pad would probaly solve it.

On thing to consider while chasing a number, there's a lot of Dino threads on r2r now. One of the suspects is ultra low nutrints and imbalance.