Battling Cyano

[Sherry Hubbard]

I am battling cyano as well. Tried the chemclean, good for a few days then back. All my levels were in range by my tests, so I took into local aquarium shop and had them test my water, they said it was fine. Have been sucking as much as I can out and changed lighting settings to see if that would help. I understand the frustration.

 

[CC13]

Then you need to delve deeper into the root cause.

Agreed.

 

[AC1211]

Try getting a couple sand sifting iverts or a valencienna goby

 

[mcarroll]

Now , Testing phosphates and nitrates at zero. I have used nopox to make sure they are lowered because I know I have to have some po4 and no3 that the cyano is missing up the test. When I was doing week water changes it seem to getting worst. I went to once a month and it helped slow it down but not go away completely. Out of all of the tank that I have had of the years. I have never had this problem like this.

Your tests aren't lying..that's not how it works!

Cyano is a maestro at using "unusable" forms of nutrients.

Better algae are not so capable.

Better algae need simple nutrients like nitrates to be available in the water.

So every water change you did would knock down the already undetectable levels of nutrients in the water even lower, making conditions even more favorable to cyano growth.

Slowing your water change schedule would temporarily let other things grow.

Thank the ULNS and related trek to dino-land for the unusual experience.

I stopped carbon dosing. I had cyano before I started carbon dosing. As far as coaline growth. I grows like crazy on the sides of the tank. Clean it off and two days later it is starting appear again.

It might be a little complicated to do but if you can save your coraline scrapings and sprinkle them over the cyanobacteria areas it will help seed the area. You will have to maintain positive nutrient levels to sustain the bloom you'll want though.

 

[marvelousone]

I turned out the white lights today and when I got home. The whole sand band is covered now.

 

[marvelousone]

Your tests aren't lying..that's not how it works!

Cyano is a maestro at using "unusable" forms of nutrients.

Better algae are not so capable.

Better algae need simple nutrients like nitrates to be available in the water.

So every water change you did would knock down the already undetectable levels of nutrients in the water even lower, making conditions even more favorable to cyano growth.

Slowing your water change schedule would temporarily let other things grow.

Thank the ULNS and related trek to dino-land for the unusual experience.



It might be a little complicated to do but if you can save your coraline scrapings and sprinkle them over the cyanobacteria areas it will help seed the area. You will have to maintain positive nutrient levels to sustain the bloom you'll want though.

When I vacuum my sand bed I have to replace about 20gals. Should I not vacuum the sand bed.

 

[jabberwock]

When I vacuum my sand bed I have to replace about 20gals. Should I not vacuum the sand bed.

I have it to. When I siphon it out, I remove the big end of the vacuum and just use the hose to suck it up. Much more efficient, less water loss. If the hose gets plugged with a little sand I just squeeze that spot in the hose and roll it between my finger and thumb to free up the flow.

 

[Ranjib]

Go barebottom. You can do a lot of tinkering with chemistry and other stuff.. but if you are already thinking of taking down the tank. i would suggest do this:
- Go barebottom
- Get more flow in the bottom
I dont expect you'll get complete removal, but you'll get a handle on the situation and wont be so frustrated about this.. which is a good starting ground for stabilizing the chemistry. I would broadly agree to the observation that try to increase nutrient level, i.e. dont let cyano be the only one in the game, let other algae of bacteria a chance to compete with them. But this is is a slow and some what trial and test process,, get rid of sand or fine sand, enough to allow a powerhead or two at the bottom of the tank.

From the history, I suspect your tank has not stabilized yet, since it has gone through some major changes. So, give it some time and this time optimize of low maintenance, i.e. refrain from using complicated dosing regimen and too many changes (including aggressive water changes or chemical treatments like chemiclean), go mechanical, increase flow and put of long fight and get help from other bacteria and algea. I encounter them frequently, initially it was due to low nutrients and changes , now its coral fighting among themselves and cyano appearing around the tissue necrossis parts (where two corals are coming in touch with each other), but this is managable, and the hard days (when whole sand band was covered with cyano) are gone after i remove most of my fine sand and put an mp10 closer to bottom.
I bet this is a primitive solution and a proper refugium and solid biodiversity in the tank (microfauna) will be better, but that was not an option for me

 

[marvelousone]

I am working on removing the sand. I will be upping the flow. I will replace my return pump as soon I get a day off so I can get it done.

 

[Katrina71]

Or you could wait it out

 

[marvelousone]

I do need more flow fore sure. So changing the return pump will be done.

 

[Katrina71]

I'd be curious to see it if you ONLY changed flow...daily pics.

 

[mcarroll]

When I vacuum my sand bed I have to replace about 20gals. Should I not vacuum the sand bed.

One option is to dose nutrients into your water change water. Don't avoid doing them if you really need to.

Another option is to use a smaller diameter of tubing...even airling works well. In some cases you can remove 90% of the cyano while removing almost no water at all.

Yet another option is to use a micron/diatom filter like a Vortex XL or Marineland Polishing Filter during and after cleaning.

I do need more flow fore sure. So changing the return pump will be done.

Is your return pump providing a lot of flow to the tank for some reason? Usually return flow is insignificant vs the flow from powerheads in the tank.

Go barebottom.

This is another option that might help if it's a desirable outcome.

 

[marvelousone]

One option is to dose nutrients into your water change water. Don't avoid doing them if you really need to.

Another option is to use a smaller diameter of tubing...even airling works well. In some cases you can remove 90% of the cyano while removing almost no water at all.

Yet another option is to use a micron/diatom filter like a Vortex XL or Marineland Polishing Filter during and after cleaning.



Is your return pump providing a lot of flow to the tank for some reason? Usually return flow is insignificant vs the flow from powerheads in the tank.



This is another option that might help if it's a desirable outcome.

I used the smaller vacuum which has a hose maybe 3/16. As far return pump I have a 5x return, I would like to get it up to 10x at least. It is a 180gal tank. the return pump is 900gph. I have 2 return at a 3/4 pipe. On one return there is a Eductor. I do not not how much pressure is raise but it is more.

 

[Katrina71]

Just curious if you feed your tank phyto?

 

[marvelousone]

no I do not.

 

[Katrina71]

@AlgaeBarn happen to have a link to phyto helping with his cyano?

 

[divewsharks]

I used the smaller vacuum which has a hose maybe 3/16. As far return pump I have a 5x return, I would like to get it up to 10x at least. It is a 180gal tank. the return pump is 900gph. I have 2 return at a 3/4 pipe. On one return there is a Eductor. I do not not how much pressure is raise but it is more.

You do not have any powerbeads in your tank?

 

[mcarroll]

I used the smaller vacuum which has a hose maybe 3/16. As far return pump I have a 5x return, I would like to get it up to 10x at least. It is a 180gal tank. the return pump is 900gph. I have 2 return at a 3/4 pipe. On one return there is a Eductor. I do not not how much pressure is raise but it is more.

5x is fine.

How is your tank flow though?

Can you post a pic or pics that show your powerhead placement/what you have for flow in the tank?

 

[AcanthurusRex]

I've been battling low nutrients, 0 PO4 and 0 NO3. In my effort to get nutrients up naturally I experienced a constant cyano outbreak that led me to search many threads on finding a fix. I really don't want to use antibiotics, aka ChemiClean, or any other quick fixes. Bacteria seemed like the best angle of attack.
Purely anecdotal but I added some Dr. Tims probiotic bacteria and the cyano disappeared. On the negative side, my nitrates fell significantly from ~1 to barely .25 ppm.
There is a small patch redeveloping after a week but it was covering the sand bed in hours prior to this experiment.