Cause of cyano

[ndz98]

This might sound crazy but I feel like my cyano gets worse and grows much quicker when I add alk and calcium. Is this possible or is it just coincidence?

 

[Diesel]

How do you add it.
What kind of ALK and CAL you add?
Pics of the so called cyano.
I said so called as it could be also spirulina.

 

[ndz98]

How do you add it.
What kind of ALK and CAL you add?
Pics of the so called cyano.
I said so called as it could be also spirulina.

Calcium chloride and soda ash.

I use the little cup that came with the BRS mixing kit and add it slowly. I don't add them at the same time.

 

[Diesel]

What kind of water do you use?

 

[ndz98]

What kind of water do you use?

RO water

 

[Diesel]

RO or RODI?Do you know the TDS of your water?
Here a few links that will tell you all you need to know about Cyano.
BIG Thank you to @twilliard

https://www.reef2reef.com/threads/positive-identification-of-cyanobacteria.253287/

https://www.reef2reef.com/threads/cyanobacteria-lets-break-it-down-pure-erythromycin-study.288640/

https://www.reef2reef.com/threads/cyanobacteria-questions-answers-and-solution.253823/

https://www.reef2reef.com/threads/back-at-it-peroxide-vrs-cyanobacteria.241002/

 

[ndz98]

RO or RODI?Do you know the TDS of your water?
Here a few links that will tell you all you need to know about Cyano.
BIG Thank you to @twilliard

https://www.reef2reef.com/threads/positive-identification-of-cyanobacteria.253287/

https://www.reef2reef.com/threads/cyanobacteria-lets-break-it-down-pure-erythromycin-study.288640/

https://www.reef2reef.com/threads/cyanobacteria-questions-answers-and-solution.253823/

https://www.reef2reef.com/threads/back-at-it-peroxide-vrs-cyanobacteria.241002/

RO. It's all I had access too. I did recently purchase an rodi unit so maybe that could be the issue. No idea of the tds.

 

[Diesel]

Find out your TDS.
That can be the bad boy for all the cyano/spirulina you have.
Not only you dose your ALK and CAL with that RO but you too off and do water changes.
All that can add up to a perfect environment for all kinds of unwanted algae.

 

[ndz98]

Just hooked up the rodi unit and letting it run for an hour. When I change my water with my own rodi water, should I just do a regular water change or should I do a much larger one than usual to try and replace the other water? @Diesel

 

[Diesel]

Regular is fine.
can you test your tank for Po4 and No3?

 

[ndz98]

Regular is fine.
can you test your tank for Po4 and No3?

Yes they are both 0

 

[Diesel]

Ok that explains.
We might have to deal with Cyano here as cyano s a bacteria not a algea.
Do you have hydro peroxide?
If you do you can test if you have cyano or spirulina.

You need some form of readings on the Po4 and No3.
Po4 some what at 0.04 and No3 close to 2ppm in order to feed the good bacteria that in return will fight off the bad and algae.

 

[ndz98]

Ok that explains.
We might have to deal with Cyano here as cyano s a bacteria not a algea.
Do you have hydro peroxide?
If you do you can test if you have cyano or spirulina.

You need some form of readings on the Po4 and No3.
Po4 some what at 0.04 and No3 close to 2ppm in order to feed the good bacteria that in return will fight off the bad and algae.

No, I'm gonna go buy some peroxide tonight.

As for the readings, wouldn't I just have to feed more to get those numbers up?

 

[Diesel]

No, I'm gonna go buy some peroxide tonight.

As for the readings, wouldn't I just have to feed more to get those numbers up?

Yes you can feed more as that will bring up your P04 more than your No3.
Nitrate dosing isn't that weird now days anymore.
Lots of systems stripping their nutrients with over skimming or just running GFO or other nutrient reducing reactors and they don't know why as they just read it some where.

 

[ndz98]

Yes you can feed more as that will bring up your P04 more than your No3.
Nitrate dosing isn't that weird now days anymore.
Lots of systems stripping their nutrients with over skimming or just running GFO or other nutrient reducing reactors and they don't know why as they just read it some where.

I used to feed more than I am now and it still gave me more algae. Not sure if that's worth saying or not or if I should just try again and see what happens.

 

[Mikemccafe]

How old is your tank, my tank has been up for 9 months and I think I finally kicked it, I was was almost going the Chemi Clean route but patience and siphoning it out weekly finally did the trick along with my cuc