Cyano bloom question

MTBake · Mar 2, 2020

dwest said:
I would get the big 3 good, siphon out, and then let it run its course.

Thanks for chiming in @dwest. I was going to tag you when I started the thread

That's my plan at the moment. Going to start syphoning this stuff out tomorrow afternoon. Doesn't seem to be a huge problem. Just an annoyance so far.

MTBake · Mar 2, 2020

brandon429 said:
thats a tad big agreed. just remember if you want to slay it, you could draw off the water in two brutes, slay the substrate back into compliance/cloud free rinse 1000% and reinstate the water.

maybe draw off the clean top eighty gallons, leave 20 in the tank to catch all the crud as you disassembly clean

re use 80% top decanted water, plus 20% new.

Sounds good. Going to see if I can rid this without massive intervention. It's more of an annoyance than a problem right now.

MTBake · Mar 2, 2020

Dan_P said:
Use ChemiClean. Follow the directions. This might be all you need to get your system back on track. You will not finesse your way out of this infestation.

Planning on trying chemiclean if I can't get this in check by righting parameters and some water changes. I already have it on the way, just in case.

Fourstars · Mar 2, 2020

Need to know your phosphate and nitrate levels. I would siphon it off, use mechanical filtration like a diatomaceous filter, or UV if you must. But it will keep returning unless you get your P:N ratios correct.

MTBake · Mar 2, 2020

Fourstars said:
Need to know your phosphate and nitrate levels. I would siphon it off, use mechanical filtration like a diatomaceous filter, or UV if you must. But it will keep returning unless you get your P:N ratios correct.

Tested 2 days ago. No3 is 2ppm and po4 is at .013ppm when converted from phosphorus 5ppb. Starting to wonder if I should aim for higher levels. I would have to dose until I get more fish through qt most likely.

Flippersflippinooah · Mar 2, 2020

The Hanna ULR has an accuracy of +/- 5ppb, so 5 could actually be zero. I would lean to bring them up as well.

Fourstars · Mar 2, 2020

Yes. I would just manage it till you get a bio load. Keep it off the sps

MTBake · Mar 3, 2020

My plan is to correct the big 3. Syphon out the larger mats after work today. And dose some sodium nitrate and trisodium phosphate to get values farther away from 0. Going to shoot for 10ppm no3 and .1ppm phosphate.

tdlawdo · Mar 3, 2020

MTBake said:
I think I need to order another batch of mg mix from BRS.

Look at how much I need to add to get it to where I want it

Add slow over time

Brad Waddell Wrath's Reef · Mar 3, 2020

MTBake said:
Agreed. I have never tested it on this tank because it's still new and there's only 2 small sps frags that I took out of my other system to test the waters in the new setup. I was kinda shocked to be honest. Going to correct it. Alk is at 8.3dkh and ca is at 420ppm. Not going to adjust those. Going dose mg to 1400 over the next week or so. I'll most likely need to keep an eye on alk and ca from here on out.

Look at Brightwell 8.3 for Alk, I use it and it is a great product.

MTBake · Mar 3, 2020

tdlawdo said:
Add slow over time

I upped it about 100 ppm so far. Going to add 500ml per day till I hit my target. That's about 60ppm per day from here on out. Mg is at 1230ppm now.

MTBake · Mar 3, 2020

Wrath said:
Look at Brightwell 8.3 for Alk, I use it and it is a great product.

Will do. Need to use up another 3 lbs or so of sodium bicarbonate before I need more alk supplement though.

lmm1967 · Mar 4, 2020

curious how the cyano is looking after the lights have been on for a few hours now that Mg is climbing some

MTBake · Mar 4, 2020

lmm1967 said:
curious how the cyano is looking after the lights have been on for a few hours now that Mg is climbing some

I'll post a pic after work. Didn't notice much of a difference last night.

CindyKz · Mar 4, 2020

When I had a bad issue I would siphon out the large mats as you're doing, rinse the sand that came out with it in RODI water then add back to the tank. Not a total "rip" as Brandon endorses but it helped a lot over time.

MTBake · Mar 4, 2020

Well, here is where I'm at. About the same as when I started. Never did get around to syphoning out the large mats yesterday. Had to work late.

Going to start syphoning this junk out soon. Need to get dinner started first.

MTBake · Mar 4, 2020

Here it is after a 30 gallon water change. Hope it doesn't come back quite as quick as it has been. Going to mix up another batch of saltwater for another round of removal tomorrow. And I need to pick up new mg test kit. Mine ran out. Planning on doing that tomorrow as well.

brandon429 · Mar 4, 2020

if you ever hit it with chemi clean or any treatment via water, do it in the reduced mass condition/reverse the approach as growback prevention/key changeup vs the norm. nice work clearing mass there!

MTBake · Mar 4, 2020

brandon429 said:
if you ever hit it with chemi clean or any treatment via water, do it in the reduced mass condition/reverse the approach as growback prevention/key changeup vs the norm. nice work clearing mass there!

I'm not a huge fan of the chemical treatment idea. Going to try manual removal first. I picked up a smaller hose just now. So the bucket doesn't fill up so fast when I'm syphoning this stuff out. The 5/8" id I have now fills up a 5 gallon bucket in probably 40 seconds or so. The 3/8" id I just got should give me more working time. This stuff comes off really easy and in sheets so the larger hose really isn't needed. Perhaps it will pick up less sand as well.

Keen4 · Apr 4, 2020

So hows is it doing now? Did it come back at all? Im waiting on Brandon to get back to my response in another thread to start my rip clean bu after seeing yours, mine isn't bad at all. Its subtle. Im just worried about shocking and killing my animals. I dont really want them sitting in a bucket for a few days while I clean my sand. id rather buy new sand. Start new.