kkgaskin90
Well-Known Member
Any advice for a newbie with a carpet of cyano??? I'm removing it daily at this point... can I do anything other than water changes and take it out???
Cyano carpet
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pickupman66
5000 Club Member
Its a bacteria that feeds on phosphates and light. Check your phosphates. If it goes away when the lights are off, leave them off for a few days.
Ice also seen it proliferating in tanks that just started carbon dosing.
Sent from my Galaxy S 3 with Tapatalk.
Ice also seen it proliferating in tanks that just started carbon dosing.
Sent from my Galaxy S 3 with Tapatalk.
Also, silicates will get it going. What type of substrate did you use?
Blowing it off with a powerhead and catching it with a net, or canister filter or siphon is best.
Blowing it off with a powerhead and catching it with a net, or canister filter or siphon is best.
Mike J.
2500 Club Member
Silicates have nothing to do with Red Slime Algae. Cyanobacteria feed off of phosphates (PO4), nitrates (NO3), and DOC's (dissolved organic compounds); and it is photosynthetic. A major cause of a Red Slime Algae outbreak is excess detritus.
[h=4][FONT=Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif]Limiting Nutrients[/FONT][/h] [FONT=Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif]Nuisance algae do not overcome the open reefs because of the limited amounts of nutrients available. Therefore, limiting nutrients in your tank will also aid in algae control. Nuisance algae thrives on nitrate, phosphates, and silicate. Reducing these components will help arrest a nuisance algae problem.[/FONT]
Reef Sources Features - Cyano-ra
Reef Sources Features - Cyano-ra
Lazys Coral House
Well-Known Member
It can be difficult to get rid of. I find it best to knock it out with chemiclean. I have an established SPS Reef Tank that has been running for years with low phosphate levels and still get it about 1 a year or every other year. A dose of chemiclean and in couple days it is gone. No muss no fuss. I have tried all the other suggestions posted in this thread and suggestions that are going to come. They can help but it will be a lengthy process with limited success. I find that the corals do not like the cyanobacteria at all and any delay getting it out is unnecessary. Chemiclean if used properly per the directions is harmless and takes care of the problem every time. Almost every newer tank will go through this period of cynao out break and the length of time it needs to occur can be minimized from a few months to couple days with this product. Last thing to add is water change can be counterproductive when dealing with cynao. Fresh saltwater has nutrients it will feed on.
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Mike J.
2500 Club Member
Since Scott Brown (??) wrote the article I am assuming he haphazardly included the word silicates without any literature to back it up. Try to find the word silicates in any of these other articles I will post here about Red Slime Algae. Here's one: Red Slime Algae (Cyanobacteria)
Mike J.
2500 Club Member
Here's another article about Red Slime Algae: http://www.liveaquaria.com/PIC/article.cfm?aid=2 Here's another article: http://piratefx.hubpages.com/hub/Red-Algae
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Mike J.
2500 Club Member
Here's a lengthy article about Red Slime Algae. It takes a minute to download. In this article the author states, "I've seen suggestions that silicates might be an issue too, I don't really buy it." Neither do I. https://s3.amazonaws.com/redfish/Redfish_Magazine_2012_November_Usa.pdf
Planedoc
Active Member
I just read those articles, very good information. I've had cyano at about 9 months in both my tanks. People say it's more common in a new system vs an older established system. What time frame would make a tank established vs newer? I want to say a year but I would appreciate feedback from others.
Tapatalk on Galaxy S3
Tapatalk on Galaxy S3
Mike&Terry
Wrasses, Angels, & Tangs, Oh My!
Another method to help control outbreaks of Cyano is to increase flow in your tank, particularly in the areas where the Cyano thrive. As was mentioned, the bacteria feeds on nutrients in and on the sand bed or rocks. Increased flow can help keep detritus suspended in the water column where it can be skimmed out or captured in a filter sock or other mechanical filtration.
Also, frequent turkey-basting of rocks and sand can help achieve the same outcome.
Also, frequent turkey-basting of rocks and sand can help achieve the same outcome.
Mike J.
2500 Club Member
Exactly, detritus settles in the low flow areas of the tank. This is also where Red Slime Algae grows. Coincidence, I think not. If you siphon the Red Slime Algae very careful lifting it up you'll see there is a grey dust under it - detritus.
OP
OP
kkgaskin90
Well-Known Member
Thanks everyone! I removed it manually as well as adjusted the flow since it was growing in one particular area. That definitely helped but did not completely knock it out. I was frustrated since all my levels were at 0 and cyano was still growing. We did have quite a large loss right before the outbreak, so I'm sure excess detritus was the initial culprit and it just went from there. I picked up some chemiclean last night and this morning (like magic!) there is NO cyano! Thanks lazylivin!
Now if I could just make my zoas happy we'd be in business! lol
Now if I could just make my zoas happy we'd be in business! lol
