Cyano-fatigue

twilliard · Aug 6, 2016

Jahalu said:
Thanks for all the thoughts. I really thought the red cyano Rx would do the trick. If I squint really hard I can imagine maybe a 10% reduction, but it may just be wishful thinking. Before and after photos look the same. So, now I have a mess. A skimmer that is foaming like crazy, a really angry and moving anemone (who hasn't moved at all in 9 months) and a lethargic looking half-drugged cuc. I will probably let the system settle in for at least a week before I try something else. I have rowaphos, so I will run that with my carbon this week. I was thinking of trying a blackout next. I'm scared of H2O2 because I took a sample and placed it in the peroxide and it just bubbled a little, but the water did not turn red. So I was thinking spirulina, according to previous threads?? But if it was spirulina, then the cyanorx should have worked. Correct? I'm really trying here.

Spirulina is a hard one to kill.
For instance the dosing of chemiclean as per the exact instructions will not do it.
The dosage has to be increased
If it says 1 drop per gallon it is 1.5 drops per gallon or 1.5 spoons per gallon.

Jahalu · Aug 6, 2016

Interesting about the extra dosing for spirulina. Here is a video of my tank -the pics were not showing it clearly enough. It looks ragged because I tried to pick as much as I could off before I began cyano rx treatment.

Jahalu · Aug 6, 2016

The video is about 24 hours post treatment.

twilliard · Aug 6, 2016

Yes the amount that dosed has to be increased
Most manufacturers on the instructions state the "safe" dose. Over time I have found no adverse reactions of an increased dose (of many products )

Jahalu · Aug 6, 2016

Idk what to do. I dosed accurately, but everything is looking worse and worse as the hours go on. Urchin has lost all spines, corals are completely closed. My favia is starting to spew white strings. I may just pull the plug on this and do a big water change and start running carbon. Water is fully aerated right now. I have my skimmer running with no collection cup. I just think increasing dose at this point will be a complete death sentence.

twilliard said:
Yes the amount that dosed has to be increased
Most manufacturers on the instructions state the "safe" dose. Over time I have found no adverse reactions of an increased dose (of many products )

Jahalu · Aug 6, 2016

Here is a before and after photo of the worst spot after 24 hours of treatment. Maybe some improvement? Just not much. Seriously, this takes nerves of steel.

Jahalu · Aug 6, 2016

Ok, so I pulled the plug on the cyano Rx. Here are a couple of pics showing signs of stress. I lost a few snails, urchin has lost all spines, favia exuding white strands, but the kicker was when I saw my sexy shrimps start picking at my sps. I've only seen them do this when sps have dead tissue. I did a big water change and am currently running carbon. I will let things settle out for a week or so before I try something else. I may try a 3 day blackout next. I think the cyano Rx dented it a little, but not enough to call it a success. I'll keep updating this thread for anyone who might be interested in following along.

Jahalu · Aug 14, 2016

Same area as other pics, now cyano free

Ok, so here's an update. Things are stable now. For two days after I stopped with the cyano rx, something amazing happened- no more cyano! It was not instantaneous as some ppl have documented, but it did recede for several days after I used it. The fallout from this experiment was not so bad. There should definitely be a warning for Echinodermata- they suffered the worst. Lost a red linkia and my urchin. I started to lose sps tips and a few Lps were really stressed. I had a sea cucumber, but have not seen him since, so I'm wondering if he died with other echinos. Maybe toxins contributed to some of the added stress I observed? Who knows. I ran carbon like crazy for several days and everything is stable now and sps are already starting to recover tissue. Polyps extended again. I am happy, but it was stressful. I felt I took the tank to the brink of total failure. Don't think I will use that stuff again, but am happy to be free of cyano.

ReeferMaddness843 · Aug 14, 2016

I personally just used h202 to rid my Sandbed of cyano. Took 3 days dosing of 3%h202 at 1ml/10gal and manual removal as well. But can say I couldn't be happier with results. Of course my zoas disapproved for about 30min to an hour after dosing but all opened back up happier than ever. Here are my before and afters. Some coral still closed on the after shot as it was taken in the am before things really opened up.

ReeferMaddness843 · Aug 14, 2016

I also moved the little power head down a bit to increase flow over Sandbed at that spot.

Jahalu · Aug 15, 2016

That's great! I think I will try h2o2 if I ever have to battle it again. I was hesitant to use it this time around cause it seemed like a 'new' way to deal with it. I thought it was safer to go with a trusted packaged brand, but the cyano Rx definitely left me with a few more gray hairs.

brandon429 · Aug 15, 2016

wanted to state some facts to help you that can be pulled up for research off threads here. All actions taken so far on your headache are doses to water actions, with the invader left in the tank, and all nutrient reserves, and the water dosing action has variable outcome because it leaves 2/3 causatives in place

the searchable part is the full correction/restoration we collect in sandbed rinse threads that show no chems needed to beat either spiru or cyano

my own tank is made immune to them, immune as in can't happen for the next ten years either, as the flagship example of the practice in those threads. given mine is a nano and rip cleaning is quite simple, and your tank is huge, but that doesn't change the biological outcome of the procedure its just more work for you since it was allowed to sink this long.

amazing fact

in all of TW's pages of giant cyano work, not one was a bare bottom tank needing water dosing

so if your sandbed is made to be as clean as not having one, but it still functions as a filter just not a slow leaking waste trap, well that outcome is fully opposite of the 1/3 approach

most cannot or will not do the work required to de sink their tank, but its good to know it makes the outcomes you want.

a nice pre test for the need is to siphon out a test cup sample from the very bottom of the bed, some mud, and let it sit in a cup for 1 day and then test it for nitrate, compared to topwater. it needs to rest about 20 hrs before testing for true protein/nitrification indication

a discrepancy between the mud sample and the topwater identifies the prob if applic

revhtree · Aug 15, 2016

Didn't read it all but have you thought about trying some yeast?

Of course we have to find the problem as to why you keep having it but it sure feels good to get rid of it! I try to stay away from chemicals but I would be lying if I didn't use Chemiclean a few weeks ago and removed my cyano in 2 days.