Cyano (I think), but should I do anything about it?

TheEngineer · Dec 10, 2018

My tank is just about 5 months old. Parameters are stable and corals are growing pretty quickly for the most part. I have a few patches of hair algae here and there, but they don't bother me. The thing that is getting on my nerves... cyano (or maybe it is dinos).

It's a really thin mat that's the reddish purple of cyano. The fact that it is thin and has bubbles makes me think dinos, but it isn't long and snotty.

My nitrates and phosphates both test at zero (Red Sea Pro and Hanna tests, respectively) which I'm sure is not helping the situation. I have three fish in this 50g cube and feed moderately daily. I feed live white worms.

So, I guess the first question is for help to ID what the pest is and then the second question is what and whether or not to do anything about it.

TIA!

EDIT: I also dose PolypLab aminos once a day (diluted in RODI) and feed phyto every other day.

TheEngineer · Dec 10, 2018

Posting this useful dino article here for my own reference later

http://www.reefkeeping.com/issues/2006-11/rhf/

saltyfilmfolks · Dec 10, 2018

Stop the amino dosing.
I think it’s cyano.

TheEngineer · Dec 10, 2018

saltyfilmfolks said:
Stop the amino dosing.
I think it’s cyano.

Think the aminos are driving it?

saltyfilmfolks · Dec 10, 2018

TheEngineer said:
Think the aminos are driving it?

Yea , possibly a bit. It can “eat” it kids the same way corals do.

So that and just some new tank uglies Id hope.

TheEngineer · Dec 10, 2018

saltyfilmfolks said:
Yea , possibly a bit. It can “eat” it kids the same way corals do.

So that and just some new tank uglies Id hope.

I'll give that a go. I started dosing them to give my corals something to feed on since my nutrients are undetectable. Working on adding a couple more fish, but that's a couple months off at least just with QT time.

saltyfilmfolks · Dec 10, 2018

Yea I figured. Goin back to basics.
Blowin it off , dose good bacteria, etc.

Maybe feed just a bit less and keep an eye on the coral.

TheEngineer · Dec 10, 2018

I haven't dosed bacteria in the past. That's an interesting idea to try though. I'll stop by the LFS this weekend and see what he's got.

TheEngineer · Dec 10, 2018

Know anything about PolypLab RF Genesis?

Only thing I can find is:
Working with a Canadian biotechnology firm, we have manufactured a custom blend of bacterial strains with concentrations of over 80 billion cells/mL. In their planktonic state, these bacteria serve as a highly nutritious food source for corals and zooplankton. More importantly, these complimentary bacterial strains form nutrient consuming biofilms.

My LFS carries this stuff. Maybe a good replacement for the aminos?

saltyfilmfolks · Dec 10, 2018

I really can’t find any good info on it.
My brief assumption is it’s not nitrifying bacteria.

Interesting though.

TheEngineer · Dec 10, 2018

I ordered a bottle of Microbacter7. Should be here in a day or two

iTread · Dec 10, 2018

Just went through this...
** I have been sucking it off with a tooth brush attached to a small vinyl tubing. I do it every 5 days or so and it seems to be coming back less frequently and nearly gone. (essentially doing a 5 % water change when I do it).
** My problem was I use vinegar in my Kalk and my Kalk consumption ramped up and thus I was dosing way too much carbon. Plus, I was using aminos on a ocassion too.
** My nitrates went from 15 to 3 over same 3 week period why this was going on. Phosphates from .05 to nearly 00. So, they were definatley consuming a lot of that.

I think if you just stay on top of it and suck it off, get everything else under control it will go away.

TheEngineer · Dec 25, 2018

It started retreating, I think, but now it is worse than ever. Don’t think the aminos were the issue. I think it is my low nutrients.

I’ve got plans to pick up a new fish in the next week or two. Maybe I’ll add a second fish to that plan.

saltyfilmfolks · Dec 25, 2018

The low nutrient think is an interesting theory.
Opposite most all common wisdom.
Keep us posted.

TheEngineer · Dec 25, 2018

saltyfilmfolks said:
The low nutrient think is an interesting theory.
Opposite most all common wisdom.
Keep us posted.

Is it? I thought that was the common approach right now on cyano since it can pull nitrogen from the air.

saltyfilmfolks · Dec 26, 2018

TheEngineer said:
Is it? I thought that was the common approach right now on cyano since it can pull nitrogen from the air.

Decades of lower your nutrients and increase flow is what I was referencing.
Pulling no3 from the air is a new one on me.
Where did that come from?

TheEngineer · Dec 26, 2018

@Brew12 is more knowledgeable here than I.

TheEngineer · Dec 27, 2018

But maybe @Brew12 didn't see my tag the first time

I checked params again and I'm at 0.014 phosphate and 0 nitrate.

saltyfilmfolks · Dec 27, 2018

Why doesn’t @Crabs Mcjones have cyano?

https://www.reef2reef.com/threads/high-phosphates-but-no-nitrates.532365/

theKoolAidMan · Dec 27, 2018

Def Cyano. As what what caused it? Who knows really? Common knowledge in the hobby is, like most things, caused by Phosphate and Nitrate. However I've seen too many tanks that consistently had barely detectable levels of both come down with Cyano to believe those are the ONLY causes. The stuff does have a tendency to spread fairly quickly, however, so you probably will address it. "Natural" ways would be water changes, reducing nutrient input, and lighting changes/blackout. Non-natural ways would be Chemiclean, which works extremely well, but many people want to avoid using meds in their tank, period.