Cyano issue - suggestions

[Travis Rider]

I have been battling a little cyano over the last few months. It has gradually gotten worse. I am taking clumps out every third day. At this rate I won't have any sand left in my tank.
Any suggestions to get rid of this?

Last water test (one week ago)
Tank: Biocube 29
Temp: 79.2
Ammon: 0
Nitrates: 20 (Two 5 gallon water changes since test)
Nitrites: 0
PH: 7.8
Alk: 9
Calcium: 450
Phos: 0
Magnesium: 1350

 

[Travis Rider]

 

[futureinterest]

That's not a whole lot Which is good. I recommend you just cut back on your feedings.

If you must get rid of it sooner than later, then you can dose. I've used peroxide in the past with great results. You use 1ml per 10 gallons. You could also use chemiclean but peroxide works really well and it's cheap .

 

[reeferfoxx]

What are you testing PO4 with?

Nitrates are higher than where they should be. Chances are you've created an imbalance with NO3 at 20 and PO4 at zero(if that's correct). Work on getting nitrates down to 5-10 and the cyano should disappear.

 

[swnoob]

What are you testing PO4 with?

Nitrates are higher than where they should be. Chances are you've created an imbalance with NO3 at 20 and PO4 at zero(if that's correct). Work on getting nitrates down to 5-10 and the cyano should disappear.

I agree. Cyano will appear in my tank when my phosphates get too low and nitrates are high or just the opposite.

If nitrates are low I dose potassium nitrate. If my phosphates are low I feed the fish more than normal. Works every time.

 

[Travis Rider]

I agree. Cyano will appear in my tank when my phosphates get too low and nitrates are high or just the opposite.

If nitrates are low I dose potassium nitrate. If my phosphates are low I feed the fish more than normal. Works every time.

Maybe I up my feedings. I am feeding 3 days a week. I use a mixture of two different kinds of frozen. I have 2 tanks so I split that mixture up between the two. My phosphates are consistently at 0.

 

[reeferfoxx]

Maybe I up my feedings. I am feeding 3 days a week. I use a mixture of two different kinds of frozen. I have 2 tanks so I split that mixture up between the two. My phosphates are consistently at 0.

What were you testing PO4 with?

Also what type of filtration, skimmers, additives or reactors are you using?

 

[brandon429]

agreed so far, and with that little invasion simply making the light less white and more blue has wiped it in another myriad posts, colonies of bac monera that small are easily altered because they lack strong communal support when one or more critical variables are altered. another option that always exists in a nano is a parted out skip cycle cleaning where the sandbed is totally rinsed clean as if it was brand new. upon reassembly, no cyano for a while

 

[reeferfoxx]

I've had my fair share of cyano.



That is what you call a nutrient imbalance. This was my tank 4.5 months ago. It is now 99.5% gone without intervention, except for fixing my nutrients.

 

[Travis Rider]

What were you testing PO4 with?

Also what type of filtration, skimmers, additives or reactors are you using?

API liquid test kit. I have the Coralife skimmer (not the best but kind of works). I am dosing with Fuel, Trace Elements, and PurpleUp. I dose once every two weeks.

 

[reeferfoxx]

API liquid test kit. I have the Coralife skimmer (not the best but kind of works). I am dosing with Fuel, Trace Elements, and PurpleUp. I dose once every two weeks.

API po4 test kit is not trust worthy in the least. I would invest in Hanna ULR phosphate checker. It seems pricy at first, but you won't have to use it very often. Fuel has aminos in it which will raise nitrates. I would stop dosing Fuel and stick with a 20% weekly water change. That should help reduce nitrates.

 

[Jhuggins]

I have a slight cyano issue. Basically only on sand that doesnt have high flow. I realize it is because i feed so much but i have anthias so i have to feed heavy and often. Does that mean i will always have cyano

 

[swnoob]

I have a slight cyano issue. Basically only on sand that doesnt have high flow. I realize it is because i feed so much but i have anthias so i have to feed heavy and often. Does that mean i will always have cyano

If your issue is flow then you'll always algae in that area whether it be cyano or some other algae.

 

[cwb_reeftank]

Now I have used chemiclean to get rid of mine but my microbiology teacher told me to cut back on blue light and it should kill it

 

[swnoob]

Now I have used chemiclean to get rid of mine but my microbiology teacher told me to cut back on blue light and it should kill it

Did reducing blue lights work out for you? I've never read that before. I've seen others suggest atleast a 24 hour all lights out with a large water right after.

 

[cwb_reeftank]

I never actually did it he just told me that because we talked about Cyanobacteria in class today. I asked how to kill it lol and he said don't give it any blue light and I told him that sucks for a reef tank.

 

[reeferfoxx]

I never actually did it he just told me that because we talked about Cyanobacteria in class today. I asked how to kill it lol and he said don't give it any blue light and I told him that sucks for a reef tank.

Not sure if that's true. I know cyano can survive 3 days with only ambient room lighting. To do a black out, you would have to cover your tank for 3 days. Cyano can survive on a few things. CO2, nitrates, phosphates, and light. Properly testing no3 and po4 accurately will give you positive feed back. Checking pH can inform you of excess co2. Lights aren't a big issue in these cases. Mainly because you can have a tank if any spectrum of lights at almost any intensity and still not have cyano.

 

[brandon429]

in fact I find too white to boost them, and turning kessils to blue to cease them but *only* if nutrient stores and the cloudy sandbeds 98% of bed keepers keep are addressed. totally agree that excess feed w boost them and light moderation wont be the breakpoint for a seated community

but for those systems right on the edge, we've fixed many by just siphon removing the low-level growth rotating a knob on the kessil from 10 k closer to 20