Cyano keeps coming back

[D. Torres]

Hello. I’m trying to figure out if this is cyano or something else. I’ve used chemi clean and it works but within 2 weeks I’m back to square one. I’ve been doing about 8 gallon water changes weekly on my 20g AIO. Nothing seems to help it just keeps coming back week after week. Can someone help.

Details:
20g AIO established for about 3 years
8 gallon weekly water changes
Make my own RODI and have been for years 0 TDS
Filtration:
Filter floss
Skimmer
Bio Pellet Reactor
Bio matrix bag
Chemi Pure
Livestock:
2 clown fish
7 rock flowers
3 acan mini colonies
A couple zoa frags
About a dozen BTA (trying to get rid of them)
Parameters:
Ph - 8.0
SG 1.026 with ATO
Nitrate ~ 10ppm (can never seem to lower it but everything has been thriving for a couple years)
Calcium ~ 440
Mag ~ 1250
Phosphate not reading on salifer test but might be due to algae or whatever keeps growing in my tank. Any advice or help would be greatly appreciated. The only thing I haven’t tried is adding some live bacteria. Someone mentioned my tank might be going through a “mini cycle”. I haven’t had that issue in my 175 that’s been up and running for 5 years.

 

[doubleshot00]

I will say I just used Dr. Tims waste away and it knocked mine back pretty good. I still have some but its not as bad.

But also when I doubt dose pods A LOT OF THEM. That always seems to help.

 

[D. Torres]

I will say I just used Dr. Tims waste away and it knocked mine back pretty good. I still have some but its not as bad.

But also when I doubt dose pods A LOT OF THEM. That always seems to help.

Worth a shot at this point. It is literally a weekly thing and I can’t figure it out. I am literally scrubbing my rocks and peeling it off the sand bed weekly. Next step is an ICP test. Thanks for your input.

 

[MischiefReef]

Out of curiosity does this tank get any increased natural sunlight during this time of year?
From the pictures it does seem like your tank is stuck in cycling (more common with nanos IME)
You could try to rip clean your sandbed?

As a random aside, I recognize the tank your using as my LFS set one up a few years ago as an anemone tank and I was really interested in getting one at the time but never did. Now, several years later this tank is still at the LFS but they have it under black out conditions several times a year (not sure why). And looking into the tank it does appear to always be battling nuisance algaes. I should highlight that this is a reputable and popular LFS and the other tanks at this store are kept in great condition. I once asked the store manager and he said something along the lines of the flow in that tank being not great, and having lots of flow dead-spots.

 

[D. Torres]

Out of curiosity does this tank get any increased natural sunlight during this time of year?
From the pictures it does seem like your tank is stuck in cycling (more common with nanos IME)
You could try to rip clean your sandbed?

As a random aside, I recognize the tank your using as my LFS set one up a few years ago as an anemone tank and I was really interested in getting one at the time but never did. Now, several years later this tank is still at the LFS but they have it under black out conditions several times a year (not sure why). And looking into the tank it does appear to always be battling nuisance algaes. I should highlight that this is a reputable and popular LFS and the other tanks at this store are kept in great condition. I once asked the store manager and he said something along the lines of the flow in that tank being not great, and having lots of flow dead-spots.

It doesn’t get much natural sunlight but flow is an issue as it is a drop off. What do mean by rip clean the sand bed?

 

[MischiefReef]

There’s several threads on how to do it on this site, search rip clean and read those for details.
Basically you take your sand out of your tank and blast it clean with tap water, then rinse with RO and place back in the tank. It takes out all your detritus and excess nutrients. Takes out more excess nutrients than a water change.

 

[brandon429]

Algae Identification

Any opinions on what type of algae this is growing on my rocks and sand bed?

www.reef2reef.com

It would work well agreed. It prevents him storing up waste to have gha soon

 

[brandon429]

His tank isn't bad at all that's why cleaning all the waste out now before it compounds is a wise move plus its not heavily stocked either, easy 3 hour job. Rip cleaning is taking apart a tank and cleaning it, which works better than not doing that. Every tank is certain to look like the ones shown is the benefit

 

[brandon429]

another reason it's beneficial: nothing positive is stored in the bed after three years accumulation. this surgical practice is crucial if you want the tank to get out to 10, 20 years, a rip clean is the fundamental save move for your tank that no other method provides, you'd be learning to apply it before you have five grand in corals in the system plus several years, learning it while it's sparsely stocked is wise. these are regenerating, refreshing moves to make they don't harm reefs, they make reefs live with no limit lifespan/learn + apply

 

[D. Torres]

I guess I have my work cut out for my next weekend. I clean sections of my sandbed with every water change. I do about 1/3 of the sandbed per water change but I guess that’s not cutting it. Thanks all for the input.