cyano outbreak,

Mstanker · Nov 11, 2014

So I got a lot of spots in my tank growing cyano on the rocks and also in the sump. im using BRS GFO and using voka to try to get the phosphate down. i was talking with a guy at my LFS and i told him my corals are staying alive but not growing. He told me that he started dosing voka and his corals began to grow. I did phosphate test and IT WAS 0. probably b.c the cyano is using it all up. Thats the reason i started dosing voka. Should i increase the amount of GFO used to help reduce the cyano? Im already using 1.5 cup.

Its makeing me go crazy with no growth from anything Since July.

Randy Holmes-Farley · Nov 11, 2014

Removing the cyano manually also helps.

What kit did you use to determine phosphate was 0?

That means with many kits that it is lower than the kit can detect, but not necessarily lower than NSW.

Mstanker · Nov 12, 2014

I used a API test kit. There's probably better out there just picked one up to see. I'm going to do a 10g water change once i get home and maybe it will help with this algae bloom going on.

Randy Holmes-Farley · Nov 12, 2014

Water changes rarely reduce nutrients enough to deal with a cyano problem.

zemuss · Nov 12, 2014

OP,

what type of flow is currently in the tank? Reason I ask is I just switched from using wp-10s to RW-8s and it has helped resolve the dead spot areas on my sand bed. Cyano normally grows in low flow areas and needs nutrients to grow.

usually increasing the flow helps reduce the growth. Next you need to introduce either a macro algae, dosing or ATS to reduce the nutrients. You have to export nutrients to control these issues.

I personally don't like using a media to do this and stick to the natural methods: Algae or ATS.

If you go with the Macro algae approach, go with a chaeto. It is probably the best macro to export nutrients. Again this is my opinion. I am sure there are others that will recommend a blend of macros to use.

Mstanker · Nov 12, 2014

i use both macro chaeto, and GFO. I also use a MP10 reef mode and along with a 1300 gph powerhead. The crazy thing is that some spots the water flow is very high that its growing in.

beaslbob · Nov 12, 2014

Kill the lights and suspend feeding until the cyano dies off.

then resume with less lighting and feeding and adjust to corals/desirable algaes thrive but cyano does not come back.

Randy Holmes-Farley · Nov 12, 2014

Mstanker said:
i use both macro chaeto, and GFO. I also use a MP10 reef mode and along with a 1300 gph powerhead. The crazy thing is that some spots the water flow is very high that its growing in.

How much GFO and when was it last replaced?

Mstanker · Nov 12, 2014

I put 1.5 cups of brs Gfo. 3 days ago.

Randy Holmes-Farley · Nov 12, 2014

What size tank?

Mstanker · Nov 13, 2014

its a 40g breeder with a 20g sump. reef octopus110 skimmer.

Randy Holmes-Farley · Nov 13, 2014

OK, so that sounds like plenty of GFO. I'd replace it after a week, unless you measure the effluent and find that it is substantially lower in phosphate than the tank.

saltyphish · Nov 13, 2014

Also I believe the ATI test kit only goes down to .25 ppm for phosphates which is way to high. Plus I have heard ATI is not very accurate for phosphates. I use the Hanna checker personally. My phosphates read around .04 ppm. My ATI would not detect that.

Mstanker · Nov 13, 2014

OK, ill change it this sunday. and maybe we might make some changes

Mstanker · Nov 17, 2014

ya i need to get a hanna checker, but the main reason that i say i have alot of phosphate is that. Theres cyano, and alot my corals still are not growing, LPS, I have tried everything, lighting,placement, check my water lvl's. So thats why my thoughts tell me high phosphate and the corals cant grow due to phosphates.

I also did a 10g water change yesterday and put some bio-spira in the tank to see if i can boost the tanks bio load.

Randy Holmes-Farley · Nov 17, 2014

What do you mean by boost the tanks bioload?

Mstanker · Nov 17, 2014

I ment to say to boost the good bacteria,

Randy Holmes-Farley · Nov 17, 2014

OK.

FWIW, while I've never tried it, some people think actually dosing bacteria can help outcompete cyano. There are several commercial products, such as Brightwell MB7.