cyano outbreak,

Mstanker · Dec 1, 2014

its the Hanna Ultra Low Range Phosphorus Checker

Randy Holmes-Farley · Dec 1, 2014

OK, then assuming it is working right, that should start to knock off the cyano.

Mstanker · Dec 1, 2014

ya the cyano is gone and BTW i also used chemiclean 48hrs gone. I also did a 20g water change over 3 days apart 10 one day and then 10 2 days later. So maybe the corals will grow.

Randy Holmes-Farley · Dec 1, 2014

OK, but don't keep the phosphate too low as that will also lead to less than optimal corals.

Mstanker · Dec 1, 2014

OK, Im going to do a double check today and recheck the water phos. and if it comes up 0 again then, I'll take my Brs GFO offline.

WindeyD · Dec 1, 2014

I battled cyano for many months, I siphoned it out weekly, use GFO, have high flow in the tank, reduced feeding, and tried lights out for three days. The cyano just kept coming back. As a last resort I used chemiclean which worked like a charm and there has been no sign of cyano in the 2 months since. I don't think cyano is always a phosphate/nutrient issue as mine were in check before, during, and after my outbreak. BRS has a good video on using such a product, I would advise trying "natural" ways of getting rid of it first but would not hesitate to use a product if you can't beat it.

Randy Holmes-Farley · Dec 1, 2014

WindeyD said:
I don't think cyano is always a phosphate/nutrient issue as mine were in check before, during, and after my outbreak. .

Not sure what you mean by a "nutrient issue". Having cyano or other problem algae doesn't necessarily mean the measurable levels are too high, but intercepting those nutrients before the cyano can take them up should work. It clearly needs phosphate to grow.

WindeyD · Dec 1, 2014

By "nutrient issue" I meant having phosphate/nitrates/dissolved organics at unacceptable levels. One can have a cyano outbreak even when phosphates/nitrates are at acceptable levels. Of course cyano needs some nutrients in order to grow.

Mstanker · Dec 1, 2014

Alright so i did a retest at 4:30 and my tester said 65 so i did 65 X 3.066 = 199.29/1000 =0.19929. Is that correct and also are my readings bad??

Randy Holmes-Farley · Dec 1, 2014

I don't disagree with that.

But intercepting more of the nutrients before the cyano gets it is often successful. For example, using GFO, even if the overall values do not drop that much.