cyano problems..

[tautog83]

If you look in member tanks I have a video uploaded kinda recently ..you don't see the cyano in tank in the video but you can see I don't have any other algae at all...I know its not an algae its a bacteria so I used steps that have worked for others without using chemiclean or something similar . I run chemi pure elite in my sump I don't have a fuge..area .I increased my flow as much as I can

 

[brandon429]

at work w check here sec aft meeting

to add to list of cheats, oversized UV is actually very effective against cyano as it catches it during diurnal or other migration events, these are motile colonies as a whole and uv w zap them. mentioned in case you had access to one, anything that reduces them is helpful as we seeklong term

 

[duke4130]

#1 Flow
#2 Need a sand sifting star or cucumber along those lines to clean the sand
3# use microbacter7 at the highest recommended dosage for a week or more.
#4 manual removal with cyphon or baster
#5 Make sure you keep your filter socks clean


Follow all those things and it will be go in no time

 

[Oceansize]

My cyano problems have all been related to nitrates, regardless of whether the nitrates are detectable by a test kit. (I'm assuming it's cyano based on descriptions of it I've read here, but I suppose it could be diatoms too). As somebody else said, if you have a lot of cyano it could result in low nitrate readings because they're eating all of it. So I've learned not to trust a nitrate reading of 0. Yet I'm confident that nitrates are the culprit because I'm using a denitrator and adjustments to it cause far more variance in the amount of cyano I have than adjustments to any other variable/equipment. The more denitrifaction going on, the less cyano. I decreased the flow rate on the denitrator a few days ago as an experiment, and by the next day I had a big cyano bloom on the sand and glass. So I immediately returned the flow rate on the denitrator to where it had been previously and the cyano was gone an additional 24 hours later. The purpose of the denitrator is to reduce the amount of necessary water changes, so assuming you're not using one, the next best thing is a water change. If you're already on top of your water changes, well like somebody earlier in this thread said, there could be a lot of nutrients in your substrate that aren't getting skimmed or filtered. For the first time yesterday in my 3-month old tank, I used a powerhead to blow detritus off my live rock and stir up my sand. After several hours, I swear everything looks better (including less cyano) than before I did this.

The bottom line is that we cannot assume our subtrates have the same parameters as our water. Testing the water may not tell you what is going on with your substrate. So stir up your substrate and get those excess nutrients up into the water column where they can get skimmed or filtered. I have also found certain snails to be great at sifting the sand, Nassarius are my favorite for this, and also Cerith snails.

 

[Tapio]

You already have got the usual advice in this thread. In my experience, some tanks can run into serious trouble with cyano after setup. Your tank is only 5 mo old which I consider very new.

Cyano on the sand is very common as most sand beds are just nutrient sinks. I would advice against adding sand into new tanks until they have stabilized and absolutely no cyano is evident. In your situation I would remove all sand except for about half inch or so. This will usually help getting rid of cyano on the sand bed. If new cyano develops, it is usually enough to stir it up and relying on the skimmer to process it. Wash the sand well, I only rinse really well with tap water through a large fishnet, then add some bleach into a bucket and soak it for some time, rinse well again and dry in the sun. Eventually you can add back sand gradually with the cyano hopefully gone.

I don't have experience with pellets so I can't say much about that. Personally I am a minimalist and add no additives, only calcium reactor and do 20 % water changes every other month.

 

[ilovereefing <3]

I am also having an issue with cyano. My current attack plan is this: I siphoned out as much of it off the sand as I could see. I lost a bit of sand while doing this, but it's okay for now. I am currently on day 2 of 3 days of darkness. My tank is covered with a dark colored blanket (tented over the top to allow for better gas exchange). After I siphoned everything out, I dosed with Chemiclean. I added a powerhead with venturi for good aeration while the treatment is ongoing and to promote good gas exchange as well. Tomorrow evening, I will be doing a 30% water change to remove whatever has died off in the tank. On Saturday, lights will come back on but at a reduced photo period to prevent shocking my corals. In an attempt to prevent a future outbreak, I just ordered a biopellet reactor, and will add that to the tank when it comes in, but in the meantime I will be dosing Dr. Tim's Waste Away to help control my nitrates. I am going to start the biopellets slowly, only 1/3 of the recommended pellets to start. For me, I am pretty sure nitrates are my problem, and possibly over skimming. I've dialed my skimmer back to see if this works as well. My turnover rate is over 60 times per hour...I can't imagine that flow is the problem, but I do notice that the cyano was heavier where the flow is lower. I have been peeking at my tank just to make sure everything is doing ok, and other than a grumpy BTA and some sleeping fish, all seems well even at almost 48 hours dark. I am hopeful that at least for the time being, this treatment will help, but I know that I need to attack the underlying issue, which in my case is most likely excess nutrients. Good luck!

 

[brandon429]

i liked what you said about removal

the reason cyano doesnt get in my tank even when im lazy, and let the waste build up a bit, is because ill be removing it at a rapid pace, and simply removing some invaders over and over really does work as a preventative, it ranges. im not managing po4 in a detailed manner, but export i sure do

as anything that forms in mats or groups or communities know, there is resource in numbers and there is stress to the singular. competition might eat him, resources and protections hard to find, but cyano are for sure communal and continually removing simply provides a stress to the community who wants to rule, temporarily.

cyano receive their nitrogen by the air, as it interacts with the water, even if you remove nitrate (although its ok to go for low controllable nutrients across the board for sure as a general preventative) so thats one reason why phosphate controls have the king result base, in my opinion. I realize others have shocked them through nitrate removal etc, but its finding the repeatable factors that w give us the best result here. totally support refusing them real estate, and letting natural or planned methods kick in for the big prevention.

 

[tautog83]

trust me I kinda wish I had went no sand route .. I don't really have that much right now and every wc I do remove some as I siphon out. I do have a conch , 7 big nassarius and about 10 xlrg ceriths . I have a melanarus wrasse though so he needs the sand for the night . I don't overfeed just gets pellets twice a day and lrs fish frenzy maybe twice a month . I might try micobacter7 if it continues for another week or so , but oddly enough today it didn't seem too bad..