Cyano questions

Reflective · Sep 3, 2015

So I know I have a cyano problem, just not sure how to fix it.
I am currently using the Triton method and dosing base elementz. It was out of whack for a while with low Ca and Mg and high KH and that's about when the cyano problem started.
Parameters:
Temp - 77-78
pH - 8 - 8.2
SG - 1.025
KH - 9.5
Ca - 450
Mg - 1250
NO3 - 5-10 (These had risen up to about 20 ppm without me noticing cuz my test kit wasn't working, so I did a large water change to help bring them down.)
PO4 - .03 (Honestly hard for me to tell with the Salifert test kit. Barely shows a blue color which I could be imagining.)

So first I tried adjusting flow and that doesn't seem to matter. Then I tried no lights for 3 days and siphoned out the dead stuff and did a large water change. It came back the next day. I also cut way back on feeding my fish but that also has not seemed to make a difference either. I feed LRS Reef & Fish Frenzy.

The only thing I noticed was that I wasn't trimming my ball of chaeto. It's was alive and tumbling in the water, but not growing at all. And there was definitely nutrients in the water because I also had rising nitrates. So I figured maybe I didn't have enough light on it. I installed this bulb from Home Depot since it was the only wet location one they had. Within 12 hours I noticed the chaeto ball has started opening up... not such a tight ball anymore. So I think it's responding to the light.

How long should I wait to see if the chaeto starts growing and see if that has an effect on the cyano? Should I also stop dosing Elementz if I am going to have to be doing water changes to siphon the cyano out?

Edit: and my ro/di water is 000 tds.

NanaReefer · Sep 3, 2015

Stop dosing the Elementz, just adding fuel to the fire. Try increasing the flow to affected areas. Continue doing what you're doing already. How's your lighting?

Reflective · Sep 4, 2015

NanaReefer said:
Stop dosing the Elementz, just adding fuel to the fire. Try increasing the flow to affected areas. Continue doing what you're doing already. How's your lighting?

I have a Pac Sun T5/LED hybrid. LEDs are on from 10-8 with 2 hour sunrise/sunset and T5s are on from 12-5.
I have a Gyre XF150 and my return pumps for flow. I tried redirecting the return pumps to be in the areas that seemed most affected but it didn't really seem to matter.
I'll try stopping the Elementz. I don't think I have macro algae growing fast enough in the refugium for the nutrient export, so the cyano is probably sucking it all up.

Breakthecycle2 · Sep 5, 2015

How big is your tank?

Piranhapat · Sep 5, 2015

I tried everything too. The only way I got rid of it a siphon my sand out a little at a time. Once 90% of sand gone never got it back. The best thing and the only thing that worked.

Breakthecycle2 · Sep 5, 2015

I just added a Gyre 150 to mine and it was gone in a day.

Reflective · Sep 5, 2015

It's about 225 gallons. I upped the gyre to 100% from 60% and repositioned it so part of it is hitting my center overflow which is making it some of the flow bounce back under the gyre. I might not have had it strong enough?

Reflective · Sep 5, 2015

Breakthecycle2 said:
I just added a Gyre 150 to mine and it was gone in a day.

What's your rock work like? I'm worried mine is blocking too much of my flow.

Breakthecycle2 · Sep 5, 2015

Reflective said:
What's your rock work like? I'm worried mine is blocking too much of my flow.

Just in the middle. Nothing is touching any of the walls. It has open spaces too.

NanaReefer · Sep 5, 2015

More flow. The XF-150 is great but on a 225 you might need more.

Breakthecycle2 · Sep 5, 2015

NanaReefer said:
More flow. The XF-150 is great but on a 225 you might need more.

Nah. The 150 is more then enough.

Reflective · Sep 7, 2015

So increasing the flow has helped, but not completely gotten rid of it. My nitrates are back down to 0 so I think the new light on the chaeto has worked. So I'm hoping to just give it a bit more time and have the cyano completely disappear.

Joeganja · Sep 8, 2015

Reflective said:
So I know I have a cyano problem, just not sure how to fix it.
I am currently using the Triton method and dosing base elementz. It was out of whack for a while with low Ca and Mg and high KH and that's about when the cyano problem started.
Parameters:
Temp - 77-78
pH - 8 - 8.2
SG - 1.025
KH - 9.5
Ca - 450
Mg - 1250
NO3 - 5-10 (These had risen up to about 20 ppm without me noticing cuz my test kit wasn't working, so I did a large water change to help bring them down.)
PO4 - .03 (Honestly hard for me to tell with the Salifert test kit. Barely shows a blue color which I could be imagining.)

So first I tried adjusting flow and that doesn't seem to matter. Then I tried no lights for 3 days and siphoned out the dead stuff and did a large water change. It came back the next day. I also cut way back on feeding my fish but that also has not seemed to make a difference either. I feed LRS Reef & Fish Frenzy.

The only thing I noticed was that I wasn't trimming my ball of chaeto. It's was alive and tumbling in the water, but not growing at all. And there was definitely nutrients in the water because I also had rising nitrates. So I figured maybe I didn't have enough light on it. I installed this bulb from Home Depot since it was the only wet location one they had. Within 12 hours I noticed the chaeto ball has started opening up... not such a tight ball anymore. So I think it's responding to the light.

How long should I wait to see if the chaeto starts growing and see if that has an effect on the cyano? Should I also stop dosing Elementz if I am going to have to be doing water changes to siphon the cyano out?

Edit: and my ro/di water is 000 tds.

Works for me every time okay? Just listen. Remove your carbon or any other media, turn off your skimmer or whatever else filtration you have. Except for sponge media or media pads. Add chemiclean. Then with a turkey baster blow the cyano off the rocks. Read the instructions on what to do then you folks up In like 2 days or something and do a 20 percent water change I believe. And all gone