Cyano

hyla84 · Jun 17, 2019

Hello guys!
I am having ciano in my tank...
Phosphate and nitrates are high due to the new sand,but I'm solving it with gfo bacteria and zeolith.
How do I can get rid of them?

road_runner · Jun 17, 2019

What are your system parameters and informations?
Do not seek magic bullets, make informed decision.
System details?
System parameters?
System filtration?
System dosing?
System age?

hyla84 · Jun 17, 2019

Ohashimz said:
What are your system parameters and informations?
Do not seek magic bullets, make informed decision.
System details?
System parameters?
System filtration?
System dosing?
System age?

Tank is 500 liters,
Just sump with Skimmer zeolith and gfo (that I'll activate tomorrow) .
2 gyre 250 setted at 70%
And 6x54 w ATI (3x blueplus 1 x coral plus 1x Acqua blue special 1x purple
2 cm of caribe sea live sand inserted 1 month ago. Before my values were spottles.
Now: no3 25
Po4 1
Kh 7
Ca 410
mg 1280

hyla84 · Jun 17, 2019

Sorry tank settled in August 2018

road_runner · Jun 17, 2019

Are you sure your po4 is 1? What test kits you use
What do you mean skimmer zeolite? Are you saying skimmer and zeolite reactor?
Why are you using zeolite and gfo?
Are you dosing any carbon?
What animals are in the system?
What's your feeding habbit

hyla84 · Jun 17, 2019

Ohashimz said:
Are you sure your po4 is 1? What test kits you use
What do you mean skimmer zeolite? Are you saying skimmer and zeolite reactor?
Why are you using zeolite and gfo?
Are you dosing any carbon?
What animals are in the system?
What's your feeding habbit

Yes I use hanna phosphorus checker and nyos.
I ve got a Skimmer and a zeolite reactor as well.
I am using gfo to low the po4 and zeolite for bacteria to reduce nitrates.
I have got 3 zebrasoma 2 loriculus 1 naso 1 leucosternon I am feeding them with shg pellets twice a day.
Invertebrates mostly lps
What do you suggest?

road_runner · Jun 17, 2019

You did not answer my question about carbon dosing.
Do you dose carbon with your zeolite?

hyla84 · Jun 18, 2019

Ohashimz said:
You did not answer my question about carbon dosing.
Do you dose carbon with your zeolite?

So sorry forgot, yes I do use brown sugar in Italy is common

road_runner · Jun 18, 2019

hyla84 · Jun 18, 2019

Ohashimz said:
Ok, I think that might be your problem. Using gfo along side carbon dosing can creat competing bacterial population on the gfo and activated carbon which depletes the po4 quick and creat po4 no3 imbalance.
Here is what I recommend
1- double check your po4, use a diffrent high quality kit like red sea. My suspicion is that your po4 is zero. If that was the case reduce the gdo or the gfo flow to bring up your po4. Po4 and no3 need to be I'm balance l, meaning both should be low or both should be high depend on the system you running
2- if indeed your po4 is 1 and no3 is 10. We will need to bring both po4 and no3 at the same time.
- weekly water change 20% for at least 2 months.
- vacume sand and clean rocks(do not take rocks outside the water) during water change
- use high quality activated carbon and good gfo
- reduce the carbon dosing, carbon dosing will fuel the cyano. But you meed to do that gradually and slowly so you do not shock your existing bacterial load
- be mindful with feeding
- if you using t5 make sure you change every 6 months. T5 have shown to drift spectrum over time and fuel cyano
- test po4 every 3 4 days to make sure it doesnot go to zero. You want at least 0.08ppm po4 and no3 target lower than 1...

Another method you can do is 48 hours of no light no carbon dosing period. But this mean really no light, you need to wrap the tank fully and prevent light from coming in. You di this only if you see light have impact on the cyano. You can test for 6 hours and see

Finally, since your bio load is small. And if you do not have sensitive coral, you can use chemiclean. If you want to go this path, stop carbon dosing, remove carbon and gfo. Dose the chime clean per instructions. Watch out for the skimmernot will go crazy, I would remove the lid of the skimmer and let it overflow in the sump.
After 48 hours, put back carbon, do 20% water change and tun skimmer to operate properly. Them after another 48 hours put back gfo, and resume carbon dosing. Then by week mark another 20% water change

These are 3 methods just because your system is not complicated in term of inhabitants. My preference would be the first method, diligence and targeting po4 no3 reduction.