Cyano!

[Salty Veins]

I have been dealing with cyano and green hair for about 3 months now. Parameters are phosphate .1
Nitrate 10ppm, calcium 440, Alk 8.2, Mag, 1380. Temp is 79. I have a biocube 32 with an Ai 16hd. I am running no white, red, or green. 6 hour peak light with 1 hour ramp up and down. I’ve got an Aqamai kps wavemaker and a sicce 540.
I have used chemiclean and it completely removes it but with in 2 days it comes right back. My rodi doesn’t register any phosphate. I am at a loss on what to try next. Any help is greatly appreciated!

 

[Tahoe61]

Are you running a skimmer? Are you cleaning your mechanical filtration often enough? Dosing any amino acids or other coral foods? How old is the tank?

 

[AmaleeC]

The BEST fix is to fix your parameters. But the best short term fix would be to dose chemi-clean && when everything clears up, add in a UV sterilizer that is suitable for your tank size. Again, this is a short term fix because it’s not fixing the ACTUAL issue which is the water chemistry.

 

[Salty Veins]

Are you running a skimmer? Are you cleaning your mechanical filtration often enough? Dosing any amino acids or other coral foods? How old is the tank?

The tank is about 8 months old, I’m running an innovative marine bio skim. I’m using the biocube filters and changing them out once every other week. Also using chemipure elite. I am not dosing aminos or using coral foods.

 

[Tahoe61]

I have to clean filter media at least once a week typically every 4 to 5 days though. Mechanical filtration can became little nutrient factors. AIO tanks can hide a lot of detritus in the back compartments.
Are you over feeding?
If able put up an image please.

 

[Salty Veins]

I have to clean filter media at least once a week typically every 4 to 5 days though. Mechanical filtration can became little nutrient factors. AIO tanks can hide a lot of detritus in the back compartments.
Are you over feeding?
If able put up an image please.

I feed only what they can eat in a minute or less. The back compartments I syphon out every other week. I have tried running without the filter and just using filter floss changed out twice a week but it didn’t make a difference. I have a hefty clean up crew of snails and crabs. My thought is to maybe start dosing beneficial bacteria to try to out compete the cyano.

 

[Salty Veins]

I feed only what they can eat in a minute or less. The back compartments I syphon out every other week. I have tried running without the filter and just using filter floss changed out twice a week but it didn’t make a difference. I have a hefty clean up crew of snails and crabs. My thought is to maybe start dosing beneficial bacteria to try to out compete the cyano.

This is 4 days after it was completely removed with chemiclean.

 

[Tahoe61]

Hmmm yeah that is pretty bad.
So no white light?
For Cyano to grow like that over rock work I think flow is an issue. Did you upgrade the return pump? What is the gph of the Sicce?
Are feeding frozen and how many fish?

I have used chemclean numerous times on numerous nanos. AIO tanks can have issues when the return is insufficient.

I would try some bacteria in a bottle as well.

Are you running the skimmer during treatment. I remove the collection cup during treatment and remove charcoal.
After 72 hours a water change. Remove any Cyano manually prior to treatment.

You should be able run your fixture longer without worrying about Cyano.

 

[Salty Veins]

Hmmm yeah that is pretty bad.
So no white light?
For Cyano to grow like that over rock work I think flow is an issue. Did you upgrade the return pump? What is the gph of the Sicce?
Are feeding frozen and how many fish?

I have used chemclean numerous times on numerous nanos. AIO tanks can have issues when the return is insufficient.

I would try some bacteria in a bottle as well.

Are you running the skimmer during treatment. I remove the collection cup during treatment and remove charcoal.
After 72 hours a water change. Remove any Cyano manually prior to treatment.

You should be able run your fixture longer without worrying about Cyano.

No white light, red or green. The return pump is original. The sicce is 540gph and the Aqamai is 1160gph I believe. The sicce I have pointed directly at one of the rocks that are covered and it continues to grow. I have 2 small clowns and a 4 spot yellow wrasse. During chemiclean I remove the collection cup to help keep it oxygenated. And remove the filter and chemipure. I almost feel like the rock may be leaching phosphate. If the addition of bacteria dosing doesn’t work I will end up removing all of the rock and getting some from a different store.

 

[Dan_P]

No white light, red or green. The return pump is original. The sicce is 540gph and the Aqamai is 1160gph I believe. The sicce I have pointed directly at one of the rocks that are covered and it continues to grow. I have 2 small clowns and a 4 spot yellow wrasse. During chemiclean I remove the collection cup to help keep it oxygenated. And remove the filter and chemipure. I almost feel like the rock may be leaching phosphate. If the addition of bacteria dosing doesn’t work I will end up removing all of the rock and getting some from a different store.

is there an Aiptasia in the second photo? Just wondering.

When @taricha and I cultured cyanobacteria (Oscillatoria), we found that this organism flourishes in the presence of organic nitrogen sources: amino acids, protein, fish food, sick and dying algae. While it can use inorganic nitrogen, nitrate and ammonia, dense vigorous growth required a rich organic nitrogen diet. We can’t explain what is going on, but you might use this information as a guide. For example, tweaking phosphate and nitrate levels are unlikely to have much of an impact if the cyanobacteria is being fed locally. Those locales with heavy cyanobacteria growth must be supplying large amounts of food to support all that cyanobacteria growth.

One way this can happen is through the accumulation of particulates on those surfaces where cyanobacteria are growing. Hair algae is a very effective at collecting debris. Maybe the hair algae is creating an environment of organic nitrogen generation which is feedings the cyanobacteria. If this is correct, then the hair algae needs to go and the locale Where cyanobacteria is growing needs to be cleaned thoroughly of organic matter.

 

[MexiReefer]

is there an Aiptasia in the second photo? Just wondering.

When @taricha and I cultured cyanobacteria (Oscillatoria), we found that this organism flourishes in the presence of organic nitrogen sources: amino acids, protein, fish food, sick and dying algae. While it can use inorganic nitrogen, nitrate and ammonia, dense vigorous growth required a rich organic nitrogen diet. We can’t explain what is going on, but you might use this information as a guide. For example, tweaking phosphate and nitrate levels are unlikely to have much of an impact if the cyanobacteria is being fed locally. Those locales with heavy cyanobacteria growth must be supplying large amounts of food to support all that cyanobacteria growth.

One way this can happen is through the accumulation of particulates on those surfaces where cyanobacteria are growing. Hair algae is a very effective at collecting debris. Maybe the hair algae is creating an environment of organic nitrogen generation which is feedings the cyanobacteria. If this is correct, then the hair algae needs to go and the locale Where cyanobacteria is growing needs to be cleaned thoroughly of organic matter.

This is the most accurate description of what I assumed was happing to my reek tank. Minor traces of a GHA infestation remains in the rock work and it traps debries wich promotes the growth of something brown and slimy that if blown aways with a turkey blaster or toothbrush reattached to other places.

Have been fightinh this for 2 or 3 months now.

 

[Kdub Koral Guy]

I have been dealing with cyano and green hair for about 3 months now. Parameters are phosphate .1
Nitrate 10ppm, calcium 440, Alk 8.2, Mag, 1380. Temp is 79. I have a biocube 32 with an Ai 16hd. I am running no white, red, or green. 6 hour peak light with 1 hour ramp up and down. I’ve got an Aqamai kps wavemaker and a sicce 540.
I have used chemiclean and it completely removes it but with in 2 days it comes right back. My rodi doesn’t register any phosphate. I am at a loss on what to try next. Any help is greatly appreciated!

In a tank that size, Chemiclean should be able to get rid of that pretty quick. I have had to fight Cyano a few times and Chemiclean got rid of it in 3 days every time. Just make sure to add more oxygen to your system if you do dose Chemiclean

 

[Salty Veins]

is there an Aiptasia in the second photo? Just wondering.

When @taricha and I cultured cyanobacteria (Oscillatoria), we found that this organism flourishes in the presence of organic nitrogen sources: amino acids, protein, fish food, sick and dying algae. While it can use inorganic nitrogen, nitrate and ammonia, dense vigorous growth required a rich organic nitrogen diet. We can’t explain what is going on, but you might use this information as a guide. For example, tweaking phosphate and nitrate levels are unlikely to have much of an impact if the cyanobacteria is being fed locally. Those locales with heavy cyanobacteria growth must be supplying large amounts of food to support all that cyanobacteria growth.

One way this can happen is through the accumulation of particulates on those surfaces where cyanobacteria are growing. Hair algae is a very effective at collecting debris. Maybe the hair algae is creating an environment of organic nitrogen generation which is feedings the cyanobacteria. If this is correct, then the hair algae needs to go and the locale Where cyanobacteria is growing needs to be cleaned thoroughly of organic matter.

Good eye! I turned on the white light to take the pics. That thing is invisible with just blues. I just injected it with some lemon juice. As for the gha possibly creating the issue, maybe. I started with a gha issue. Phosphate snuck up on me. I corrected that issue a couple months back, most of it is gone. Possibly that is what gave the cyano a foothold? I dosed the tank with Dr Tim’s today and will continue for the next couple weeks to see if maybe it can out compete it. I syphoned out as much as I could first.

 

[taricha]

Hair algae is a very effective at collecting debris. Maybe the hair algae is creating an environment of organic nitrogen generation which is feedings the cyanobacteria.

Amen to what Dan said here. A fun exercise is to pull a few tufts of GHA and shake them vigorously in some tank water and look at what comes out. I found pieces of fish flake in mine! No wonder the GHA and everything that grew on it was happy!

 

[Wampatom]

Could there be a relationship between hair algae and cyano beyond just harboring debris. I seem to find a small round cyano associated with green hair algae. (At lease I think it is a type of cyanobacteria. It forms red slimy patches.)

 

[Dan_P]

Could there be a relationship between hair algae and cyano beyond just harboring debris. I seem to find a small round cyano associated with green hair algae. (At lease I think it is a type of cyanobacteria. It forms red slimy patches.)
J

Awesome photomicrograph!

Yes, harboring waste is only part of hair algae story.

The violet circles (sure makes me think of cyanobacteria) look like they are covering a partially empty alga filament. This damaged or dying filament could be leaking organic nitrogen and other nutrients. The cyanobacteria Might be consuming these nutrients directly or indirectly from heterotrophic bacteria which are also likely present assimilating the organic carbon and eliminating smaller organic molecules, ammonnia and phosphate.