Cyano

[juniorgomez708]

Does anyone really know how cyano takes over a tank? I do a 20% water change and my levels are all good except for phosphate being over .05. I don’t clean the sand bed but I do regularly clean my glass on the tank. I run a protein skimmer 24/7. When it comes to feeding, I feed flakes, mysis shrimp, and pellets. I like to mix it up every day and feed twice a day.
I bought chemi clean and will be using it soon but I want to understand the cause so it doesn’t come back again.

 

[homer1475]

Best guess since you said you don't clean the sandbed.....

Uneaten food rotting in the sand. Cyano loves this stuff, as well as rotting algae.

Chemiclean works, but unless you fix the underlying issue, it will return just as quick as it disappeared.

 

[Lavey29]

And using chemiclean may open the door to other worse algae problems.

 

[ReefGeezer]

In my experience, I see Cyano when dissolved organics get higher than normal while nutrients are very low. This condition may exist in you sand unless you have a lot of sand cleaners in it. Under the circumstances you have described I would vacuum the sand while doing a water change, set the skimmer to skim very wet, and add some GAC. I'd also leave the lights off for a few days to help slow the growth while I was lowering the organic load. I'd leave the chemiclean as a last ditch effort.

 

[neonreef3d]

minus9 recommended I use https://www.algaebarn.com/shop/aquarium-supplies/pns-probio/ after dosing for 2 weeks, it was all gone!!! amazing product, i will continue using as it is beneficial for corals and keeping you nitrates down.

 

[juniorgomez708]

In my experience, I see Cyano when dissolved organics get higher than normal while nutrients are very low. This condition may exist in you sand unless you have a lot of sand cleaners in it. Under the circumstances you have described I would vacuum the sand while doing a water change, set the skimmer to skim very wet, and add some GAC. I'd also leave the lights off for a few days to help slow the growth while I was lowering the organic load. I'd leave the chemiclean as a last ditch effort.

How is it possible to have high amounts of dissolved organics but low nutrients? Wouldn’t having a lot of dissolved organic cause high nutrients?

 

[TopShelfAquatics Verified Sponsor]

As everyone above mentioned organics will definitely contribute to cyano popping up, but we have found one of the biggest causes is low flow areas or dead zones which will allow those organics to settle and not be processed by your filtration. A lot of times just adding an additional powerhead or two will help greatly with battling cyano. I would also wait to use a chemical treatment as a last resort.

 

[Koh23]

+1 on lower flow areas...

I have "lagoon" in middle of tank, scape is aranged in semi circle around some sand, this area was planned with mushrooms, xenia, ricordea... On lower "walls" of scape, and sand middle for zoas.....

Untill i starded to populated tank with lps, there was much stronger flow, and this part of sand was clean. After placing some euphilias, and other "wavy softies", had to slightly alter flow, and now this part is low flow zone, and month later -cyano....only on that part of sand...

Maybe its not related, i'll try to add more flow to that part of tank and i will see will it help.

 

[Lavey29]

minus9 recommended I use https://www.algaebarn.com/shop/aquarium-supplies/pns-probio/ after dosing for 2 weeks, it was all gone!!! amazing product, i will continue using as it is beneficial for corals and keeping you nitrates down.

Yes PNS probio is great

 

[ReefGeezer]

How is it possible to have high amounts of dissolved organics but low nutrients? Wouldn’t having a lot of dissolved organic cause high nutrients?

It is a balance thing. Nitrate and Phosphate are contained in (referred to as "bound") dissolved organic compounds (DOC). Those nutrients don't show up on your test kits. Organisms that "use" these organic compounds release the nitrate and phosphate they don't use in an inorganic form. That's the nutrients your test kit can see. These organisms are different than those which use the inorganic nitrate and phosphate. Imbalances occurs as we populate the tank. That is when Nature (in the form of Cyano) comes in provide the balance. Additionally, the imbalance doesn't have to be tank wide. Local conditions, like dirty sand or an area of low flow, can create a sink of DOC. Cyano will grow there faster than places where DOC is less concentrated.

Notice that I didn't say "Bacteria". While bacteria is a big player, more organisms are involved. Corals, sponges, copepods, plankton, and etc. are involved in this balance. New or immature tanks, particularly those started with almost sterile substrate and bottled bacteria, are often out of balance. That's why they are so prone to Cyanobacteria outbreaks.

 

[juniorgomez708]

As everyone above mentioned organics will definitely contribute to cyano popping up, but we have found one of the biggest causes is low flow areas or dead zones which will allow those organics to settle and not be processed by your filtration. A lot of times just adding an additional powerhead or two will help greatly with battling cyano. I would also wait to use a chemical treatment as a last resort.

Thanks

 

[Freenow54]

In my experience, I see Cyano when dissolved organics get higher than normal while nutrients are very low. This condition may exist in you sand unless you have a lot of sand cleaners in it. Under the circumstances you have described I would vacuum the sand while doing a water change, set the skimmer to skim very wet, and add some GAC. I'd also leave the lights off for a few days to help slow the growth while I was lowering the organic load. I'd leave the chemiclean as a last ditch effort.

OK question I was told you have to watch the ammonia for spiking if you clean the substrate

 

[ReefGeezer]

OK question I was told you have to watch the ammonia for spiking if you clean the substrate

Unless you have more than a couple of inches of sand, that should not be an issue. The "Watch for Ammonia" was good advice in the days where we kept 4-6" or more of sand in the bottom of the tank.

 

[juniorgomez708]

So I ended up using a little less than the recommended amount of chemi clean since water changes and cleaning wasn’t doing anything. After 1 day all my red cyano went away. All my corals and fish look happy so I’m glad it worked out.

 

[outhouse]

So I ended up using a little less than the recommended amount of chemi clean since water changes and cleaning wasn’t doing anything. After 1 day all my red cyano went away. All my corals and fish look happy so I’m glad it worked out.

been using chemiclean for over 2 decades, never lost a single coral, it works. Just wish it didnt drive the skimmer nutz

I have pristine water, and I get cyano in spots, its not always a nutrient or organic issue, some people claim to clean a tank will bring it on. All I know is if I use carbon, I get small amounts of it, just because of the change in chemistry.

 

[PeterEde]

So I have cyano in my sump mostly. Some light spots in the DT in a couple areas, one is in direct bounced back from glass.
I run a circ pump in the 1st section of sump but it's under rock to move detritus. Cyano is mostly at the top of sump.
I have chemiclean but so far have not really wanted to use it

 

[Lavey29]

Is your sump getting light for a refugium? Is spill over causing the cyano?

 

[PeterEde]

Is your sump getting light for a refugium? Is spill over causing the cyano?

I have a bioscape light over the sump for the refugium in the 1st section. the rest of the sump sections are fine

 

[Lavey29]

I have a bioscape light over the sump for the refugium in the 1st section. the rest of the sump sections are fine

Did you recently start your fuge? The first few months mine was running I had different algae before the chaeto took control.

 

[PeterEde]

Did you recently start your fuge? The first few months mine was running I had different algae before the chaeto took control.

I have Cheato which was quite small originally but now rather large. Also have some culerpa.