Cyanobacteria

[Smitty007j]

I think I've tried everything to find out what's causing this outbreak. I got new lights cut the hours back on them. More power heads for water movement. I have a phosphate, and carbon reactor. A bag of chemi pure elite. An oversized skimmer. And I've cut back on feeding. All of this, and I'm still dealing with an outbreak. I've done water changes every other week and turkey blasted the rocks off. Still nothing. Any experienced reefers wanna help a newbie out?

 

[Mr tooheys]

If your tank is less then 12 months old Cyanobacteria outbreaks are normal until your tank settles down and becomes more stable

 

[Smitty007j]

Its about 5 months. Im just getting frustrated. Is siphoning it up helping or hurting?

 

[Mr tooheys]

Helping for sure,,hang in there it will go

 

[Smitty007j]

I have some macro algae and more snails coming on Wednesday hopefully that helps.

 

[alohadood]

Toothy is dead on. You're under a year tank time. Its totally natural. Be sure to keep up on water changes. Try 10% roughly a week with a vacuum tube and hit your substrate. Unless you have a deep sand bed. Then let it be. DBS is 5inches or more.

 

[Smitty007j]

All right thanks for the help.

 

[jackson6745]

Cyano seems to form when biological filtration is challenged for one reason or another. This happens a lot in new tanks, tanks with poor husbandry, and in tanks with issues that kill off nitryifing bacteria i.e. high salinity, high temp etc. The very common misconception, is that cyano forms solely due to high nutrients, when it actually forms do to a lack of nitrifying bacteria to deal with a given bioload. You can fix this unsightly bacteria by freaking out and drastically reducing bioload/cleaning up the tank. You will be left with a biological system that can't process much waste, or you can allow the system to mature and develop more nitryifing bacteria to deal with the challenging bioload. With the latter method your cyano will eventually disappear, and you'll be left with a system that processes nutrients much better. I choose to use products from Microbe-lift (Special blend + Nite Out II) to help this along. These bacterias force your reef into maturity rather quickly.

 

[Arcsenic]

We'll said man..I've been battling cyano too now for a long time my tank is only about 6 months and based on what I just read I'm thinking about buying something that encourages beneficial bacteria growth and maybe that will help..I've tried phos zorb in my filter and while it slowed it down it didn't get rid on it lol

 

[Smitty007j]

Let me know if that works Arcsenic. I've already spent way to much money on trying to fix the problem. I think ill just try keeping up on water changes and cleaning.

 

[Obsessed]

It really works, give it a try. Just be careful not to overdose

Treating Cyanobacteria | DrTim's Aquatics

 

[jackson6745]

Let me know if that works Arcsenic. I've already spent way to much money on trying to fix the problem. I think ill just try keeping up on water changes and cleaning.

Search threads on Special Bland bacteria. Very high success rate and it's inexpensive. It does take several weeks to worth though, and it smells like complete crap!

 

[Gardy]

I have been using kz cyno clean and zepbak alternating days combined with coral snow and it has knocked it back consoderably. I am tapering off the cyno clean now then in about 2 weeks will taper off the zeobak to a maintance dose of once a week after water change. Good luck if you arnt having any luck I suggest trying what I have done. Every tank is different but this has helped me

 

[dereks16]

To add my 2 cents. I just recently started seeing a spot here and there in my rocks. My tank has been up for just short of a year and a half. I have fish only w live rock and the lights that come with the tank. Just a 48" flourescent. Not sure if that just slows it down.

 

[nekkidrobert]

I get red cyan on my sand all the time and I use a chocolate chip start fish and he seems to love the stuff and once he done I throw him back in the sump until it grows back.

 

[racin2438]

I started to get some in my fuge all of a sudden on top of the calurpa . None in main tank so far, luckily, I add another circ pump to have more surface movement hopefully that helps .

 

[schooncw]

Go to your LFS and get some API EM in the medicine section. This will wipe out the cyano but turn your skimmer off and of course, no resins or carbon. Be careful and research your methodology. It works 100% but research the pitfalls! You don't want to use too much but it is an antibiotic, so you risk not killing all of it and what remains may develop a resistance to it. Of course, it will kill some beneficial bacteria also but this should not be a big deal on an established system.
I have been keeping marine fish for many years and I used to be in the industry, calling on hundreds of aquarium stores. It works but beware; you are treating the symptom, not the cause. Good husbandry will insure a cyano free tank in the long run.

 

[ahmed.boomer]

I've had struggles with it in my 120 gallon. Still have a break out every other week. I really don't mind it being unsightly, it just suffocates all the corals. I run GFO, carbon, 0 TDS water. I may switch to halides and see if I notice a difference due to spectrum of my LED lighting. Already put tape over my hyper red LED's.

 

[rworegon]

The hated red slime is Cyanobacteria. It is, as the name indicates, a bacteria, not an algae. Many people think its a sign of poor husbandry, or high nutrient levels. However, it is one of the oldest life forms on the planet and in many parts of the world, at least here in the Willamette valley of Oregon, it is one of those things that come and go. Its an airborne bacteria that is just there. I treat my tank with Chemi-Clean a couple times a year. In fact I'm treating it as I type. My sailfin tang picks at it but doesn't really eat it. Blow off the rocks and corals with a turkey baster, siphon it off the sand bed, and treat a couple of times a year. Not a big deal.

 

[MioReefer]

+1 For Chemiclean, that stuff works great!