Cyno or something else?

[rob safron]

So I have an established tank that I carbon dose with Vinegar. 20 mls for last 2 years. Phosphates are .01-.02 and Nitrate 2.5 even before this alge issue and continues to stay at this level. Started off as some diatom maybe 6-8 weeks ago and turned into this mostly dark brown alge on substrate, rocks and back glass. Is it cyno or am I missing something.

 

[saltyfilmfolks]

There’s a bit too much blue in the first pic. The second pic looks like cyano.
Myself , I’d stop the carbon dosing and see if it slows or stops. I’d bet it does. Then add some dr Tim’s or a god Bactria additive , and restart the carbon dosing with a lower dose.
I would do this over the course of several weeks.

 

[rob safron]

Have been dosing MB7 daily now. Went down from 30 mls to 20 mls vinegar. Maybe I’ll keep dropping as long as my nitrate stays lows. Was wondering if the cyno is eating the nitrate and if I drop vinegar too low it gets worse.

 

[saltyfilmfolks]

The mb7 also contains a carbon source. So your kinda doubling up.

Yup the cyano eats both nitrates and phosphates. But a common occurrence in carbon dosing is an increase in cyano.

My reccomend on DT Tim’s one and only and bio spira are they don’t have a significant carbon source. One and only also contains multiple strains of nitrifying bacteria.
Biispira and mb7 I belive only contain one.

 

[reeferfoxx]

Biispira and mb7 I belive only contain one.

Biospira contains 3 possibly 4 different strains of bacteria. Though I'm not sure it contains a carbon source like MB7 as biospira doesnt claim nitrate reduction.