Ariellemcc
Community Member
I have a 75 gallon tank with fish and live rock only and I have managed to get cyanobacteria. I’ve done two treatments vacuumed it and cleaned everything twice and I still can’t get rid of it. What can I do next?
Help needed cyanobacteria
- Thread starter Ariellemcc
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Pickle_soup
Well-Known Member
My cyanobacteria typically are connected to flow issues. It looks like you do not have much flow down there. Additionally, that sandsifting starfish won't do well with this small bioload.
OP
OP
Ariellemcc
Community Member
There are more in there then in the picture and i have two wave makes a large and small. Large at surface and small for the sandbed. There is also a sand sifting conch.
RandyDucati
New Member
New tank setup i assume.. it will pass.. i like to use DR Tims RE-Fresh and waste away.
The black out method work as well . look up BRS TV cyano on ytube
The black out method work as well . look up BRS TV cyano on ytube
MVsea1
Community Member
+1…very common in new tanks and will pass as long as you keep up with your maintenance/water changes. Manually remove as much as you can during water changes. Consider upping the flow and can use chemi clean as a last resort but I would wait it out and manually remove as much as you can during water changes. Also, are you testing your nitrates/phosphates? What’s your filtration like? Running a skimmer?
vetteguy53081
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Cyano blooms typically start when water nutrient concentrations of phosphate, nitrate and other organic compounds are too high.I have a 75 gallon tank with fish and live rock only and I have managed to get cyanobacteria. I’ve done two treatments vacuumed it and cleaned everything twice and I still can’t get rid of it. What can I do next?
Some of the most common causes include:
- Protein skimmer which fills water with tiny air bubbles. As bubbles form from the reaction chamber, dissolved organic compound molecules stick to them. Foam forms at the surface of the water and is then transferred to a collection cup, where it rests as skimmate. When the protein skimmer does not output the best efficiency or you do not have the suitable protein skimmer to cover the tank, the air bubbles created by the skimmer might be insufficient. And this insufficiency of air bubbles can trigger the cyano to thrive.
- Overstocking / overfeeding, your aquarium with nutrients is often the culprit of a cyano bloom
- Adding live rock that isn’t completely cured which acts like a breeding ground for red slime algae
- If you don’t change your water with enough frequency, you’ll soon have a brightly colored red slime algae bloom. Regular water changes dilute nutrients that feed cyanobacteria and keeps your tank clear
- Using a water source with nitrates or phosphates is like rolling out the welcome mat for cyano. Tap water is an example
- Inadequate water flow, or movement, is a leading cause of cyano blooms. Slow moving water combined with excess dissolved nutrients is a recipe for pervasive red slime algae development
I recommend to reduce white light intensity or even turn them off for 3-5 days. Add liquid bacteria daily for a week during the day at 1.5ml per 10 gallons. Add Hydrogen peroxide at night at 1ml per 10 gallons. Add a pouch of chemipure Elite which will balance phos and nitrate and keep them in check.
After the 5 days, add a few snails such as cerith, margarita, astrea and nassarius plus 6-8 blue leg hermits to take control.
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Ariellemcc
Community Member
I dont have anything to test my levels and i have a marine land 360 and a coral life 125 skimmer
MVsea1
Community Member
I would invest in some test kits. Salifert makes some good ones that are pretty accurate and won't break the bank. Test for Nitrate & Phosphate to see where you are at..... Alk, Calcium, magnesium if you're keeping corals. Cannister filters aren't really the best for saltwater and can be a "nitrate" factory if you don't keep up with them. Do you have a sump? If so, good old fashioned filter socks (or fleece roller if you want to splurge) with carbon will work best. Since you don't have much rock in the tank I'd also add some ceramic media in there for more surface area for your bacteria army to grow. Also the coral life skimmers aren't really the best IMO. I would look at upgrading that if you can. I know some of them can be pricey but it's worth it. You'll notice the difference.
