Help w/Cyano in newer tank

sailplanes2 · Oct 19, 2018

Hi Reefers:

I've got a newly set up Red Sea Reefer 250 with a couple of AI Vegas, purchased second hand with BRS dry rock. The tank had previously crashed for its prior owner due to an anemone die-out and wiped out a lot of SPS. The previous owner drained it and the dry rock was left in the sun. I cooked the dry rock for about a month in RODI/ low salinity. Turned a little brown during that time. My tank's now 54 days old, cycled with 5 damsels and some Dr. Tims. Parameters all test well, raising my alk slowly to 9dkh.

I've had the WORST cyano I've ever seen and read a lot of threads about reducing lighting, water changes, etc. I have started skimming and changing socks, did a 40% water change, added BRS reactor with a bunch of carbon, and a week's long blackout. That helped but upon resuming lighting (50%, turned down to 25% in acclimation mode for 10 days), the cyano is back and blooming. Was brownish with bubbles and now more pink. A couple pics attached. Plan to do another big water change, add more flow, maybe another black out period (but now have corals in the tank and fear a total black out) Could use some advise on whether I should add some GFO? Thanks for any help with this problem / don't want a big die off of the cyano causing a spike, etc.

Peace

Kurt

(Tank today)

Tank when newly set up

WV Reefer · Oct 19, 2018

sailplanes2 said:
Hi Reefers:

I've got a newly set up Red Sea Reefer 250 with a couple of AI Vegas, purchased second hand with BRS dry rock. The tank had previously crashed for its prior owner due to an anemone die-out and wiped out a lot of SPS. The previous owner drained it and the dry rock was left in the sun. I cooked the dry rock for about a month in RODI/ low salinity. Turned a little brown during that time. My tank's now 54 days old, cycled with 5 damsels and some Dr. Tims. Parameters all test well, raising my alk slowly to 9dkh.

I've had the WORST cyano I've ever seen and read a lot of threads about reducing lighting, water changes, etc. I have started skimming and changing socks, did a 40% water change, added BRS reactor with a bunch of carbon, and a week's long blackout. That helped but upon resuming lighting (50%, turned down to 25% in acclimation mode for 10 days), the cyano is back and blooming. Was brownish with bubbles and now more pink. A couple pics attached. Plan to do another big water change, add more flow, maybe another black out period (but now have corals in the tank and fear a total black out) Could use some advise on whether I should add some GFO? Thanks for any help with this problem / don't want a big die off of the cyano causing a spike, etc.

Peace

Kurt

(Tank today)

Tank when newly set up

I would up the flow.

sailplanes2 · Oct 19, 2018

Thanks. It's got a Jebao DCP-8000 running at about 55% and a RW-8 running at about 60%. I can up the RW-8 and will do that, the DCP-8000 is already pushing a ton of water through the sump, probably close to max flow for the plumbing. peace

Hitman · Oct 19, 2018

Max your your flow. What are your water parameters? Worse case use chemiclean to get rid of it but you still need to get a lot more flow.

lion king · Oct 20, 2018

My experience with cyano has to do with an imbalance between nitrate and phosphate. Have you tested for these, if your nitrates are low and phosphates high, this could be the cause. Reduce phosphates, using the brightwell phosphate remover can do it quickly and safely. Also I've found a high level of red LEDs feeds cyano, the red spectrum isn't even necessary for coral health, so you can really zero out if you want. I like the red magenta hue visually but I have found the red to be problematic.

sailplanes2 · Oct 20, 2018

Hitman said:
Max your your flow. What are your water parameters? Worse case use chemiclean to get rid of it but you still need to get a lot more flow.

Thanks

I have now maxed out the DCP-8000 main pump to 100% / 63 Watts, and also the RW-8 (full on, no wave pulse). Only other option now is to buy another RW-8 or similar for more flow.

Parameters tested tonight:
Temp: 79 (dual Eheim 150W controlled by Inkbird)
Salinity: 1.024 (refractometer, a little low, will increase to 1.025)
Alk: 7.0-7.5 dkh (API) -- dosed 15 ml of 2 Part Alk only tonight after test as was at 8.0 last week
Ph 8.3 (API)
Nitrate: Undetectable (API)
Calcium: 320 (expired API test, usually 440 running Reef Crystals, will increase to 440 with 2nd part of 2 part)
Phos: Need a test kit for this
Mag: Not tested, usually 1200 with Reef Crystals.

Plan: 40% water change, raise Alk and Calcium and Salinity.
Chemiclean: Would prefer to avoid using this due to die off / spikes.

lion king said:
My experience with cyano has to do with an imbalance between nitrate and phosphate. Have you tested for these, if your nitrates are low and phosphates high, this could be the cause. Reduce phosphates, using the brightwell phosphate remover can do it quickly and safely. Also I've found a high level of red LEDs feeds cyano, the red spectrum isn't even necessary for coral health, so you can really zero out if you want. I like the red magenta hue visually but I have found the red to be problematic.

Thanks

I am suspecting high phosphates from the previous owner's tank crash leaching into the rocks / BRS reef saver rock known to leach phosphates. I was thinking of adding a mixture of GFO to my BRS single chamber reactor? Ran that on my previous tank at a 3-1 ratio GAC / GFO and never had problems with Cyano.

One of the two AI Vegas does have a bit of red channel which I will dial to zero.

Appreciate all the help and suggestions so far. GFO instead of brightwell?

Peace

Hitman · Oct 20, 2018

Upgrade your testing kits for CA, ALK, MG, & PO4.
API test are not very accurate for these. I would recommend Salifert for inexpensive and accurate kits most at $15-$20 from BRS. API are good for PH and NO3 and that’s about it in my opinion.
RC should have much much higher CA, ALk, MG numbers.

Billldg · Oct 20, 2018

As others have stated, your phosphates may be high, I would get a phosphate test kit and test your phosphate levels. I use a Hanna phosphate checker, so I don't know any other test kits that are reliable. Be careful with GFO, a little go's along way, I used GFO for a month and bottomed out my phosphates quickly.

Ubergroover · Oct 20, 2018

sailplanes2 said:
Thanks I have now maxed out the DCP-8000 main pump to 100% / 63 Watts, and also the RW-8 (full on, no wave pulse). Only other option now is to buy another RW-8 or similar for more flow.

Parameters tested tonight:
Temp: 79 (dual Eheim 150W controlled by Inkbird)
Salinity: 1.024 (refractometer, a little low, will increase to 1.025)
Alk: 7.0-7.5 dkh (API) -- dosed 15 ml of 2 Part Alk only tonight after test as was at 8.0 last week
Ph 8.3 (API)
Nitrate: Undetectable (API)
Calcium: 320 (expired API test, usually 440 running Reef Crystals, will increase to 440 with 2nd part of 2 part)
Phos: Need a test kit for this
Mag: Not tested, usually 1200 with Reef Crystals.

Plan: 40% water change, raise Alk and Calcium and Salinity.
Chemiclean: Would prefer to avoid using this due to die off / spikes.

Thanks I am suspecting high phosphates from the previous owner's tank crash leaching into the rocks / BRS reef saver rock known to leach phosphates. I was thinking of adding a mixture of GFO to my BRS single chamber reactor? Ran that on my previous tank at a 3-1 ratio GAC / GFO and never had problems with Cyano.

One of the two AI Vegas does have a bit of red channel which I will dial to zero.

Appreciate all the help and suggestions so far. GFO instead of brightwell?

Peace

Agreed, I also for haha's tested my RODI water for all parameters (you can use saltwater test kits on fresh, but not vice versa) and found my RODI source had high PO4....bought my own at that point. What you already stated is what I do/did also. Works. I dialed my red also and it made a huge difference.

lion king · Oct 20, 2018

If it's in your budget get the Hanna ulr phosphate tester, other test kit's may still show a much lower level of phosphate.

If you really follow the directions of brightwell phosphate-e I have had great results and no negative effects. Looking at the tank, gfo may just not do the trick. Will be good to run once you get it in check.

Chemiclean does work, but be very mindful of the o2 loss. This obviously wont cure the cause. Getting your phosphate in check and sucking it out manually is really the best route.

sailplanes2 · Oct 20, 2018

Thank you to all

I have turned off the reds, am mixing up some new RODI / RC (will dust off the rocks with the power head and shake them off good in the waste water bucket / mop up as much of the sand bed as I can during the water change.) I will get ahold of a Hanna Ultra Low Range checker / upgrade my other test kits / test my mixed water for Phos when I have the checker. I have some Nyos kits MG and Calcium and Alk but they are 3 years old so looking at investing in some newer higher end kits shortly. I have GFO on hand so may give that a try at least for now and switch over to Brightwell if no improvement.

Really appreciate the help. Here's hoping I can see the end of the Cyano in the next few weeks' time. Will post a "success" picture, I hope, then. Thanks again kind sirs.

Peace

Hitman · Oct 20, 2018

When you remove your old water take the hose and suck the cyno out. When I had to deal with it I used my python hose and rubbed the red film to loosened it up as it sucked it out.

sailplanes2 · Nov 24, 2018

Success shot below. Did a 40% water change sucking out as much cyano as I could and added gfo/gac to my brs reactor. About 3 weeks later most of the cyano was gone so I turned off the reactor. No more cyano. Phosphate undetectable and now feeding heavily to bring it up to a detectable range. New test kits and ulr Hanna phos checker received.

Thanks for the help all.

Peace

Kurt