Help!!!!!!

NanoReefer16 · Feb 9, 2016

I have a 28g nano that has some kind of reddish slime algae that's growing out of control. Took water to my reef guy and had him run test and I have no nitrates, no silicates, no phosphates, I mean absolutely no problems with water quality but yet I have this algal bloom that is running rampet in my tank.

I read an article on here a while back was about not vacuuming your sand bed anymore. Just do water changes from your water column and leave the sand alone. Could this be the root of all evils that is causing my problems?!!!

I would love to hear what everyone thinks about my problem on here. Posted below I have a few pics of the tank. It hasn't affected my fish just killed off a few corals and is extremely unsightly!

cloak · Feb 9, 2016

It looks like Cyanobacteria. How old is your tank? Even though your test results were fine doesn't necessarily mean that something like this can't show up. GL.

http://www.reefcleaners.org/nuisance-algae-id-guide

NanoReefer16 · Feb 9, 2016

My tank has been up for around 11 months now. I have an mp-10 on the tank with high flow so flows not the problem. Iron is fine as well as temp is controlled and never goes above 80 or below 76. Generally runs at 78. I run my Alk high just for this reason to deter this crap lol. Thanks for the link to that website. I think the answer is something in the sand bed is causing it. I need to go back to sifting out the sand while doing water changes.

Lenny_S · Feb 9, 2016

I had "perfect" water parameters too and then ran into a cyano problem. It wasn't that bad, but a total mystery. In my research none of the "common" causes seemed to be the case for me, so what was causing it?
Well I started finally finding some threads and articles that cited additives containing DOCs as a cause. And that started to make sense for my case. I was dosing SeaChem Reef Strontium and Reef Calcium. Both of those are supplements with heavy amounts of organic compounds. Once I stopped using those the cyano slowly disappeared.
Try to determine if any additive you are using has organics in it, or if you don't have efficient enough organic compound export. Carbon works good, but I think ChemiPure and Purigen work better. Hope this helps.
Edit... I now use only 2 part for Ca and Alk, and Reef Advantage Strontium which is pure Strontium Chloride sans the organic compounds.

NanoReefer16 · Feb 9, 2016

Now that you mention it, I did quit using chemipure just a few weeks ago and this popped up. I started running just my skimmer and bio-pellets.

jrose323 · Feb 9, 2016

Chemipure removes many of the organic materials that causes Cyano outbreaks, however; it is a bandaid and does not eliminate the source. Have you tested your water for silicates and phosphates? Those are both Compounds that Cyano thrives on.

Are you using Ro/di water or tap water? I would recommend testing your source water for silicates and phosphates as well to see if your source water is contributing to the Cyano. Tap water is typically very high in silicates and phosphates.

jrose323 · Feb 9, 2016

just re read your post. Guess I skimmed through it too fast. Silicates and phosphates read zero....interesting.

Lenny_S · Feb 9, 2016

NanoReefer16 said:
Now that you mention it, I did quit using chemipure just a few weeks ago and this popped up. I started running just my skimmer and bio-pellets.

Ah, making sense. Bio Pellet reactors need to have the effluent going directly into or right at the intake of a very good protein skimmer. A lot of bacteria and organics slough off the pellets as they tumble and are carried in the outflow. So that output needs to go to the protein skimmer as much as possible.
When I've used bio pellet reactors, I've fitted a 'T' fitting on the intake of the protein skimmer. This way I could put the output of the reactor in the top of the 'T' and the other end just face straight out and can freely get water. The reactor will not have the flow to put it right in the intake, but using a 'T' fitting this way gets 100% of the output going into the skimmer and the rest of the water it needs comes from the other end of the 'T'.
I'll see if I can dig up an illustration if you don't get what I mean.
But this is probably the source of the cyano.

NanoReefer16 · Feb 9, 2016

Yes, water quality isn't the issue in this case, unfortunately. I buy all of my water, fresh and salt from my local reef store and has many customers that do the same with zero problems. This one is a head scratcher!

Dayson · Feb 9, 2016

Cyano! Cyano Clean works wonders. It is not cheap but worth the money if you want to eliminate it and keep it gone.

A 3 day blackout could also help with the current problem. However, it will come back if you do not fix the root cause.

NanoReefer16 · Feb 9, 2016

The problem I'll run in to with getting my reactor T'd over to my skimmer is, not much room back there. The skimmer is picking up the water through the middle intake which then gets sent out to the pump on the left side if you're looking at my pictures and the reactor is picking up through my right side pump and then dumping through the left side flow of tank. The skimmer and the reactor are both hang on kits because it is a JBJ nano. Could I just T the output on the reactor over to the middle chamber? And then it will pick that back up by the skimmer.....

Lenny_S · Feb 9, 2016

You could do that or just stop using the reactor.
I stopped using mine after the tank matured and now the system is so dang efficient I need to dose nitrate once in a while to keep everything healthy.

NanoReefer16 · Feb 9, 2016

I'm going to try that first seeing how I literally just bought the reactor and the ole lady would kill me if it was all for not. I bought the reactor to help get rid of it and as soon as I put it on it did but only for a short period.

kireek · Feb 10, 2016

I would suggest gently vacuuming the sand bed and adding some more circulation in the areas were the cyano is thickest.I use purigen and carbon myself and would recommend using them too.When you have a smaller tank and a shallow sand bed,I really feel it's best to clean it out once in a while.

Fin · Feb 10, 2016

On a side note, I would invest in a TDS meter to make sure the RO/DI water I was getting from the LFS is at 0 TDS. I would not assume that it is perfect water. Better yet, I would invest in my own RO/DI filter, so I can be sure of the quality of water I am using. Everything starts with high quality fresh water. Not all LFS are diligent at keeping their RO/DI filters properly maintained.

Atif · Feb 11, 2016

Than

cloak said:
It looks like Cyanobacteria. How old is your tank? Even though your test results were fine doesn't necessarily mean that something like this can't show up. GL.

http://www.reefcleaners.org/nuisance-algae-id-guide

Thank you clock wonderful detail article it's very. Help full to me

juschillin2 · Feb 11, 2016

NanoReefer16 said:
I have a 28g nano that has some kind of reddish slime algae that's growing out of control. Took water to my reef guy and had him run test and I have no nitrates, no silicates, no phosphates, I mean absolutely no problems with water quality but yet I have this algal bloom that is running rampet in my tank.

I read an article on here a while back was about not vacuuming your sand bed anymore. Just do water changes from your water column and leave the sand alone. Could this be the root of all evils that is causing my problems?!!!

I would love to hear what everyone thinks about my problem on here. Posted below I have a few pics of the tank. It hasn't affected my fish just killed off a few corals and is extremely unsightly!

Hi. It's not an un common thing to happen in new tanks, under one year. The most effective product I have found is 'Antired'. Must closely follow directions. We have not seen cyano for a while...I know it was brought on by the use on No4Po3. It addressed a nitrate problem, but the organic compound combinrd with oxygen deprivation caused this to come back. No move 'quick fixes' for me!!

Joeganja · Feb 11, 2016

NanoReefer16 said:
I have a 28g nano that has some kind of reddish slime algae that's growing out of control. Took water to my reef guy and had him run test and I have no nitrates, no silicates, no phosphates, I mean absolutely no problems with water quality but yet I have this algal bloom that is running rampet in my tank.

I read an article on here a while back was about not vacuuming your sand bed anymore. Just do water changes from your water column and leave the sand alone. Could this be the root of all evils that is causing my problems?!!!

I would love to hear what everyone thinks about my problem on here. Posted below I have a few pics of the tank. It hasn't affected my fish just killed off a few corals and is extremely unsightly!

I just wanna add. I've gotten cyano bacteria in one year. If it is a little patch and grows it's gonna eat up your phosphates, nitrates and such it's bacteria and red slime algae sometimes. Do this. Get some chemiclean dose your tank with it. Turn the skimmer off remove any media reactors and carbon and gfo and bio pellets. Do what the instructions tell you to do. But before you add the stuff take a turkey master and blow most of the stuff off the rocks and sand. Then add the stuff wait the instructed time and then do the water change they tell you to do. I recommend since your tank is young no bio pellet reactors especially since they require a strong skimmer to pick up what they give off. See what happens next.

jdpeters · Feb 13, 2016

time to bang out some water changes my friend!

jetmaker · Feb 13, 2016

NanoReefer16 said:
I have a 28g nano that has some kind of reddish slime algae that's growing out of control. Took water to my reef guy and had him run test and I have no nitrates, no silicates, no phosphates, I mean absolutely no problems with water quality but yet I have this algal bloom that is running rampet in my tank.

I read an article on here a while back was about not vacuuming your sand bed anymore. Just do water changes from your water column and leave the sand alone. Could this be the root of all evils that is causing my problems?!!!

I would love to hear what everyone thinks about my problem on here. Posted below I have a few pics of the tank. It hasn't affected my fish just killed off a few corals and is extremely unsightly!

What I would want to know is how deep is your sandbed and if you use chaeto to export because it will eat the nutrients that cyno needs to grow.