Low Nutrient Cyano

[BriansBrain]

I thought cyano ran off of high nutrients, especially phosphates? I’ve been battling LOW nutrients (sounds crazy, I know) in this tank for a few months now. The tank is about 130 total gallons running only about 7 months. Cyano has been around for about a month-ish, and really appeared right after I got rid of Chrysophytes. I definitely do not mind being patient to wait it out, but I do not have experience in this situation.

NO3 is between 2-5 (dosing with neonitro to stay above 0) Red Sea
PO4 0 Hanna ULR PO4

I have Dr. Tim Refresh and Waste-Away, but am reluctant to use it because it “lowers nitrate and phosphate”. I’ve been frequently trying to clean, vacuum, and remove.

Thanks for your input.

 

[Spare time]

Cyano gets nitrogen from the atmosphere so it is phosphates that fuel them in our tanks. However, if you run a skimmer and ultra low waste levels, they are able to take hold as you are removing bacteria from the water column, while also not providing enough waste for others to grow. I would manually remove as much as possible and run chemiclean. Then if your waste levels are not up more go ahead and feed a bit more

 

[Dan_P]

I thought cyano ran off of high nutrients, especially phosphates? I’ve been battling LOW nutrients (sounds crazy, I know) in this tank for a few months now. The tank is about 130 total gallons running only about 7 months. Cyano has been around for about a month-ish, and really appeared right after I got rid of Chrysophytes. I definitely do not mind being patient to wait it out, but I do not have experience in this situation.

NO3 is between 2-5 (dosing with neonitro to stay above 0) Red Sea
PO4 0 Hanna ULR PO4

I have Dr. Tim Refresh and Waste-Away, but am reluctant to use it because it “lowers nitrate and phosphate”. I’ve been frequently trying to clean, vacuum, and remove.

Thanks for your input.

The cyanobacteria is not likely being fed from the water. Yes, it needs a source of phosphate and nitrogen, but it is likely getting those from exactly where it is growing vigorously. The nitrogen can be in the form of ammonia or nitrate. Decomposing organic matter is a great source of ammonia, but locally, right there in the substrate under the cyanobacteria.

The idea of bottled bacteria solving your waste issue, and starving the cyanobacteria, is an attractive idea, if your system were missing these bottled bacteria. It might not be. The product may or may not work. I would not read too much in the claim about lowering phosphate and nitrate. Organic carbon dosing would do the same thing by encouraging bacteria growth.

ChemiClean could rid the tank of the cyanobacteria, though some species or strains seem to resist the stuff.