Must be doing something wrong

[Kial]

i seem to be getting cyano on my sand all the time. I’ve used chemiclean before which got rid of it all. I know I need to sort my nutrients out so I’m running aqua medic gfo reactor, reef octo skimmer, water changes weekly of 10-20% and vacuuming the sand.

Parameters:
Salinity-1.026
Ammonia-0
Nitrite-0
Nitrate-5
I don’t know my phosphate yet, still looking at what tester to buy.
Calcium-375
Alk-7.5
Mag-1400.
(Just started dosing to bring my calcium and alk back up slowly)

I feed a mixture of mysis/brine daily or every other day and reef roids once a week before water change.

Livestock:
2 clowns
Firetail goby
Copperband
Royal dotty back
Sea cucumber
Hermits
Snails.

Tank is 400l and been running around 7 months.

Other than getting some macro algea ( will be looking into getting this soon) is there anything I’m missing which is causing the cyano. I feel I have enough flow, if I turn pumps up more my corals get blasted and sand is pushed up into big hills. And it’s not like the cyano is in dead spots, it’s along the front of my tank where flow is greatest.

 

[pugcrush]

Honestly, I hate sandbeds after going barebottom. I don't know if it's the type of sand used but I dealt with some cyano in one of the systems (only on sandbed). Light bioload too. It seems that the sand is gaining bacteria & becomes 'live' over time. IMO, it just takes time with sand & after a year it just starts going away. Similarly how some of the dry rock can battle hair algae for the first year.

I'm only going barebottom for all future systems. Doing it on my latest one & it's just more real estate for corals.

 

[Kial]

It does seem that a sandbed causes issues but I personally like the look of sand over bare so couldn't bring myself to get rid of it.
I do hope after a while it stops but at the moment it seems to be my main issue. I have hair algea also but its not so much of an issue right now

 

[Kial]

Just read on an old thread that dosing amino acids could potentially be causing the rise in nutrients? I dose 2ml a day as recommended by the bottle

 

[saltyfilmfolks]

Yes. Cut back on the aminos , and probaly the other coral foods.

It’s also quite possible the flow is actually dropping food and organics there on the sand. Mine has done that, generally just below where the flow hits the glass, and curls under.

I’d guess just. A bit of new tank uglies and maybe some food things.

 

[Kial]

Yeah I'll definitely cut back on the aminos. I only really feed the reef roids for my goniopora and my trachy as it blows right up after feeding.

 

[saltyfilmfolks]

Yeah I'll definitely cut back on the aminos. I only really feed the reef roids for my goniopora and my trachy as it blows right up after feeding.

Wow. That is pretty cool.
I’d also consider some good bottled bacteria as well , can’t hurt.

 

[UCF Alum]

Yeah I'll definitely cut back on the aminos. I only really feed the reef roids.

When I lifted, I found that aminos and protein powder post workout worked best for me. 4 chicken breasts and 1 piece of fish a day. The juice was good too, but I started losing hair so I stopped. True story.

Ohh, and the tank. I was seven months in and I had the same problem that you’re having. I bumped my magnesium up to about 1550 and within two weeks the tank cleared up. Chill with the roids bro!!! They cause, uh, your nutrients to go way outta wack.

 

[Kial]

Wow. That is pretty cool.
I’d also consider some good bottled bacteria as well , can’t hurt.

I’ve still got some Red Sea bacteria which I cycled the tank with so could use the last bit of that if it will help.

 

[Kial]

When I lifted, I found that aminos and protein powder post workout worked best for me. 4 chicken breasts and 1 piece of fish a day. The juice was good too, but I started losing hair so I stopped. True story.

Ohh, and the tank. I was seven months in and I had the same problem that you’re having. I bumped my magnesium up to about 1550 and within two weeks the tank cleared up. Chill with the roids bro!!! They cause, uh, your nutrients to go way outta wack.

I’m going to see if cutting back on the reef roids will help before I change around my mag. Currently trying to get my calcium and alk back up to my normal levels. Total noob when it comes to dosing aha.
Definitely stay away from the gym roids
Lol