Pretty sure this is cyano...

[notMrDurden]

Back story:
~16.5 gallon tank
I figured at first that this was just part of "the ugly phase" and I am ok with it if it is. But I kinda just don't know 100% what to do next.

I first poured water in my tank on June 13th. Did a fritz Turbostart cycle which was awesome. About 2 weeks ago, maybe I started noticing in the front of my tank, the sand was turning reddish. I asked my buddy and he said it was probably diatoms. I did a little research, and agreed. We were in the first part of getting ugly. Then (I am assuming because of the flow in the tank) it started to get some long hair...

Asked my buddy again and through looking on here we figured it to be cyano.

Anyways, things I have done to try to mitigate this stuff:
-Dropped the light to nearly black out most of the day, pretty much just enough to keep my zoas happy.
-found out I was feeding my two clowns WAY too much, so cut back on that significantly.
-Adjusted the flow in my tank (direction/location of powerhead)
-clean glass, knock off as much as I can from rocks, pull up as much as I can from the sand bed daily
-Change filter floss (AIO tank, so I am using batting for mechanical filter) once a week
-about 30% water change weekly
-this past Friday I started my CUC - 3 trochus, 3 nassarius, 4 white tipped cerith, 3 dwarf blue legged hermits

Throughout all of this, my ammonia, nitrates, and nitrites are at zero, testing nearly daily, (sometimes every other day)... Yes, maybe overkill, but I'm not trying to crash anything.


so now here we are... Not much else I can do without adding chemicals or stuff into my tank. I've seen stuff about hydrogen peroxide dosing (1ml per gal every 8 hours) but don't know if there is anything else I can do before that

 

[Lavey29]

Doesn't look like cyano to me. Can you siphon it up? Does it disappear at night? You should have left your lights off the first 4 months to let your tank build biodiversity and microfauna you don't want nitrates at 0 if you have corals already in a brand new tank.

 

[notMrDurden]

Doesn't look like cyano to me. Can you siphon it up? Does it disappear at night? You should have left your lights off the first 4 months to let your tank build biodiversity and microfauna you don't want nitrates at 0 if you have corals already in a brand new tank.

I thought I responded to this...

I can pull it up with a baster and it scrapes off relatively easy off of rock. It reminds me of really thin seaweed when it's scraped off, but it reappears in about a day. It does not disappear at night.

Turns out nitrates are around 10. This was after changing tests from API to Salifert. Last night I ran them side by side and Salifert showed 10.

It seems like the snails are taking care of it, but it just continues to come back.

 

[Bucs20fan]

What are you phosphates looking like? If they are bottomed out, its almost certainly dinos. Although this would be an extremely early case of dinos for the age of the tank.

 

[notMrDurden]

What are you phosphates looking like? If they are bottomed out, its almost certainly dinos.

Honestly, I'm not testing phosphates right now. Looking like I will be getting a test for it when I get off work though... Going to the store to pick up water anyways. Water change time

 

[Bucs20fan]

I would get a phosphate test as soon as you can. That would help rule out dinos potentially.

 

[notMrDurden]

I would get a phosphate test as soon as you can. That would help rule out dinos potentially.

I should have phosphates tested in about 6 hours. I was going to stop at home first then go, but I'm thinking I'll be stopping at a store on the way home.

Thoughts on a preemptive temp raise? That's about all I can do before I get home

 

[Bucs20fan]

I wouldnt raise the temp just yet. Lets figure out what you have going on first.

 

[Lavey29]

I thought I responded to this...

I can pull it up with a baster and it scrapes off relatively easy off of rock. It reminds me of really thin seaweed when it's scraped off, but it reappears in about a day. It does not disappear at night.

Turns out nitrates are around 10. This was after changing tests from API to Salifert. Last night I ran them side by side and Salifert showed 10.

It seems like the snails are taking care of it, but it just continues to come back.

If the snails are eating it then probably not dinos. Just some other new tank algae. Increase your cleaner crew, cut lights if no corals. If you have corals go 6 hours with blue and uv only no whites. Get parameters in check and dose good bacteria like PNS probio. Continue daily manual removal.

 

[notMrDurden]

If the snails are eating it then probably not dinos. Just some other new tank algae. Increase your cleaner crew, cut lights if no corals. If you have corals go 6 hours with blue and uv only no whites. Get parameters in check and dose good bacteria like PNS probio. Continue daily manual removal.

I am going to get a phosphates test today and go from there. While I'm at the store would it beneficial to go ahead and get bacteria to add regardless of phosphates test?

 

[Lavey29]

I am going to get a phosphates test today and go from there. While I'm at the store would it beneficial to go ahead and get bacteria to add regardless of phosphates test?

I am a proponent of natural bacteria supplements but just know they can reduce nitrates and phosphates to some degree also. I started using PNS probio about 6 months ago and I feel it helps maintain my tank and corals tremendously. My filter socks stay clean well over a week now and crystal clear water also.

 

[notMrDurden]

SG 1.026
pH 8.2
Ammonia 0.0
Nitrite 0.1
Nitrate 10
Phos 0

 

[Lavey29]

SG 1.026
pH 8.2
Ammonia 0.0
Nitrite 0.1
Nitrate 10
Phos 0

You don't need to measure nitrite anymore just nitrates. Alk and cal and mag are the most important big 3 to. You need to raise phosphate. You can feed more pellet food, feed corals with some like reef roids once a week or dose neophos.

 

[notMrDurden]

You don't need to measure nitrite anymore just nitrates. Alk and cal and mag are the most important big 3 to. You need to raise phosphate. You can feed more pellet food, feed corals with some like reef roids once a week or dose neophos.

Gotcha. I just got in a habit of testing it. Does it need to be specifically pellet? I've been feeding frozen marine cuisine

 

[Lavey29]

Gotcha. I just got in a habit of testing it. Does it need to be specifically pellet? I've been feeding frozen marine cuisine

Pellet just adds more phosphate but don't stop frozen that's best for fish. You want phosphate at .05 to .1 and nitrates at 10. If either or both bottom out you will get big tank algae problems.

 

[Fishy888]

If the snails are eating it then probably not dinos. Just some other new tank algae. Increase your cleaner crew, cut lights if no corals. If you have corals go 6 hours with blue and uv only no whites. Get parameters in check and dose good bacteria like PNS probio. Continue daily manual removal.

Mexican turbo snails will eat them if that's all there is. When I first started I had dinos within 2 to 3 weeks. I thought it was cyanobacteria as well. I finally got them under control because of the kind gestures of a friend of mine who gave me established live rock and chaeto that was full of pods. If not for that I'd still be battling them.

The snails both died within 4 weeks. As I think of it if either nitrates, phosphates, or both go to zero then dinos will happen.

 

[vetteguy53081]

Back story:
~16.5 gallon tank
I figured at first that this was just part of "the ugly phase" and I am ok with it if it is. But I kinda just don't know 100% what to do next.

I first poured water in my tank on June 13th. Did a fritz Turbostart cycle which was awesome. About 2 weeks ago, maybe I started noticing in the front of my tank, the sand was turning reddish. I asked my buddy and he said it was probably diatoms. I did a little research, and agreed. We were in the first part of getting ugly. Then (I am assuming because of the flow in the tank) it started to get some long hair...

Asked my buddy again and through looking on here we figured it to be cyano.

Anyways, things I have done to try to mitigate this stuff:
-Dropped the light to nearly black out most of the day, pretty much just enough to keep my zoas happy.
-found out I was feeding my two clowns WAY too much, so cut back on that significantly.
-Adjusted the flow in my tank (direction/location of powerhead)
-clean glass, knock off as much as I can from rocks, pull up as much as I can from the sand bed daily
-Change filter floss (AIO tank, so I am using batting for mechanical filter) once a week
-about 30% water change weekly
-this past Friday I started my CUC - 3 trochus, 3 nassarius, 4 white tipped cerith, 3 dwarf blue legged hermits

Throughout all of this, my ammonia, nitrates, and nitrites are at zero, testing nearly daily, (sometimes every other day)... Yes, maybe overkill, but I'm not trying to crash anything.


so now here we are... Not much else I can do without adding chemicals or stuff into my tank. I've seen stuff about hydrogen peroxide dosing (1ml per gal every 8 hours) but don't know if there is anything else I can do before that

This is unfortunately dino and from a tank either too clean or being maintained to be clean, but regular feedings will brimng no3 and po4 up. Right now focus on the dino.
Prepare by starting with a water change and blow this stuff loose with a turkey baster and siphon up loose particles.
Turn lights off (at least white and run blue at 10-15% IF you have light dependant corals) for 5 days and at night dose 1ml of 3% hydrogen peroxide per 10 gallons for all 5 nights. If you dont have light dependent coral- turn all lights off.
During the day dose 1ml of liquid bacteria (such as bacter 7 or XLM) per 10 gallons.
Clean filters daily and DO NOT FEED CORAL FOODS OR ADD NOPOX as it is food for dinos.
Day 5,, you can start with blue lights - ramping up and work your white lights up slowly

 

[notMrDurden]

This is unfortunately dino and from a tank either too clean or being maintained to be clean, but regular feedings will brimng no3 and po4 up. Right now focus on the dino.
Prepare by starting with a water change and blow this stuff loose with a turkey baster and siphon up loose particles.
Turn lights off (at least white and run blue at 10-15% IF you have light dependant corals) for 5 days and at night dose 1ml of 3% hydrogen peroxide per 10 gallons for all 5 nights. If you dont have light dependent coral- turn all lights off.
During the day dose 1ml of liquid bacteria (such as bacter 7 or XLM) per 10 gallons.
Clean filters daily and DO NOT FEED CORAL FOODS OR ADD NOPOX as it is food for dinos.
Day 5,, you can start with blue lights - ramping up and work your white lights up slowly

Your expertise is greatly appreciated... In the rush to make sure I got it all, I forgot to thank you. I am now on day 5. In addition to your recommendations, I also raised my temp to a consistent 82°. I'm going to keep the lights down for another day or two though before I slowly bring them up.

Below are how it looks today in the areas that were most greatly affected.. as of right now, I haven't done any clean up in over 24 hours.

 

[vetteguy53081]

Your expertise is greatly appreciated... In the rush to make sure I got it all, I forgot to thank you. I am now on day 5. In addition to your recommendations, I also raised my temp to a consistent 82°. I'm going to keep the lights down for another day or two though before I slowly bring them up.

Below are how it looks today in the areas that were most greatly affected.. as of right now, I haven't done any clean up in over 24 hours.

Very nice. Continue bacteria another 5 days