Recommended plan of action for cyano

[Mono]

So I have got some serious cyano growing rn in my tank. Even when the cyano wasn’t too bad I was reading basically zero nitrate and completely zero phosphate so I’m sure it’s not nutrients causing this. I’ve been doing lot of water changes but it keeps coming back. Tried a black out but it came back rigjt away and tried chemiclean but didn’t seem to do much. Any thoughts? Tank is about a year and 3 months old btw

Try uv

 

[Deep]

If it's photosynthetic it can

photosynthesis provides the energy, which is used to convert simple nutrients into complex organic molecules.

so it is of no use in a environment that lacks nutrients.

 

[zukihara]

Dose phyto

 

[Jilly92]

Yes we use bright lights... specially the coral tanks. Most use the light to make glucose or sugars to feed off yes. Still requires nutrients. Its not all light feeding the by products in the reef tanks.
D

Yes there's low nutrients in the tank so they obviously don't need much lol

 

[Jilly92]

photosynthesis provides the energy, which is used to convert simple nutrients into complex organic molecules.

so it is of no use in a environment that lacks nutrients.

There's still nutrients though even if it's low,

 

[monkeyCmonkeyDo]

Are they low or are they bottomed out and at 0?
Im confused...
D

 

[Jilly92]

Are they low or are they bottomed out and at 0?
Im confused...
D

I guess that depends on how good his test kit is or if he sent off a water sample

 

[Suohhen]

When I’m raising the nutrients is it gonna be one of those things where it makes the cyano worse for a bit and then after a little while it gets better when the other bacteria and algae come? Or r the other algaes gonna start competing with it right away?

It isn't hard to remove almost 100% of cyano with a turkey baster and siphon (siphon what you can, and blast/suck up the rest with the turkey baster than blow it into the siphon.) It or another algae will very likely come back very quickly which means at first you'll need to come back every few days and clean up some more but eventually after a few weeks it will start getting better. Many people say microbacter7 helped with their fight but I have never dosed bacteria myself and I hesitate to make recommendations as to things I have no experience with.

 

[Jeff Jarry reef]

I got cyano in my tank once and my nitrate's bottomed out. I raised nitrate's kept them stable and it eventually went away 100 percent. Imo cyano starts with 0 nutrients. My phosphates was great just nitrate's. But yes get shipon out all you can first. I hope this you because it worked great for me.

 

[Is this the LFS]

I got cyano in my tank once and my nitrate's bottomed out. I raised nitrate's kept them stable and it eventually went away 100 percent. Imo cyano starts with 0 nutrients. My phosphates was great just nitrate's. But yes get shipon out all you can first. I hope this you because it worked great for me.

So in your tank your phosphates never actually bottomed out? It was only your nitrates?

 

[Is this the LFS]

Are they low or are they bottomed out and at 0?
Im confused...
D

Bottomed out. Nitrate was with API tho so take that as u will. Phosphates were tested with a Hanna checker however

 

[Is this the LFS]

Cyano....lol. uhg!!!!! How is cyano a product of low nutrients? Or dino for that matter? Something dosent exsist or grow because of low nutrients. Stop believing whatever youve been fed. Lol. Jeez

Also next time u might wanna phrase something like this a little nicer

 

[monkeyCmonkeyDo]

Sorry.if im coming.off as a.jerk. the 0 reading is not.prior.to the dino or cyano .it is after. The cyano and dino are whats eating up all your phosphates and nitrates. Belive what you will.
D

 

[Jeff Jarry reef]

So in your tank your phosphates never actually bottomed out? It was only your nitrates?

Yes thsts right phosphates never bottomed out just nitrates. Get nitrates up and keep stable cyano will go way. Chemiclean will work its just a bandaid tho.

 

[Jeff Jarry reef]

Yes thsts right phosphates never bottomed out just nitrates. Get nitrates up and keep stable cyano will go way. Chemiclean will work its just a bandaid tho.

It worked for me

 

[homer1475]

Sorry.if im coming.off as a.jerk. the 0 reading is not.prior.to the dino or cyano .it is after. The cyano and dino are whats eating up all your phosphates and nitrates. Belive what you will.
D

You do realize Dino's show up when nutrients are truly 0, and have been for some time? Dino's come in when no other forms of algae can out compete them, thats why raising N&P along with UV typically fights them back(your raising nutrients to promote the growth of other algaes, and killing them with the UV).

Believe what you will, but this has been proven many times over in the algae forums that contain a 300+ page thread about dino's.

 

[Aqua Man]

Tooth brush and siphon. Then turn lights out for at least 3 days.

Be ready to do a large water change to clean up all the dead and dying cyano.

Is the skimmer collecting well? Light tea or dark sludge?

 

[Sleeping Giant]

Tooth brush and siphon. Then turn lights out for at least 3 days.

Be ready to do a large water change to clean up all the dead and dying cyano.

Is the skimmer collecting well? Light tea or dark sludge?

I would do this above, toothbrush and blow off with a turkey baster as much as you possibly can get, do a 25% WC, add chemiclean or red cyano rx, keep in system for 3 days.
Do another 30% WC, add carbon, wait 3-5 days.
If it's still there do the process over again.
It won't just disappear because you did chemiclean, you need to put some elbow grease in the cleanup too.

Best of luck.

 

[Aqua Man]

Chemiclean can and does work. IMO it should be used as a last resort though.

I Started with Dino and now I have red and green cyano I’m dealing with. It’s just an imbalance of nutrients and bacteria in my tank. Tank is just barely a year old.

ive had cyano so thick I could peel it up by hand!! Lol such a lovely red! To bad it chokes out all the coral.

 

[Sdot]

Im dealing with same issue and will try the following experiment. I tested both my phos and nitrate a couple of days ago...they are in a good range

Phos: .12*
Nitrate: 8ppm

I have an asterisk next to the phos, because my levels are normally .04 - .08...

I noticed if I blow off the cyano, and/or stir the sand bed and test in a few hours, my phos jumps.

Today before the lights came on, i stirred the sand bed and blew most of the cyano off my rocks and tested a few hours later.... result: .25!

I believe the cyano is binding the phosphate and my activities are causing the cyano to release phos? My next move is to add phosgaurd to rapidly take the phosphate out of the water so the cyano cannot use it to repopulate my tank...

Thats the thought anyway.