Suddenly having issues with Cyanobacteria

[Hans-Werner]

Cyanobacteria frequently occur when you drop phosphate, especially with the use of organic carbon. Corals don´t like extremely low phosphate concentrations. What is your phosphate concentration? I recommend phosphate concentrations between 0.03 and 0.1 ppm for corals.

 

[Kyl]

Can. Yes. They sometimes , again sometimes like it. And the alk.

And no. Cyano works differently.
It likes the cal too but mostly from the fresh sand and rock. It really becuse it's a bacteria likes rotting foods and dissolveed nutrients and co2. So wc help ph and n/p and dissolved organics.

Dino's ime are a sometimes fueled by wc. More and more I suspect it's something in the brand not a wc in general.

Higher Ph is known to help kill Dino's. And a myriad of other ills.

I had dinos/cyano on and off after I started using AF reef salt. Back to IO and not a problem since (~4 months).

Anecdotal? Possibly. Something in the local water, coupled with the salt? Probably.

 

[Philt56]

One fellow from Germany on the Red Sea Facebook group mentioned using phytoplankton synechococcus which outcompetes the cyano for its nutrients. He says it’s very common treatment there. Only found it on German sites and ebay but nothing in US. Anybody here heard of this?

Here’s one site
https://www.planktonplus.de/

 

[Forsaken77]

Tank was setup in January 2017, been doing water changes once a week and went to once a month. I dose Alk everyday and MB7 once to twice a week. Don’t run any filter socks only a protein skimmer, GFO Reactor. I have good flow in the tank and never had any issues before. The cyano is taking over corals and thinking I need to go back to once a week water changes. Maybe I should add more snails?

Maybe slow down with the MB7. Cyano is bacteria and this could be helping it along in some respects. You're not carbon dosing right?

 

[Randy Holmes-Farley Verified Community Expert]

Pretty neat little trick but you need to have really strong flow to keep the particles from settling.

Why care if they settle out? I let solids settle out in my refugia and sump.

 

[ChrisOFL]

Why care if they settle out? I let solids settle out in my refugia and sump.

Well I personally don't mind in my tank but I just figure if your going to do it may as well remove as much as you can. I personally like to see some detritus floating around in my tank

 

[CoralReefer1019]

Maybe slow down with the MB7. Cyano is bacteria and this could be helping it along in some respects. You're not carbon dosing right?

yes I stopped MB7 and no Carbon dosing, I do use Vibrant once a week for bubble algae and it has worked wonders. I will restart weekly water changes and continue with GFO

 

[CoralReefer1019]

All my numbers were excellent, nitrate <1, phosphate .02, running skimmer, ozone, ChemiPure Blue and Purigen, and yet I still had a small-moderate size outbreak of cyano, only in the sand. Confirmed it under a microscope, and then beat it completely in 2 weeks by discontinuing amino acid dosing plus siphoning the sand enthusiastically during my 3x/week 5% water changes. Did not change my fish feeding or my lighting. It just eventually didn't come back after being siphoned out. I was not going to use any antibiotics in my dt if I could absolutely help it. I've since resumed the amino acid dosing at half the previous level and so far so good.

I do dose Fuel once a week at 1/2 the required amount on direction and Acro Power the same way. I alternate between weeks

 

[saltyfilmfolks]

yes I stopped MB7 and no Carbon dosing, I do use Vibrant once a week for bubble algae and it has worked wonders. I will restart weekly water changes and continue with GFO

It's the vibrant. It has a potent organic carbon source.

 

[CoralReefer1019]

It's the vibrant. It has a potent organic carbon source.

Really? maybe I should dose it once every 2 weeks instead of once a week?

 

[saltyfilmfolks]

Really? maybe I should dose it once every 2 weeks instead of once a week?

I'm doing it now. I'm just letting it do its work at the prescribed dosage and kill the bubble algae.
The cyano side effect doesn't bother me.

I'm just being patient through the treatment. Cuz when it's done, the cyano will be too.

 

[Emerson]

Try looking at these videos from reefwiser and twilliard. Worked for me on my 75 gal new build that started getting a serious cyano issue.

Bottom line: figure out if you have cyano or spirulina. Dose with 3% Hydrogen Peroxide (H202). Not the answer for everyone, but it worked for me. My zoanthids notice the ORP drop, but no mortality issues for softies, LPS, SPS, or invertebrates. Good luck.

 

[Slim_Okrug]

I had battle for around 6 months. What did i do in my case doesnt mean it will work for you but you can try. So basiclly i am KISS user. I dont have any fancy things and i dont belive in bottles. So i read forums and get my own conclusion and take nature way. I didnt take route of change water every 7 days. First thing i done was get rid of sock. It is nutrient rich field in metter of 1-2 days. 2nd i bought gyre xf250 to make more flow trough tank. Cut feeding but not drasticly for example i have feed my tank with frozen every other day now i do it 1-2 times week. Added Strombus sp. snails which in my case eat cyano. I read about it on some other forum not sure about which one year ago ( i read all themes and upload my knowlage base ) and when my problem starts i remebered that snail name. I said to myself well all i can lose it 50 € for 5 snails and at the end i will have nice snails in tank. It was pain to get them here in Croatia but i manage somehow. All this i done get me where i am atm. Sand is white again and i dont have puellaris in my tank just for the info. I run AU in my bag of skimmer ( Tunze 9410 ) and Echophos GFO in reactor. Also it is mainly softy tank and WC are lets say 1 in 2 months for about 60 liters. I have 180 Gallon total system just for info. Sry for eng and i hope i put some contribution to the problem.

 

[Addicted2ACRO's]

White Vinegar worked for me...took care of my problem within 2 weeks. I have about 100 gallons of water and I dose 8-10ml's of white vinegar once a week....no more cyano

 

[Travis Stewart]

From my experience, my tank went through the same cyano outbreak about months 8-12. I feel like it's a process your tank goes through to learn how to handle the bacteria your tank needs to be mature. I noticed reduced cyano when I changed my filters and DI resin in my RODI unit. Idk your status or what TDS is reading, but worth looking at IMO.

 

[CoralReefer1019]

UPDATE: I stopped dosing MB7, cut back just a little on photo period and have noticed little cyano dieing off. I will continue with once a week WC of just 5 gallons since my system is only 60G total volume. I will start to clean out the detritus in sump more often and continue with GFO

 

[CoralReefer1019]

From my experience, my tank went through the same cyano outbreak about months 8-12. I feel like it's a process your tank goes through to learn how to handle the bacteria your tank needs to be mature. I noticed reduced cyano when I changed my filters and DI resin in my RODI unit. Idk your status or what TDS is reading, but worth looking at IMO.

My TDS is starting to read “1” I will have to service RODI unit asap. Do I have to change out all filters? My unit has

2 Carbon Blocks
1 Sediment
DI Resin
RO Membrane

Which replacement kit should I get from BRS?

 

[CoralReefer1019]

White Vinegar worked for me...took care of my problem within 2 weeks. I have about 100 gallons of water and I dose 8-10ml's of white vinegar once a week....no more cyano

not sure if vinegar would help me, haven’t really messed with it

 

[Randy Holmes-Farley Verified Community Expert]

My TDS is starting to read “1” I will have to service RODI unit asap. Do I have to change out all filters? My unit has

2 Carbon Blocks
1 Sediment
DI Resin
RO Membrane

Which replacement kit should I get from BRS?

Only the DI is indicated to be changed by a TDS rise. Others are time or flow based decisions.

 

[Travis Stewart]

My TDS is starting to read “1” I will have to service RODI unit asap. Do I have to change out all filters? My unit has

2 Carbon Blocks
1 Sediment
DI Resin
RO Membrane

Which replacement kit should I get from BRS?

I always change all of them when changing one. It's good practice. You can buy the DI by itself if you wish also. If you order the package, you can usually order it by how many stages your Rodi unit is