Uglies - gha + cyano

[Biff0rz]

In the middle of the uglies. Gha has picked up, doing periodic physical removal. Also an uptick of cyano, should I just be blowing it off the rocks/sand?

NO3 5
Po4 0.03

 

[lapin]

If you can, suck the cyano up (turkey baster) and wipe with paper towels if on the glass. You can reduce the lights a bit and increase the flow in those spots

 

[Biff0rz]

If you can, suck the cyano up (turkey baster) and wipe with paper towels if on the glass. You can reduce the lights a bit and increase the flow in those spots

Thanks, will do. Mostly on the rocks and sand.

 

[Biff0rz]

So a turkey baster is not working so well, I have a lot of rocks and a lot cyano. Today I used the baster to blow off two of the rocks, the roller filter should catch most of it.

I'm going to reduce feeding a little, reduce lighting an hour, and add an hour to the fuge light.

Anything else I should do? Nitrates are still at 5, po4 still around 0.03-0.05

 

[DE FISH]

If you got gha and cyano I’d assume the phosphate is higher than what it’s currently testing at as the cyano and gha will be consuming it

 

[Biff0rz]

If you got gha and cyano I’d assume the phosphate is higher than what it’s currently testing at as the cyano and gha will be consuming it

Right, agreed. I have switched to feeding nori every other day and I'm reducing the amount I feed. I could skim a little more aggressively. Anything else?

 

[DE FISH]

Right, agreed. I have switched to feeding nori every other day and I'm reducing the amount I feed. I could skim a little more aggressively. Anything else?

Maybe some gfo/rowaphos to reduce the po4 ? I’d manually remove as much gha and cyano beforehand

 

[Biff0rz]

Maybe some gfo/rowaphos to reduce the po4 ? I’d manually remove as much gha and cyano beforehand

Even though I'm still in the uglies phases? Isn't cyano and gha part of the process?

 

[Jbell370]

It's part of the uglies, I never experienced that with the last tank, added a few bottles of bacteria and ran bio pellets, that's it. No skimmer and no lights, 10 days later turned the lights on and that was all gone. Maybe I'm just lucky, I'm hoping for the same result with the new tank.

 

[DE FISH]

Even though I'm still in the uglies phases? Isn't cyano and gha part of the process?

My tank naturally sits at about 0.2 I add 10 grams of rowaphos below my skimmer return and my po4 sits between 0.05 - 0.08 ppm my tank is just over a year old. do you have any livestock or are you still cycling ? Dry rock or live ?

 

[Dan_P]

So a turkey baster is not working so well, I have a lot of rocks and a lot cyano. Today I used the baster to blow off two of the rocks, the roller filter should catch most of it.

I'm going to reduce feeding a little, reduce lighting an hour, and add an hour to the fuge light.

Anything else I should do? Nitrates are still at 5, po4 still around 0.03-0.05

Can you vacuum the cyanobacteria from the rock and sand?

 

[Cwentz758]

What tester or kit are you using for Phos

 

[Biff0rz]

Can you vacuum the cyanobacteria from the rock and sand?

Yea I can do that.

What tester or kit are you using for Phos

Hanna

 

[Dan_P]

Yea I can do that.

Hanna

I bet removing the cyanobacteria will help. If you can remove it from the sand that‘s even better. If you accidentally vacuum up the surface sand no problem. Give a good rinse in tap water and replace it. Repeat as necessary. You have to eventually bully this organism into submission.

 

[VermontReefs]

Did you start with dry rock or live aquacultured rock?

 

[Biff0rz]

I bet removing the cyanobacteria will help. If you can remove it from the sand that‘s even better. If you accidentally vacuum up the surface sand no problem. Give a good rinse in tap water and replace it. Repeat as necessary. You have to eventually bully this organism into submission.

I used a vacuum and cleaned the sand tonight really well. I tried sucking it off the rocks but it wasn't coming off very easy at all.

Did you start with dry rock or live aquacultured rock?

Mostly live rock and some dry. All rock was cured for 6mo+

 

[vetteguy53081]

To make it easier- Can you post a pic or two under white light?

 

[Biff0rz]

To make it easier- Can you post a pic or two under white light?

Yea tomorrow, lights are out for the night. I sucked up a LOT of it though

 

[Biff0rz]

To make it easier- Can you post a pic or two under white light?

Here ya go. I didn't blow a lot off of this rock but you can see the red cyano covering the gha. I put one of my turbos on the rock last night and he made good work of it. Also took a pic of the sandbed where I cleaned, you can see some light cyano coming back.

 

[vetteguy53081]

This helps a lot. yes- cyano, algae and some bacteria. If there is a way to- Increase your water flow. Taking a turkey baster, blow this stuff loose. Siphon or net up all the loose particles. Then follow below, what is recommended for Dino, but works well for what you are experiencing right now.
First- Check phosphates and nitrates to assure theyre not elevated.
Here is full program:
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%) for 5 days and at night dose 1ml of 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) 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