Vibrant and GFO

[Amtrack5899]

I just started dosing vibrant into my tank to combat a cyno outbreak. Should I turn off the GFO reactor? Is it ok to leave the carbon reactor and skimmer on?

 

[blaxsun]

I never do - I leave my skimmer and carbon/GFO reactor running. I'm not sure if you'd see any benefit (some products like Monster360 cleaner require that you turn off any skimmers or UV for an hour after application).

 

[Amtrack5899]

Thank you, Ill keep everything on. I didn’t see anything on the bottle instructions that indicated one way or the other.

 

[A Young Reefer]

I keep them both on , but I would say watch your phosphate levels don’t let them drop sharply since vibrant is known to lower nutrient levels .

 

[vetteguy53081]

I just started dosing vibrant into my tank to combat a cyno outbreak. Should I turn off the GFO reactor? Is it ok to leave the carbon reactor and skimmer on?

Vibrant wont do much if anything with Cyano. Cyano blooms typically start when water nutrient concentrations go haywire. Just like when you eat too much sugar and your waistline starts to bloom, the same happens in your tank when concentrations of phosphate, nitrate and other organic compounds are too high.
Some of the most common causes include:
- Protein skimmer which fills water with tiny air bubbles. As bubbles form from the reaction chamber, dissolved organic compound molecules stick to them. Foam forms at the surface of the water and is then transferred to a collection cup, where it rests as skimmate. When the protein skimmer does not output the best efficiency or you do not have the suitable protein skimmer to cover the tank, the air bubbles created by the skimmer might be insufficient. And this insufficiency of air bubbles can trigger the cyano to thrive.
- Overstocking / overfeeding, your aquarium with nutrients is often the culprit of a cyano bloom
- Adding live rock that isn’t completely cured which acts like a breeding ground for red slime algae
- If you don’t change your water with enough frequency, you’ll soon have a brightly colored red slime algae bloom. Regular water changes dilute nutrients that feed cyanobacteria and keeps your tank beautifully clear
- Using a water source with nitrates or phosphates is like rolling out the welcome mat for cyano. Tap water is an example
- Inadequate water flow, or movement, is a leading cause of cyano blooms. Slow moving water combined with excess dissolved nutrients is a recipe for pervasive red slime algae development

I recommend to reduce white light intensity or even turn them off for 5-7 days. Add liquid bacteria daily for a week during the day at 1.5ml per 10 gallons. Add Hydrogen peroxide at night at 1ml per 10 gallons. Add a pouch of chemipure Elite which will balance phos and nitrate and keep them in check.

After the week, add a few snails such as cerith, margarita, astrea and nassarius plus 6-8 blue leg hermits to take control.

 

[Amtrack5899]

Thank you. What type of liquid bacteria do you recommend?
I checked my nitrates this morning and they were between 2 and 5 ppm.
I do not overfeed and I have not added any new rock of late. My skimmer is functioning well. I also run 2 media reactors of 50% carbon and 50%GFO each. One change that I have made is that I have been adding phyto feast a couple nights per week for the pods and corals. I plan on adding another MP40 towards the front of the tank.