We have Cyano too...

Salt1972 · Feb 20, 2018

Last week, we noticed some red/rust colored stuff covering rocks and stringy algae on the sand bed. It's easily removed with a syringe or light brush. Our LPS corals seem pretty unhappy about it. I've read many threads on cyano here, but still seem confused about methods to combat the red stuff-- and yellow blotches.

Our tank is a 125g mixed reef with good flow. 8x+ return pump + (2)Jebao PP8 + ~350gph through separate refugium. (4) Kessil 360W + (1)H80 (refugium).

Parameters:
1.025 Salinity (Reef Crystals)
77.8deg
3ppm NO3
.12 PO4
8.1dKH
490ppm Ca
1400 Mag

We have a BRS 4 stage RO/DI system. The TDS meter just started saying 1 TDS. The color changing resin has about 1.5 inches changed.

We have a refugium with chaeto & caleurpa for nutrient export. It was slow growing until we dosed iron via a Fergon tablet dissolved in RO/DI water (per Randy). The increased growth took NO3 from 12 down to 3, but the PO4 remains. We're trying to wait it out to see if PO4 follows. We'd rather not run GFO.

We've heard:

Do water changes (30g every other day for 10 days)
Don't do water changes
Dose vinegar
Don't dose vinegar
Chemiclean - maybe, but we're pretty natural / hands off on our methods.
Dose H202 - see above
Dose bleach... really?
Dose nitrates
Reduce nitrates
Dose phosphates
Reduce phosphates

Who's right? I'm half tempted to maintain stirring, brushing, and filtering in hopes that it resolves itself. In the interim, our LPS is upset and the SPS frags have a tangle of stringy algae that we syringe off everyday.

We work hard to maintain our system with stable / target parameters. Our local advisor fussed at us for dosing iron saying that was what threw our system off, but... I don't know. Thanks for any help!

saltyfilmfolks · Feb 20, 2018

May we see it with white light? The flash is fine.

What are you feeding the tank. Coral food?
Frozen foods?

Lower numbers can help. Sometimes.
Peroxide can help , sometimes.
Bleach, that’s just nuts.
Chemiclean, yea, it works.
N/P blancing is IMO , Incorrect as an approach ,however , limitation of one or the other can cause problembs.

Don’t dose vinegar , yet, it’ll feed the cyano, it’ll lower nutrients eventually.

I kept stirring bruishing and such and it works. I also reccomend adding bottled Bactria (dr Tim’s fan) to compete and replace the cyano.

Also consider your ph.

I would def reccomend changing the rodi. Just last month, I noticed the bubble alge got bad and I finally had hair algae. Then noticed I had 1 tds and the resin was changing.

Salt1972 · Feb 20, 2018

Thanks for your response Salty. Please see my responses within your post below.

saltyfilmfolks said:
May we see it with white light? The flash is fine.

What are you feeding the tank. Coral food?
Freeze Dried Mysis 1x daily (small pinch in auto feeder)
Hikari Pellets 1x daily (small pinch in auto feeder)
2x weekly - 1 cube of PE Mysis & 1 cube of Reef Frenzy & 1 sheet or Nori or Red Sea Weed & Reef Chili
Frozen foods?

Lower numbers can help. Sometimes.
Peroxide can help , sometimes.
Bleach, that’s just nuts.
Chemiclean, yea, it works.
N/P blancing is IMO , Incorrect as an approach ,however , limitation of one or the other can cause problembs.

Don’t dose vinegar , yet, it’ll feed the cyano, it’ll lower nutrients eventually.

I kept stirring bruishing and such and it works. I also reccomend adding bottled Bactria (dr Tim’s fan) to compete and replace the cyano.
Seems reasonable and a natural approach.

Also consider your ph.
We monitor and test on a weekly basis for Alk, Ca, Mag, NO3, PO4... but we don't have a pH test.

I would def reccomend changing the rodi. Just last month, I noticed the bubble alge got bad and I finally had hair algae. Then noticed I had 1 tds and the resin was changing.
I have the cartridges and resin in stock. Will change before adding any more RO/DI.