will cyano transfer to a new tank

Susan Edwards · Sep 7, 2021

I have a new tank arrive oct 6. If the cyano is on the rocks with corals that I move over to the new display and sump, will it also continue to be an issue there. Wondering if I should do a chemi clean first. Here are my concerns:

--Equipment on old tank starting to fail. If I stop the skimmer, not sure it will restart though I did get the airline working again. So I'd have to dose close to the transfer and not do a water change as the powerheads also do not restart (have to spin blades with a thin object)

--I want to use some old tank water to add to the new tank water. So planning to do a bunch of small water changes where I do not have to stop powerheads over the course of a week or2. LIke 5 gal at a time or something. And put a powerhead and pump in the old water. No heater needed in my house!

Will cyano be an issue? PO4= .05 No3=10-20

Using vibrant and microbacteria7 to keep algae gone (after horrid outbreak of byropsis and other algaes) and dosing nopox.

So far, the 2 new sps corals are doing great. Hammer is so so, duncan great, galaxea great (first sps/lps in a year to survive) Softies thriving as normal. I just need this tank to hang on until Oct 6th!

lapin · Sep 7, 2021

Cyano is everywhere. It can be in the air, water or on surfaces. Different strains can be a prob in some tanks. If you read some of the cyano posts you will find using chemiclean and other additives can work and might not work. I think it really depends on the tanks chemistry and strains as to why this happens.
Keep busy and Oct 6th will get here very soon *_#

Borat · Sep 7, 2021

When you "have cyano" - it's not because your tank is infected with it, it's because there are some fundamental issues with the tank chemistry that allow cyano to establish and become dominant.

Mr. Mojo Rising · Sep 7, 2021

cyano is not an algae, its a bacteria, bacteria is everywhere, so cyano will bloom whenever the conditions and nutrients are optimal. Uninteresting fact, it is one of the very first living bacteria's on this planet, it's billions of years old.

jim_fitz · Sep 7, 2021

it was also the first thing back after Chernobyl
i see it as part of the hobby unfortunately

LittleFidel · Sep 7, 2021

I have found that it will transfer over and either persist until parameters have changed, or die off slowly if the water is balanced. Often, my rocks are full of detritus that helps fuel the growth of cyano even after the rocks have been transferred to clean new salt water.

Seamore2001 · Sep 7, 2021

I have found that cyno appears when I let my nutrient levels get too high - i.e. I've overfed and haven't done water changes on schedule. I've also found that upping my water changes helps get levels back in shape and the cyno goes away. It's a good idea to jump on the problem as soon as the first patch of cyno appears. Think of it as a flashing signal telling you to check on tank conditions.

To answer your question - yes cyno bacteria will transfer with your rocks, but may not appear unless your nutrients are out of wack. As others have said, it's pretty much always around, but conditions have to be right for it to become visible.

brandon429 · Sep 7, 2021

Susan here u need to do a staggered sand addition

start your new tank bare bottom, run it a few weeks to ensure clean no cyano, being wo sand helps you battle it anyway if needed

when ready later date, add only tap rinsed sand as you’ve seen in our rinse threads. It will be cloudless and harmless to time it this way

Susan Edwards · Sep 7, 2021

thanks everyone. Usually chemi clean works in my tank but as it is not "bad" I'll continue to work with the nutrients and start doing a bunch of small water changes (that won't require shutting down equipment). I'll be saving the water so will have air and water movement going (and checking salinity over the month).

lion king · Sep 7, 2021

The biggest factor I've found in cyano is the imbalance between phosphate and nitrate, phosphates too high to low nitrates. Controlling your phosphates is a good place to start, examine your food, supplements, ect. Some rock has also been known to leach phosphates. The red light spectrum may also feed cyano, some have found lowering, even to zero, have provided relief.

Susan Edwards · Sep 7, 2021

lion king said:
The biggest factor I've found in cyano is the imbalance between phosphate and nitrate, phosphates too high to low nitrates. Controlling your phosphates is a good place to start, examine your food, supplements, ect. Some rock has also been known to leach phosphates. The red light spectrum may also feed cyano, some have found lowering, even to zero, have provided relief.

I can only control white or blue in lighting. only have whites at either 10 or 15 percent.
po4 is .05 but no3 is at 10-20 so that is not balanced. Working on getting nitrates to 5-10.