Cyno cause idea?

[MizTanks]

My fuge is only 3gs and is where I add my top off water. Ro/di .0 TDS. Could this cause the cyno?

[Jim Z.]

Hi,

Your phosphate levels are high enough to sustain cyanobacteria growth. Because you are dealing with a tiny amount of phosphate, use some GFO in a mesh bag placed in your sump. Try 1 teaspoon of GFO to start and siphon out as much of the cyano when doing a water change. If the GFO is removing an adequate amount of phosphate, the cyanobacteria will not regenerate as quickly or may not grow back at all. Your RO water is in very good shape so the phosphate is coming in through food. I get blooms of bluegreen cyanos after feeding Rod's food......Jim Z.

[Manoj's Reef]

Hey Jamie,

Cyno is known to grow and sustain in high nutrient water. With that said. Many times I have seen cyno with low phosphate and 0 - low nitrate. Hence, I am not 100% sure the cause of cyno.

Many hobbiest also suggest that cyno forms in a low flow area. But I have had cyno multiple times in a high flow area

how ever I found these techniques to work

- Phosphate media to keep phosphate low
- run some carbon
- Keep feeding low
- Keep nitrates low
- red slime remove ( chemi clean)
- 48 hr dark cycle

[Flynnstone]

i agree with Manoj. i would start with a large water change. if you reduce lighting, make certain you have media in there to catch the bacteria as it dies off, otherwise you are adding more waste to the water column.
you might already know this, but never use the stuff called "Red Slime Remover", as the Cyno is a bacteria, and that medication will destroy not only that bacteria but other beneficial ones as well. that will result in a re-cycle of the tank.

[rmalone]

You only have it in fuge right? No chemiclean not worth it for the trouble you have. I wouldn't change the light over the tank since its not in the display, gfo yes, cut feeding yes.
And no I doubt top off water into the fuge could cause the problem.

[MizTanks]

Yup it's only in the fuge. Have thinned out the cheato. Did a 5g wc today. See if this makes sense. I'm using a pre-skimmer box to help keep the DT's water surface clean. Otherwise the surface holds an oily protein. So the water being removed from the DT is mainly surface water. I am using a nano skimmer (not happy with it either) which is placed in the fuge.

What I'm thinking is that the protein being skimmed off the water surface is to much for the skimmer and cheato to handle?

[dlhirst]

Phosphates are the food for cyano according to everyone I've spoken to about this. That being said, phosphates regulary attach to proteins, so there could be an opportunity to dispose of some with a skimmer. The best choice, though, is irone oxide, as the other have suggested.

[MizTanks]

Ok so a po4'reactor it is :)

[binford4000]

I agree with most everything said.GFO and a fluidized reactor is my Favorite Po4 control along with water changes which is a dilution method.The problem with aquarium water versus ocean water is it is a contained volume of water.DSB are a proven method of nitrate and phosphate control also.The most common method of you intrudecing phosphate into your system is simply the undigested food we feed our fish and coral.Do you rinse your frozen foods?? I use to laugh about doing it but the more reading I do on the processes of industrial frozen foods for the hobby the more it makes sense.Getting rid of it is important but figureing why you keep getting it is the answer.You might want to try and eliminate one food source and see if it makes a diffrence or rinse and observe the fuge's reaction and then go from there.I have never had an issue with red slime remover,guess others have so it's your call.Consistant water changes with good R/O(which I know you have.Your welcome) and a quality skimmer is esential for phosphate control.I have Mrs Binfords tank on a continues water change cycle useing a doaser that changes 3% of her water and does the TO daily.Running GFO in the correct amount will only enhance water quality, so go for it! :thumbsup:

PS: BRS sell a nice unit for a cheap price that is easy to work on and comes with evrything you'll need except a pump.I also highly recomend BRS high capcity GFO Good luck

[MizTanks]

I do rinse my frozen always, I'm a big believer in it :) I'm beginning to think that when I crashed my fuge with the accidental Hyposalinity lazy dumb mistake. That it affected the SB and this is just a result from that. Last night I cleaned out as much of the slime as possible and lowered the timer from 8hrs to 6hrs. Also thinned the chaeto a bit more. As for a GFO reactor, it's going to have to wait for a bit longer. I've other priorities at the moment (Thank You Chuck) LOL.

[rmalone]

Im a big believer in only feeding frozen when you have critters that wont eat pellet or flake. Sure for a treat now and then is one thing but making frozens a regular diet thing just seems to be more trouble than it's worth. Miz you have seen some pics of my tangs and rbta's those critters get pellets and a few flakes (flakes because I like watching the fish chase them), and practically no frozen foods, they are doing well. Pellets are a more nutritionally complete food than any single frozen and easier to handle.

As to the cyano in your fuge, I am starting to think that is where you want a bit of cyano. Your fuge is doing it's designed job, aka keeping that crap out of the display. Keep in mind that we all have some cyano in our tanks, no way around that, its just a matter of keeping it from showing it'self in our displays. Your fuge is doing just that. You could look at that bit of cyano in your fuge as just another type of macro that is there to remove nutrients from your water to protect your display from blooms. Just wipe down the walls of the fuge now and then to get the junk out which is in effect removing nutrients from your tank, similar to harvesting some macro. I'm sure your better surface skimming is nutrient loading your fuge, good! Thats where you want the nutrients, then your fuge can go to work on them. All in all I think your fuge is doing what it's supposed to, protecting the display from nutrient laden water.

[MizTanks]

Im a big believer in only feeding frozen when you have critters that wont eat pellet or flake. Sure for a treat now and then is one thing but making frozens a regular diet thing just seems to be more trouble than it's worth. Miz you have seen some pics of my tangs and rbta's those critters get pellets and a few flakes (flakes because I like watching the fish chase them), and practically no frozen foods, they are doing well. Pellets are a more nutritionally complete food than any single frozen and easier to handle.

As to the cyano in your fuge, I am starting to think that is where you want a bit of cyano. Your fuge is doing it's designed job, aka keeping that crap out of the display. Keep in mind that we all have some cyano in our tanks, no way around that, its just a matter of keeping it from showing it'self in our displays. Your fuge is doing just that. You could look at that bit of cyano in your fuge as just another type of macro that is there to remove nutrients from your water to protect your display from blooms. Just wipe down the walls of the fuge now and then to get the junk out which is in effect removing nutrients from your tank, similar to harvesting some macro. I'm sure your better surface skimming is nutrient loading your fuge, good! Thats where you want the nutrients, then your fuge can go to work on them. All in all I think your fuge is doing what it's supposed to, protecting the display from nutrient laden water.

I'm not sure they make sinking pellets small enough for my fish. I do however spot feed pellets to my LPS.

Never looked at it as the fuge doing what it's supposed to be doing. Always thought where's there's cyno there's an issue. Even if it's in the fuge :)

Thanks rmalone :)

[rmalone]

Spectrum makes a micro sized pellet in the thera-a line that any tiny fish could eat. I would say they are about 1mm in diameter, not even, they are about the size of poppy seeds.