I respect everyones calls to "Fix the problem first"
well i did and its still there. My cyano came from me not changing my RO filters which caused a nitrate spike and gave me this cyano.
changed filters no i test all RO water that goes into my tank. which reads 0ppm with a TDS meter.
I always run GFO and carbon. The gfo was changed less than a month ago or so. I've been using 0 TDS RO water for more than a month now, and have done 2 water changes with it.
My water changes consist of 10g's on a roughly 110g system. i've always done it this way and my tank grew fine and ran smoothly.
My light cycle from 12:30-9:30 i have 4 bulbs on from 1:30-8:30 i have 8 bulbs on. T5 that is.
Bulbs are a month old or so.
I feed once a day, and only enough for the fish to get enough to be satisfied.
nothing changed from this has been how i've always done things since day one of the tank, never had an algae issue/cyano issue. Than bad RO filters and now i have it.
i resorted to using the mycin, it has killed some of it off, but there is still some left.
I felt like i was doing what i could do to cut down on any phosphates and nitrates, there was never any change in the cyano. so i tried vodka dosing to see if i could cut back on anymore, ya know give the cyano something to compete with for nutrients. vodka dosing had no impact, didn't increase the cyano and didn't decrease.
its just there. a few patches on the rocks, not a total outbreak. but i know its there and it bugs me.
if anyone is curious about my tank and what equipment i have please see my build thread.
t every reef tank at some point, and is caused or encouraged by a number of reasons including:
Available nutrients - Especially phosphates and iron in this case.
Low flow/Dead Zone - Cyano prefers growing in low flow areas.
Warmer Water - Cyano tends to grow faster in warmer water than in cooler water
Low Alkalinity- While not a cause, higher alkalinity tends to discourage cyano growth.
Possible "contaminated" water source like tap water, that has nutrients fueling the outbreak
Manual Removal: Wipe glass with mag float, light toothbrush hardier corals and the rocks. Cyano on the sand can sometimes be pulled off as a mat and discarded. You should use a net or a siphon to remove the cyano dislodged by the toothbrush. Don't be discouraged if it comes right back, cyano grows fast and is extremely efficient at consuming nutrients.On the bright side, it should die off once nutrients are managed.
Increase water changes to 30% a week with a high quality water source, such as distilled or RO/DI water. Be aggressive about removing any rotting organics in your tank that may be contributing to its growth.
Starving it out : Use a phosban reactor, or granulated ferric oxide to remove excess phosphates in the system. Check to make sure you are not feeding any foods that are particularly phosphate rich. Almost all foods when converted by animals will add to the tank's phosphates levels, but prepared foods like seasoned nori and low quality fish meals tend to be higher in phosphates than other foods. Liquefied foods tend to have more waste than others, plankton cultures that haven't matured can lead to blooms as well. Such feedings should be suspended or stopped if possible until the outbreak is under control.
Chaeto and other macroalgae will help maintain parameters to keep cyano from forming, but because cyano is an epiphyte, (can grow on other life forms), it may starve your desirable algae from light. During an outbreak make sure to keep you macro clean so it can receive light and survive the ordeal.Chemical products exist to remove it, make sure to take into account for possible hypoxia issues.
Parts from ramblings/observations i've jotted down at some point......I hope it helps
Dissloved Organic Carbon compounds (DOC) are in excess most likely. As with most, water quality through skimming, feeding and lighting are a given. Manual removing is a must and ample current (the more the better) is advised.
Their is some discussion about carbon (active or passive) in the tank lowering DOC thus starving cyano. While I recommend carbon as a matter of course I can not corroborate the carbon/DOC statement. Cyano is not an algae/bacteria I have had to deal with to any degree....*knocks wood*. I have used the occasional sighting of cyano as a reminder to change the carbon in my system only to have it disappear within a couple of days after the change.
Increased oxygen in the water may help slow the growth.
Their are several snails and crabs available from vendors that may help with small patches.
Cyano and dino not only sound alike they can be very similar in appearance. If you are dealing with one it is worthwhile to learn about both for that reason.
As has been mentioned...I also prescribe to the WHY then the HOW....as in first learning why I have it and second how do I get rid of it. When you know the why you can avoid it so it doesn't happen again. (I used to take aspirin for my headaches but later learned that if I just quit hitting myself in the head with a hammer I don't need the aspirin.)
From the moment your water comes out of your RO/DI unit and it reads zero on your TDS meter, when it can best be described as simply being "wet", nearly everything you do from that point forward may/does add nutrients back into your system. From the container you store it in to putting your hands in the tank to move that new frag to a different position you may be fueling a BAB!
My biggest problem with excess nutrients comes from overfeeding. Remember even though your fish eat all the food you put in the tank in a matter of minutes look at it as importing nourishment to your fish at the north end (mouth) and importing nutrients to the tank at the south end (You follow..right? Your fishes export is your tanks import...)
It may be a combination of several factors causing the problem. I like to think back to when the problem started and decide what if anything I am doing different than I did before the bad algae bloom appeared. I monitor feeding, lighting, skimming and water quality closely for signs of the culprit....
Good luck..........chuck
I simply can't trust people that don't like bacon,
Andy shamed me for my myacin endorsing response in Post #4. So I will add, that doing this won't fix the underlying problem and in fact depending on what it is, could make it worse since you will be turning your skimmer off and potentially increasing the load on your tank (due to killing off gram negative bacteria).
If you elect to use any of these products start off with very low doses and only increase the amount you put in your tank till you see the cyano disappear (after a few hours). It is easier to add more than take it back once it is in your system.
Apparently you are talking about me. I apologize if my comments were taken as degrading. I guess I was just shocked at how many people endorse dosing drugs in a reef tank as a means of fixing a cyano problem. In most cases the "quick fix" solution only leads to further problems and I don't wish to see anyone having problems in their tanks.
Originally Posted by EMUreef
i appreciate the well thought out answers that actually help provide an answer instead of degrading the person trying to figure out whats wrong.
Apparently you are talking about me. I apologize if my comments were taken as degrading. I guess I was just shocked at how many people endorse dosing drugs in a reef tank as a means of fixing a cyano problem. In most cases the "quick fix" solution only leads to further problems and I don't wish to see anyone having problems in their tanks.
Actually andy i wasn't talking about you, i was talking about other forums in general, your asking the general questions and give the general this is how you should approach it. Please understand what i wrote wasn't aimed at you at all. I appreciate what everyone has contributed to this thread.
I would not normally recommend using maracyn at every little out break, but when you have done everything you can, or have read, and its reocuring, I still have to recomend using this product, or when its covering your corals, and starving them out/killing them I will also recomend this product. When the nasty slime becomes detrimental to your corals, or just wont go away, somtimes quick action is needed, and finding the issue or source can be found later.
The cyno is always in your tank, even though you cant see it. I agree- try to find the source of the issue- but once its got a hold in your tank, it can be very hard and take a really long time to get rid of.....even though there is a commonly safe way to get rid of it easily and effectively- maracyn. I have read that cyno can and does carry out photosynthsis. They need no additional nutrition to live. Once it takes hold....it can be a very long drawn out process, and doesnt need to be.
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Originally Posted by EMUreef
