Newbie in need of advice

LadyV · 08/15/2018, 06:43 PM

Hey all, Teresa here, I’m new to the reefkeeping scene and am in need of some pointers, advice, otherwise known as HELP. Started up my aquarium in Jan (great Christmas gift) and truthfully I am having a blast. I love this hobby. I’m a retired RN by trade and so a lil obsessive about cleanliness in my tank. Things have been going great thus far and I have learned a lot by reading and researching. My tank has been going through all the normal stuff a beginner tank goes thru to include the dreaded Cyanobacteria stage. In fact I’ve been dealing with this bugger since mid June. I’ve treated with Chemiclean 5x so far. The first time was great, every subsequent treatment seemed to be less effective. The last treatment nothing....now mind you I have folowed the directions to the letter has advised by all so I don’t think that is the issue. At this point the only thing I can find is maybe I’m doing too much treatment and massive water changes. My water parameters have always been really good for a beginner tank. I’m at a loss, what is the problem and why the cyano won’t move on. Oh yeah feeding is one my sis cube daily with spirulina pellets

Sal. 1.026, temp 78, pH 8.4, NO2 0, NH3 0,Alk 8.9, NO3 5ppm, phos 0.00 Hanna checker, Ca+ 400

Critters
Diamond goby
Hawkfish
2 chromis
Midas blenny
Lawnmower blenny
Fairy wrasse
3 firefish
Yellow tang
2 clownfish
Scooter blenny
3 turbo snails
4 hermit crabs
2 tiger conchs

Corals - pulsing Xenia, frogspawn, brain coral, 2 Duncan’s, blue cespitularia,Pom Pom Xenia, green acropora, flowerpot, torch, green star polyp

Tank info-Jan 2018 started my Red Sea Reefer 425 XL. 112 gal mixed reef, 90 gal sump, red octopus protein skimmer, dual reactor gfo and carbon, hydra 26 lighting system, Vortec MP40 wavemaker

Uncle99 · 08/15/2018, 07:01 PM

What's the TDS of water being made?

LadyV · 08/15/2018, 07:38 PM

What's the TDS of water being made?

Thanks for asking. I forgot to mention I make my own water using the BRS 6stage RO/DI and HW Marine Salt.

lapin · 08/15/2018, 08:04 PM

Hi and welcome
I think what you have done is rid your tank of any cyano that chemclean kills. You now have a chemclean resistant strain. You have also killed off any organisms that would compete with the cyano for nutrients. Normally it goes away on its own when other algaes take over. I would stop adding chemicals. I notice your po4 is 0. Things need it to grow. I would stop with the GFO or reduce the amount in the reactor and see if the po4 goes up. If you have some way of growing a macro algae like chaeto in the sump or fuge. This would compete for nutrients and maybe your cyano will go away. In the mean time siphoning it out when doing water changes is what I would do.

mcgyvr · 08/16/2018, 04:45 AM

Stop chemiclean.. Stop GFO... Stop obsessive cleaning.
Siphon out as much of the cyano as you can with water changes (20% every 2 weeks)..
Turn lights off for 3 days at a time every other week..

Let tank recover from the over treatment..

Status report in a month

BruceWayne · 08/16/2018, 06:23 AM

Agree stop chemi clean, will get rid of the problem temporarily but if you don’t get to the real problem it will be a bandaid fix great advice Mcgyvr

rvareef · 08/16/2018, 08:44 AM

chemiclean 5 times!?!? might have super cyano now from using too much antibiotics

hkgar · 08/16/2018, 02:22 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by mcgyvr

Stop chemiclean.. Stop GFO... Stop obsessive cleaning.
Siphon out as much of the cyano as you can with water changes (20% every 2 weeks)..
Turn lights off for 3 days at a time every other week..

Let tank recover from the over treatment..

Status report in a month

+1
When I have done
3 day lights out I actually go black out and wrap the tank to shield all light.

Nothing suffers and the Cyano is gone.

LadyV · 08/16/2018, 03:55 PM

Thanks for the great advice you guys I will follow your guidance and report back in a month. Appreciate it.

08/15/2018, 06:43 PM	#1
LadyV Registered Member Join Date: Dec 2017 Location: San Antonio, Texas Posts: 3	Newbie in need of advice Hey all, Teresa here, I’m new to the reefkeeping scene and am in need of some pointers, advice, otherwise known as HELP. Started up my aquarium in Jan (great Christmas gift) and truthfully I am having a blast. I love this hobby. I’m a retired RN by trade and so a lil obsessive about cleanliness in my tank. Things have been going great thus far and I have learned a lot by reading and researching. My tank has been going through all the normal stuff a beginner tank goes thru to include the dreaded Cyanobacteria stage. In fact I’ve been dealing with this bugger since mid June. I’ve treated with Chemiclean 5x so far. The first time was great, every subsequent treatment seemed to be less effective. The last treatment nothing....now mind you I have folowed the directions to the letter has advised by all so I don’t think that is the issue. At this point the only thing I can find is maybe I’m doing too much treatment and massive water changes. My water parameters have always been really good for a beginner tank. I’m at a loss, what is the problem and why the cyano won’t move on. Oh yeah feeding is one my sis cube daily with spirulina pellets Sal. 1.026, temp 78, pH 8.4, NO2 0, NH3 0,Alk 8.9, NO3 5ppm, phos 0.00 Hanna checker, Ca+ 400 Critters Diamond goby Hawkfish 2 chromis Midas blenny Lawnmower blenny Fairy wrasse 3 firefish Yellow tang 2 clownfish Scooter blenny 3 turbo snails 4 hermit crabs 2 tiger conchs Corals - pulsing Xenia, frogspawn, brain coral, 2 Duncan’s, blue cespitularia,Pom Pom Xenia, green acropora, flowerpot, torch, green star polyp Tank info-Jan 2018 started my Red Sea Reefer 425 XL. 112 gal mixed reef, 90 gal sump, red octopus protein skimmer, dual reactor gfo and carbon, hydra 26 lighting system, Vortec MP40 wavemaker

08/15/2018, 08:04 PM	#4
lapin Registered Member Join Date: Aug 2017 Location: Austin Posts: 801	Hi and welcome I think what you have done is rid your tank of any cyano that chemclean kills. You now have a chemclean resistant strain. You have also killed off any organisms that would compete with the cyano for nutrients. Normally it goes away on its own when other algaes take over. I would stop adding chemicals. I notice your po4 is 0. Things need it to grow. I would stop with the GFO or reduce the amount in the reactor and see if the po4 goes up. If you have some way of growing a macro algae like chaeto in the sump or fuge. This would compete for nutrients and maybe your cyano will go away. In the mean time siphoning it out when doing water changes is what I would do. __________________ Tank sizes, 2-10's a 55 and one that's about 500gal Current Tank Info: Interior decorating happening Last edited by lapin; 08/15/2018 at 08:13 PM.

08/16/2018, 04:45 AM	#5
mcgyvr Registered Member Join Date: Sep 2003 Location: North Carolina Posts: 20,050	Stop chemiclean.. Stop GFO... Stop obsessive cleaning. Siphon out as much of the cyano as you can with water changes (20% every 2 weeks).. Turn lights off for 3 days at a time every other week.. Let tank recover from the over treatment.. Status report in a month __________________ Who me?

08/15/2018, 07:01 PM	#2
Uncle99 Crab Free Zone Join Date: Sep 2017 Location: Ontario, Canada Posts: 2,906	What's the TDS of water being made?

08/15/2018, 07:38 PM	#3
LadyV Registered Member Join Date: Dec 2017 Location: San Antonio, Texas Posts: 3	What's the TDS of water being made? Thanks for asking. I forgot to mention I make my own water using the BRS 6stage RO/DI and HW Marine Salt.

08/16/2018, 06:23 AM	#6
BruceWayne Registered Member Join Date: Feb 2016 Posts: 8	Agree stop chemi clean, will get rid of the problem temporarily but if you don’t get to the real problem it will be a bandaid fix great advice Mcgyvr

08/16/2018, 08:44 AM	#7
rvareef In Memoriam Join Date: Jun 2014 Posts: 664	chemiclean 5 times!?!? might have super cyano now from using too much antibiotics

08/16/2018, 03:55 PM	#9
LadyV Registered Member Join Date: Dec 2017 Location: San Antonio, Texas Posts: 3	Thanks for the great advice you guys I will follow your guidance and report back in a month. Appreciate it.