cyno algae

[cookie851]

Hi can anyone tell me a way of getting rid of cyno algae or at least that's what i think it is. its a purple blanket on parts of my rock, I syphon it out when i do a water change but it keeps coming back. I heard you can use a chemical but id rather not as ive also heard that can give you an ammonia spike.

thanks in advance

for some reason i cant upload photos

[downbeach]

I would take a more holistic approach to dealing with this problem. There are a number of conditions that will cause this problem, individually/collectively, and although one may be the overriding factor, I’d approach each one as a primary, or contributing factor. Starting with using good RO/DI water, if you’re not using it, you’ll be adding the needed nutrients every time you top off, and/or do a WC. Make sure your skimmer is in good working order.
Here is a good article worth reading:

http://www.wetwebmedia.com/bluegralgae.htm

The use of “Red Slime Removers”, can work in the short term, but if the issues that generated it are not resolved, it will simply keep reoccurring.
I don’t like using it, and would make every effort to solve the problem by other means, as noted in the attached article. I know of a couple circumstances where someone lost their system due to a sudden die off of the red slime algae(BGA) releasing toxins into the water.

[ZeeSparrow]

How long has the tank been set up?

[JammyBirch]

Turn the lights out is the way I dealt with it, took about 5 days.

[Dkuhlmann]

Cyano algae isn't really an algae it's a bacteria. This will run it's course and all you really need to do is continue to peel it off weekly and do your wc's, it will probably take a month or so for it to run its course. I agree with you that I didn't want to put any chemical in my tank. These chem's are safe but I'd rather not use it just the same.

[Sapelo]

Lots of things can help get rid of cyano. Increased circulation, good lighting (when was the last time you changed your bulbs if using?), a good CUC, GFO....
In my experience, it's seldom a one part fix and it takes time -- lots of time and patience. Good luck!

[rt67ghy]

A lot of good points have been made above. I'd like to add that if you have a sump which has enough space for an algae scrubber I would install one. Give it more light time-wise than you do in your DT and the algae/cyano will prefer to grow there instead. You could take it out every fortnight and remove the bad stuff thereby reducing the PO4 and nitrates in your system. Also,you could grow chaeto in your sump and it will help with the problem. Basically you need to find the right balance for your system. To begin with, you need to take out more PO4 and nitrates from your system than you're putting in through feeding. After that when you have reached the right levels of PO4 and NO3 that you desire for the health of your corals you keep everything stable.

[cookie851]

thanks for all the responses.

The tank has been running around 2 years. I was topping up with a high tds water (unknowingly) but have since remedied that. my cuc number have decreased a bit especially snails. My lights are 2 years old and they are the AI sol units, so they should be ok right?
Skimmer is pulling lots of crap out and as far as i can tell is working fine. I think the phosphates are high and am looking into running rowaphos or something similar.

So to recap
Get rowaphos or similar
Cheato for the sump
Buy more snails

Anything else?

[Dkuhlmann]

Yes, time to run it's course!

[CStrickland]

How much circulation do you have?
I've been lucky not to have a cyano problem (yet) and I think it's mostly cause I don't have any dead spots in my tank. You'll see some people that have it growing in high flow areas so it's obvi not a 100% thing, but for some it makes a big diff to tweak their powerheads around so that stuff isn't settling anywhere. Like if you look where it's growing, is it out of the flow? If I add up the gph for my powerheads I get 35 times my display volume, and I have them positioned just right. I just have a few pieces of shell with a tinge to them.

Also skimming wet, so that the production is like weak tea colored often helps. There's a thought that some nutrients are sort of lighter, and don't come out in a thick skimmate. But I don't have a skimmer so idk.

[Dkuhlmann]

The problem with cyano is it's a bacteria not an algae. The bacteria grows either in your rocks or sand and then it grows the visual red slime you see. Mine was mostly in my sand and now it's gone. Yes it was in a high flow area as well as a few spots close to my glass. IMO and IME there is no rhyme or reason for cyano, it just is! Let it do it's thing and remove it weekly which is easy to do. In the meantime wait for it to be gone.