Help me kick cyno's a$$

[bamf25]

Title says it all. I have a 120g system, that has been up for 9 months. It contains 5 fish, and is a mixed reef. Everything in the tank appears to be doing well. I am getting cyno growth on my rocks (the stringy stuff) and browning to my sand. I have manually removed alot of the stringy stuff, and siphoned the sand at water changes. This gets things fairly clean. I am running cheato in my fuge, which is growing nicely, and I have been running carbon and gfo for about 3 weeks now. The growth has slowed way way down, but has not stopped. According to the Red Sea phosphate test, my phosphates are around 0.008. So I have not manage to get them to 0 yet (I know tests can be fickle). Any other suggestions?

[Peale]

You have nutrients coming from somewhere. I had cyano pretty bad in the last few months. I syphoned as much as I could, kept up with water changes, and started dosing Red Sea NOPOX. The stuff is amazing. It took a couple weeks, but the cyano started showing up less, turned brown, and is now 95% gone.

I totally recommend it!

[disc1]

If you want to save yourself some money, you can use vinegar or vodka instead.

[Psirex]

Pic?

[Psirex]

I battled a serious case of cyano (came with the tank) between water changes, increase filter media, lights outs a few times a month and some major help from chemi-clean. its at a manageable state right now see below:

IMG_2803a.jpg

IMG_2808a.jpg

to this

IMG_3039a.jpg

[alanbates12]

Phosphates of 0.008 will not cause a major cyano outbreak. I'd be careful trying to take your phosphates to 0 because your coral need a little phosphate for skeletal growth. What is your Nitrate level? Also what kind of flow do you have in the tank?

[alanbates12]

"Cyano" as it is commonly referred to is one or more species of cyanobatceria. It occurs commonly in almost 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.

[scarface70706]

you can always setup a reactor with gfo or bio pellets to rid the po4. im converting over from gfo to bio pellets since its cheaper in the long run and less messy.

[jimmy frag]

start on a vinegar program with peroxcide. i really works well

[jimrawr]

Surprised no one mentioned this but the Red Sea kits seem defective and almost always show .08 for PO4. You should try to find someone else who can test for you. Also try testing a few days in a row and you will see that .08 not change.

[alanbates12]

I would suggest finding the cause and fixing the problem. I've outlined the causes of cyano:
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

Also if your skimmer it not doing its job or removing undissolved organics it may be a cause or part of your issue.

Anything other than getting to the root of the problem is only going to result in more problems later. After you've learned the cause and got a handle on your situation then I"d try some other things if you like to tweak your system.

[reeftivo]

good husbandry

i.e.

routine WC's

siphoning the bed surface

basting the rock and sump bottoms

scheduled media changes

good bulbs (proper spectrum-not old!)

good flow (minimal dead spots)

don't overfeed

good skimming

stable perams

All will help keep cyano down.

I recently switched from biopellets back to kalk/vinegar dosing because of a bout with cyano and the cyano began to subside. After a couple weeks there is no sign of cyano anywhere. The pellets seemed to me to be creating a carbon pool in the display and with the drip, I believe it gives me more control.

Happy Reefing

Tivo

[alanbates12]

Originally Posted by reeftivo

good husbandry

i.e.

routine WC's

siphoning the bed surface

basting the rock and sump bottoms

scheduled media changes

good bulbs (proper spectrum-not old!)

good flow (minimal dead spots)

don't overfeed

good skimming

stable perams

All will help keep cyano down.

I recently switched from biopellets back to kalk/vinegar dosing because of a bout with cyano and the cyano began to subside. After a couple weeks there is no sign of cyano anywhere. The pellets seemed to me to be creating a carbon pool in the display and with the drip, I believe it gives me more control.

Happy Reefing

Tivo

In referance to your biopellets causing issues with cyano, your spot on. I can't explain it as well as Jeff Macray at Reef Dynamics. Just watch his video and you'll understand what I'm talking about. You may even be able to fix your reactor where it's not a problem. Basicly he has the water after it's passed through the reactor go directly into the intake of the skimmer. Let me know what you think. I'm considering his reactor myself. This is part 1 of 2.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sLhmI...feature=relmfu

[dvmsn]

Or you can just add erythromycin to your tank and watch it disappear within a day. That is the active ingredient in chemi-clean. If the stuff is brown and does not respond to EM, you probably have dinoflagellates which are a whole other matter and are the single most frustrating "algae" to deal with.

[reeftivo]

Originally Posted by alanbates12

In referance to your biopellets causing issues with cyano, your spot on. I can't explain it as well as Jeff Macray at Reef Dynamics. Just watch his video and you'll understand what I'm talking about. You may even be able to fix your reactor where it's not a problem. Basicly he has the water after it's passed through the reactor go directly into the intake of the skimmer. Let me know what you think. I'm considering his reactor myself. This is part 1 of 2.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sLhmI...feature=relmfu

thanks but my outlet to my reactor was right on the skimmer intake and still cyano thrived.

[alanbates12]

Originally Posted by reeftivo

thanks but my outlet to my reactor was right on the skimmer intake and still cyano thrived.

Thats good to know may have talked me out of it.

[alanbates12]

Originally Posted by dvmsn

Or you can just add erythromycin to your tank and watch it disappear within a day. That is the active ingredient in chemi-clean. If the stuff is brown and does not respond to EM, you probably have dinoflagellates which are a whole other matter and are the single most frustrating "algae" to deal with.

+1 this will rid your tank but it's not a cure.

[reeftivo]

erythromycin put my tank back through a mini cycle years back and I almost lost everything. I aerated well but my guess is that it killed off alot of the autotrophs and heterotrophic bacteria in addition to the cyano I had back then.

It's risky IMO but works for many so take that for what it's worth

another note; I checked out RD's reactor and it does look like it would function better than most out there because of the control one would have but it would need to be stealthier for me (Big unit). I wonder if he makes something smaller? May have to tinker with my aquamaxx later.

Thanks for the link and Happy Reefing

tivo

[brandon429]

alan I liked your list of some of the fringe control methods like temp I do agree warmer tanks are more pest growth prone and on that fringe of control id like to add salinity, higher salinity tanks tend to register a similar potential.

[alanbates12]

Originally Posted by brandon429

alan I liked your list of some of the fringe control methods like temp I do agree warmer tanks are more pest growth prone and on that fringe of control id like to add salinity, higher salinity tanks tend to register a similar potential.

Hey Brandon429. I remember reading something about salinity and cyano although I've surfed the internet and can't find any article. I even tried to search Randy Holms-Farly's archives about this matter. Could you post a link or direct me in the right direction to read some more on this