Hey i have a problem with cyanobacteria in my 30 gal tank. I was told it was could be caused from low flow, high lighting, overfeeding, whcih would cause high nitriates and phosphates. Aslo patches of hair algea starting to grow.

I have been doing my 4 gal water changes every week. But since this problem had started. I did 2 8 gal water changes. I was told that was too much water being changed at 1 time. But i have noticed a difference with the cyanobacteria slowly thinning out.

Well I am not sure if the lighting had anything to due with it, let alone the low flow issue. Cuase, I always had low to medium flow in my tank and never had this issue before. So I am leaning towards maybe i had over fed and didn't do my water change sooner.

Any ideas.

Now Iwas told to use this product called, chemi-clean. Has anyone use this before.
From what i have read, this chemi-clean could kill all the good bacteria and other good things in the tank as well.


Thanks for ya time
Mark

i traced my algae/cyano problems back to high phosphates. have you measured it recently? do you use ro/di water for changes/topoff? tap can have phosphates in it.

changes i did are reducing feeding and adding chemipure elite to my hob filter to remove any phosphates.

chachi

If the cyanobacteria was thinning out with 8gal water changes, keep doing them. As long as the salinity and temperature of the new saltwater match that of the tank water it shouldn't cause you any problems. Higher flow always helps as well. If that doesn't work, I've had nothing but good experiences with chemiclean.

chemipure elite is great stuff!

I strongly believe it's my phosphates are up. I didn't test for it cuz i forgot to before I did my water change. I have been using for top offs is distilled water. Is that safe enough, i use it cuz distilled don't cost me a thing.
I did cut back on the mounts of food. So i am good in that area, well so far.
Right now i do have phos-zorb in my fiiter.



I do keep the slinity and the temp the same as my tank.
I did put back in the front of my tank the powerhead i had there before. So far with the amounts of water cahnces I been doing, placing the powerhead back in and using the phos-zorb, the cyano is thinning out.
By what you all are telling me, looks like i am on the right path to kill this problem.

Thanks for all the info.
I'll update this matter of how i am doing with it.
Mark-

About an hour ago, i did a test for the following.
Nitrite 0
Nitrate 0
Ph high 8.2
Ammonia 0
Phosphates 0
Salinity 1.026
temp 80

My tank is looking good on the parameters. Still have the cyanobacteria going on.
guess I'm gonna have to get me some chemiclean from the lfs.

I had to use chemiclean twice in my 24g to get rid of it; it hasn't been back since.

^you said you have used chemiclean twice, right. How far aprt did you use it.

even if your testing zero on nitrates and phosphates they could still be the culprit, the algae could be using it up before it reaches your test kit. Keep up your water changes if that is making it better. If you WC water matches your tank water (i.e. pH, temp, salinity) then you cant over do it, a 100% WC wouldn't even hurt it done correctly. For the long run think of adding some macro algae like cheato as a nute exporter. It sounds like you are on the right track, don't over feed and make sure you have enough flow.

^I am thinking the same thing of you saying the algea is using it up. Cuase now i have more cyano than i had the day before. One thing i have noticed. After i do a water change, like a day or 2 later the cyano thins out. But, closer i gat to do my weekly change the the cyano is back to being thick.
So that is why I am going to get some chemiclean. unless you think I should just give it more time to clear up.

i would always suggest straying away from a chem fix. Address the cause and you will do better in the long run.

Agreeing with this, especially the chaeto part. Might take a while, but it should out-compete the cyano and other nuisance algae for nutrients.

Another "quick" fix, especially if you don't have alot of corals, is to do a blackout, or at the very least reduce the photoperiod significantly for several days.

I have had good results after reading the 4 issues of Reef Notes by Sprung where he insists that kalkwasser dosing (helps with phos precipitation/alk/calcium/ph contorl) and less water changes thoughout the books are the best way to deal with cyano. Seems to work though it can take time (natural cycle) but he states that it will not happen overnnight and that is OK as long as it is not harming any corals (choking them out). You can get a turkey baster and blow the cyano off and allow it to collect into a tight woven poly mesh in an overflow or something and change it out often.
Got mine under control doing this.