Really getting tired of looking at this cyano

[Rpc07]

I know my tank is still young and it's normal for it to go through its unholy stages but at what point do I stop letting the tank work things out on its own and take action?

 

 

I've been doing 5 gallon water changes 2 times a week and within hours of manually removing everything it's back in full force.

 

Ammonia 0

Nitrite 0

Nitrate 0-5ppm

Salinity 1.025

Ph 8.0

Alk 9

Calcium 360-380

 

I think I need to get a higher quality phosphate test. My Api test was t reading 0 but it wasn't as dark colored as .25 either.

 

I just started making my own ro/di water about 3 water changes ago. Before that I was using ro from my lfs at 17 tds.

 

I run an aquatic life skimmer in chamber 1 ( still breaking in )

Chamber 2 has Intank basket with floss, purigen and matrix media and a reactor running brs Carbon/gfo.

 

Chamber 3 just has the return pump, ato sensor and top off line.

[Cencalfishguy56]

I know my tank is still young and working and it's normal for it to go through its unholy stages but at what point do I stop letting the tank work things out on its own and take action?

 

You can probably try chemiclean just my 2 cents

[Newstead]

+1 above - or try Microbacter7 for a week, then throw a packet of Algone in the media basket. Cleared up my cyano at the 4 month mark on my tank in 5 days, and haven't had any since. Remove the Algone after 5 to 7 days.

[Rpc07]

I'll look into running those. I just edited the main post with my parameters and equipment. Should I stop running the carbon/gfo reactor when I use the chemiclean or microbacter7 ?

[Rpc07]

Quick google search shows chemiclean and microbacter7 are 2 pretty different products. Which should I try first? Or since they are so different can I run them at the same time?

[Newstead]

I would guess you could do Microbacter7 with either (but I wouldn't do chemiclean plus Algone)- it is a good bacterial booster. If you us the chemiclean I think I would use the Microbacter7 after the treatment, not before. You would be trying to boost the good bacteria to outcompete the bad (cyano).

[Cencalfishguy56]

I would guess you could do Microbacter7 with either (but I wouldn't do chemiclean plus Algone)- it is a good bacterial booster. If you us the chemiclean I think I would use the Microbacter7 after the treatment, not before. You would be trying to boost the good bacteria to outcompete the bad (cyano).

Yup +1 to this

[Psychosis]

Chemiclean is always a last resort in my mind, I was fighting thick sheets of cyano for the better part of a year before I caved. That said, it certainly works, but I'd go with the microbacter7 first

[Newstead]

The Microbacter7 plus Algone worked wonders ... from reading, I think the Algone has an algae inhibitor plus something like the popular carbon dosing - it feels and looks like barley, seems to work best when used after dosing a good bacteria. Interesting history on barley use to inhibit algae.

[Rpc07]

So if I were to run a cycle of chemiclean and then microbacter7. Would I still follow it up with Algone?

[Newstead]

I have not used chemiclean, but if it gets rid of the cyano, I wouldn't bother with the Algone, just use Microbacter7 or something similar to boost your good bacteria. I just tried it first and it worked for me, so avoided having to use anything else. I do still add a dose of M7 every water change, just because. JMO.

[Rpc07]

I have not used chemiclean, but if it gets rid of the cyano, I wouldn't bother with the Algone, just use Microbacter7 or something similar to boost your good bacteria. I just tried it first and it worked for me, so avoided having to use anything else. I do still add a dose of M7 every water change, just because. JMO.

 

I may try this route before chemiclean. Seems like the less toxic route. Did you run Algone the entire time you dosed M7? Or did you let M7 run its course and then put the Algone in?

 

Thanks for all the help guys. It's really appreciated

[Newstead]

I dosed M7 for a week, then put in 1 packet of Algone. Cyano was gone, just some brown dust left on the sand, after 5 days. I think I pulled the packet out a day later. This was in a biocube 29. Then I started adding the M7 again.

Edit: checked my tank journal - added the Algone on 8/20, noted cyano gone on 8/24, took Algone out 8/25. I also added Phosguard afterwards. I run high (20) nitrates in that tank due to heavy daily feedings of a sun coral, but haven't had cyano since.

[Houdini]

I just got over a red cyno attack. I used a 25% WC everyday or as often as my schedule allowed. The red cyno takes out excess nutrients so typically you would have spectacularly pristine readings during an outbreak. During water changes I siphoned out as much of the red cyno as possible. Like you it would come back. Frankly I did not view that as a bad thing since the cyno was taking out the silicate spike and whatever else it loves. What I watch for is the recovery time and coverage of the recovery. If it's bad it will keep spreading but at some point it just barely recovers. The slowing of recovery indicates you are getting rid of the bad nutrients. Once I got to a point where the cyno was having difficulty recovering I added the Chemiclean to finish it off. The first dose finished it off but I applied a second dose anyway.

 

Now I am monitoring my parameters and changing water as necessary. I know no one wants to hear it but its best to let the cyano do its job of eliminating as much of the bad nutrients as possible. It's actually quite good at its job. You kill it when it close to be done with its work as indicated by recovery. Again it sucks but frequent WC's are best until it removes the bad stuff. If you treat it to early it will be harder to identify and fix the problem. I prefer Chemiclean because I have not seen any adverse impacts on anything I care about. Typically I only get a cyno attack once in a tank. Once I use the protocol above I never have another problem with Cyano in that tank. It's probably all about the silicates so why not let the cyano take it out.

[Rpc07]

Houdini, if I were to run microbacter7 wouldn't that just make the process move along a little quicker? I'm just doing some reading about these products before I add them to my tank. I don think I'll go the chemiclean route just yet.

[Houdini]

Microbacter7 could be used as part of the process of reducing available food sources aiding in the starvation process. I am just saying that once you see significant signs that the cyano is not recovering as quickly you will ultimately have to use some form of chemical treatment. I do happen to like Chemiclean as a lesser of evils. Cyano bacteria is a really interesting life form and is largly responsible for life as we know it and our blue skies. There is a really interesting book all reefers could benefit from by reading titled

 

"Sex, Drugs, and Sea Slime: The Oceans' Oddest Creatures and Why They Matter"

 

It will at least give you some appreciation of this obnoxious little life form.

[Rpc07]

When you ran the chemiclean did you run an air stone like they suggest?

[TFish77]

I just want to offer my two cents as this is strictly an opinion. I think you may actually be doing too much. I skimmed through this thread and saw that your were running a skimmer, purigen, carbon, gfo, etc, etc. I wasn't able to find how old your tank was but if I was you I would pull all of that out.

 

I'm also a big proponent of water changes as a means of filtration but two large ones a week even seems like too much for me, especially with the tank being "new" (I don't know exactly how old it is). If you have a build thread made please link it so I can get a little more information about your setup. If not post as much updated information as you can and we shall solve this problem!

 

Nobody likes cyano!

[Houdini]

Absolutely I ran an airstone (I got a little aPUMP off Amazon that is abolutely the quietest thing on the face of the earth). A skimmer would add air but it will go absolutely crazy if left operational. If you don't add air you might deplete oxygen levels as the cyano dies off. To me it looks like it just melts away (like the Wicked Witch of Wizard of OZ just melted away). Remove all the filtering media except some filter floss or similar mechanical filtration. Make sure you do at least a 20% WC 48 to 72 hours after dosing and before reinstalling filtering media. Previous poster brings up a good point, more info might provide more technicolor as to the root cause and aid in understanding what is going on. Personally I am not as concerned about the number or volume of water changes (again lesser of evil choices) so long as salinity and temp are close matches. When cyano is growing something that is entering the water column is causing it. I did notice going through your thread that the cyano look to be patchy on the sand. That may just be how it comes through in the picture, but it might also indicate the nutrient source is coming from the sand (just a thought).

 

Cyano is a naturally occuring organism that lives throughout the earth.

[HuyHa114]

I would just suck up any sand that has cyano and feed the tank less. Since I only have 1 fish I only feed 1 pellet to that fish per day. No extra food is wasted and the cyano died out eventually. I dont have any cyano or algae issues for like 9 months.

[Rpc07]

I don't have a build thread. It's a 29g biocube.

 

The tank is 3 months old and was started with ro water from my lfs which I found out later had 17-20 tds. I've been using tropic Marin salt. I've been currently making my own ro/di water for the past 3 water changes.

The skimmer is still new to the tank and breaking in. I've done weekly 5 gallon water changes from the start.

 

I never had any other algae outbreak (I know cyano is bacterial) except for the normal diatom bloom.

 

What other info are you guys looking for? I'm happy to supply any info needed and appreciate all the help.

[Houdini]

I think you are at a point to consider the chemiclean. If you want to try one more easy thing replace you purgen with phosgard for a couple of weeks and see if it can outcompete the cyano in capturing phosphates and keep removing the cyano. I'm thinking you are doing the right things especially making your own Rodi if tds at lfs is that high.

[Houdini]

Here is a pic (I hope) of my tank after chemiclean treatment. No cyano anywhere. My tank is 4 plus years old and it never had cyano. In my case life happened over the holidays and maintenance slipped to much.

[Rpc07]

Here is a pic (I hope) of my tank after chemiclean treatment. No cyano anywhere. My tank is 4 plus years old and it never had cyano. In my case life happened over the holidays and maintenance slipped to much. image.jpg

Looks awesome. Side note question cyano aside is there any chance I can reverse the green algae on my rocks. I much prefer the white look of the rock.

 

I picked up microbacter7 at my lfs and will start dosing the tank with that after my water change tomorrow. I don't want to change too many things at once so if the M7 doesn't show positive results in a week or 2 I will give phosguard a shot.

[Houdini]

Well the chemiclean kills cyano but little else. The green will still be there. As a matter of fact you may find with cyano no longer out competing green algae it may strart growing unless you control nutrients. Cyano is a nitrogen modifier. Take its phosphates away and it can't fuel its growth with nitrates. Phosphates is the chemical catalyst and light supplies the energy to support the nitrogen modification. That is also why some folks suggest total darkness as one course of treatment. At least that's how I understand it.