Cyano Revisited

[amnestia]

Has anyone tried algaefix yet?!

[IronSnake]

I just started my fight with cyano. It's early, but bubbles on the strands everywhere. I never had this issue ever since I switched to a barebottom tank and started to run carbon 24x7. However, recently I started to dose my tank with amino acids (Kent). Another coincidence is that I also read someone in this thread about cyano coinciding with temperature rising due to the furnace. It's around this time when spring is making my room warmer than usual as well. Finally, the place where cyano is taking over, is the place where has the most turbulent flow (return exit + MP10). The lowest flow area, nothing!

 

I'm going to follow the suggestion to siphon it out as much as I can before and after treating it with RSR, then run fresh carbon after multiple water changes. Lower the temp from 79F to 78F, and stopping amino acid supplements for now to see if that was the cause. Wish me luck.

 

Round 1: Cyano 1, IronSnake 0.

 

I cleaned my tank in its entirety to make sure no dead algae/snails. Did 1 treatment of RSR without light + skimmer (for 48-hrs). Siphoned every cyano strand I could see, and scrubbed as many rocks as I could get out. After the treatment, did 30% water change and running Fluval 305 full of carbon on a 42G tank (overkill) + skimmer.

 

Well, cyano is back on Day 2. I haven't fed or dosed the tank since the start of the treatment, so 4 days of no external nutrients except water change. Water is RO and I've been using the same source and never had cyano issues before. I've noticed that it's coming back slower than usual, so I'm going to keep siphoning whatever I can see and stop the feeding for another week before I raise the stakes and dose API Algaefix. If this doesn't work, I'm going to be spending every day siphoning the cyano out. Ugh.

[hazmat]

I think I found my issue. I use a breeder net in my refugium to keep my chaeto from flowing into my return pump. It was pretty full of chaeto. I took it out to clean out the net and noticed that the bottom part of my chaeto was very dark and slimy. I hadn't turned it over in awhile to get light and I think it was dying off. I threw a bunch of it away (it also had a bunch of red bubble algae growing on the strands) and left about a baseball size chunk of it in the breeder net. I can see that between the snails and cleaning the chaeto that the cyano is almost gone. I need to figure out a way to keep my macro in the refugium and keep it out of my return area. But, allow the chaeto to "roam free" from the breeder net.

[Weetabix7]

Thanks for the update Hazmat.

 

Ironsnake, it's possible that you have dinoflagellates and not cyano.

The treatment for dinos is to keep the lights off your tank and keep tank covered to prevent any light from getting in for 3 days.

1st day- 1/3 WC

3rd day- 1/3 WC

Of course manually remove any of the junk at the start of treatment.

Yes, your tank can handle no light for 3 days.

[Guest TheBlueLorax]

I don't know if this has already been discussed but what about using Uv Sterilizers would that help in the battle of cyano to be honest i really don't know too much about them ...

[hazmat]

Thanks for the update Hazmat.

 

I think I spoke too soon. I'm still noticing some. In fact, this morning I have an area where it's pretty stringy because it's right where the flow is. But it's definitely cyano. Dark red and I can scoop it out. I usually use a toothbrush and swipe it off the sides of my baffles.

[IronSnake]

Thanks for the suggestion, Weetabix7. I will try this next week. I've cut down my light hours from 12 to 6 on Friday, and so far I haven't seen the cyano or dino come back this weekend.

 

Thanks for the update Hazmat.

 

Ironsnake, it's possible that you have dinoflagellates and not cyano.

The treatment for dinos is to keep the lights off your tank and keep tank covered to prevent any light from getting in for 3 days.

1st day- 1/3 WC

3rd day- 1/3 WC

Of course manually remove any of the junk at the start of treatment.

Yes, your tank can handle no light for 3 days.

[IronSnake]

Doing more research on the dinos, I came across this tank journal: http://bit.ly/ctQuJj He had both dino and cyano attack. From the pictures, it looks like I might have a bit of both too. He eliminated cyano with Erythromycin. Does anyone has any experience with this antibiotic?

[IronSnake]

Finally after +/- 2 weeks, no more cyano or dinos. I didn't do the 72 hours light kill treatment (too chicken), but I religiously siphoned the tank daily, zero supplement/additive dosing--only top off, keep carbon + skimming 24x7, and cut down my lights from 12 hrs (12-actinics / 8-10K) to 6 hrs (6-actinics / 5-10K) ALL the pissed off zoas/palys that got slimed daily opened up, even the ones that I had already marked them off since they've been closed up for 2+ weeks.

 

IMHO, I believe it was the dosing of amino-acids, which it was my first time because I wanted turbo growth. That probably threw my tank over the edge with nutrients since I probably was on the edge with all that light plus feeding.

[Weetabix7]

Finally after +/- 2 weeks, no more cyano or dinos. I didn't do the 72 hours light kill treatment (too chicken), but I religiously siphoned the tank daily, zero supplement/additive dosing--only top off, keep carbon + skimming 24x7, and cut down my lights from 12 hrs (12-actinics / 8-10K) to 6 hrs (6-actinics / 5-10K) ALL the pissed off zoas/palys that got slimed daily opened up, even the ones that I had already marked them off since they've been closed up for 2+ weeks.

 

IMHO, I believe it was the dosing of amino-acids, which it was my first time because I wanted turbo growth. That probably threw my tank over the edge with nutrients since I probably was on the edge with all that light plus feeding.

 

Thanks for the update, and very glad to hear things have improved in your tank.

 

From what you've said, I suspect your analysis of the cause is correct.