Help with Cyano..

[ckusnierek]

I have been battling a Cyano problem for about 2.5 months now...

Skimming wet
NO2-ZERO
NO3-ZERO
PO4-ZERO
NH4-ZERO

8 hour photo period (2x250w MH)

Feed a pinch every other day.

RO/DI @ 0 TDS ATO

What is feeding the stuff??

Any ideas for treatment?

Right now I'm siphoining it out once a week

[Tasher80]

How is your flow in that tank?

[digitalis]

I got some ChemiClean from MWC. Mine went away... It hasn't been back since I used it. Great stuff. One dose 14.99 from there is good enough for 300 gallons treated. TURN OFF THE PROTEIN SKIMMER FIRST. it makes some SERIOUS bubbles. after 48 hours, do a water change, turn the skimmer back on, and let it go nuts in a 5 gallon bucket (if you have a drain tube.)
Works great. You can find it cheaper online, but shipping adds some. Its still barely cheaper to buy it online.

[AquaGrizzly]

How often are you doing water changes?

[bklynmet]

Originally Posted by ckusnierek

What is feeding the stuff??

source: Have you had anything die in your tank?

It's not uncommon to measure zero on phosphates and have cyano simply because it's taking it from the water column. I find zero nitrates a little odd - unless you've got a refugium where you've got macro algae you're pruning often or a DSB... the reason i find zero nitrates odd is because it's been debated that if you can ever really reach zero nitrate level... it is the end product of the nitrogen cycle...

what brand test kits are you using?

water flow - an increase in it - is beneficial not because cyano doesn't like it but because it puts particles in suspension longer so that it can get to you filters/skimmers for filtering...

in terms of treatment - chemi clean works.. i've used it but it does kill off some pods and stuff...
if you're of the no chemicals line of thinking i've found this effective:
the no lights for 72 hours - includes covering your tank and sump so no light enters... but unless you've taken care of the source, it'll come back...
another proven method - lots of patience, using GFO actively like in a phosban reactor, using RO/DI, maintaining good husbandry, etc.. but it doesn't get turned around overnight... siphoning it out directly exports phosphate bound within it... so do it...

about a year ago i had a dino issue and I had good tank parameters and did frequent water changes.. i was at wits end... then i was told to stop doing water changes... the logic behind that was that my frequent water changes weren't lettting the right bacteria outcompete the dino for it's nutrient source and to skim a little wetter... it worked...

whatever you do, don't give up... but try to determine what it is that's causing it...

[ckusnierek]

Originally Posted by AquaGrizzly

How often are you doing water changes?

I do a 5g WC every 5-7 days (with RO/DI)

[ckusnierek]

Originally Posted by bklynmet

source: Have you had anything die in your tank?

Nope nothing dead

Originally Posted by bklynmet

It's not uncommon to measure zero on phosphates and have cyano simply because it's taking it from the water column. I find zero nitrates a little odd - unless you've got a refugium where you've got macro algae you're pruning often or a DSB... the reason i find zero nitrates odd is because it's been debated that if you can ever really reach zero nitrate level... it is the end product of the nitrogen cycle...

Well maybe 5 on nitrates. Topps my SB use to be much deeper. untill I started siphioning off the top layer of sand.

Originally Posted by bklynmet

what brand test kits are you using?

Saliferts for Ca, Alk, Mag
API for others.

Being a mature system I only check NO2, NO3, and NH4 about monthly. and I use the cheaper kits for that. Never been an issue.

as far as checking PO4 If read that test kits are just not sensitive enough to detect phosphates???? up for debate...

Originally Posted by bklynmet

water flow - an increase in it - is beneficial not because cyano doesn't like it but because it puts particles in suspension longer so that it can get to you filters/skimmers for filtering...

right now pushing 35x turnover Via 2 Modded Tunze 6025's and a 700 gph return. they are directed more towards the top flowinf over the SPS. I could throw another in pointed more at the bottom.

Originally Posted by bklynmet

in terms of treatment - chemi clean works.. i've used it but it does kill off some pods and stuff...
if you're of the no chemicals line of thinking i've found this effective:
the no lights for 72 hours - includes covering your tank and sump so no light enters... but unless you've taken care of the source, it'll come back...
another proven method - lots of patience, using GFO actively like in a phosban reactor, using RO/DI, maintaining good husbandry, etc.. but it doesn't get turned around overnight... siphoning it out directly exports phosphate bound within it... so do it...

I am one of those people. the only "chemicals" I add are Ca, Alk, and Carbon.

will the no light affect my SPS?

I've considered a PO4 reactor, but dont those use a metal base media the could be potentially harmfull? Need to do more research.

Originally Posted by bklynmet

about a year ago i had a dino issue and I had good tank parameters and did frequent water changes.. i was at wits end... then i was told to stop doing water changes... the logic behind that was that my frequent water changes weren't lettting the right bacteria outcompete the dino for it's nutrient source and to skim a little wetter... it worked...

whatever you do, don't give up... but try to determine what it is that's causing it...

thanks!

[ckusnierek]

I have a theory, tell me what you think...

This all started about 2 months ago when I upgradded my skimmer.
I got a Octopus NW-200. It came in with a damaged impeller but worked. It took me 3 weeks for a new impeller. So I was in effectivly skimming for almost a month. Along with that it took this skimmer almost a month to break in and product skimm. After that I had a HARD time dialing in the gate valve mod. it would run dry for a week then overflow with water in a day. well I finally got that all squared away.

Heres my theory...

The lack of skimming for 5-6 weeks fueled the outbreak....
I have been siphioning off layers of my SB to get the Cyano out.

Could I be releasing trapped nutrients when I stir the SB? more than my skimmer can handle? Maybe thats what keeps fueling it???


Also all my SPS look GREAT!!! don't phosphates cause browning and lower PE?

[grallster]

Does it keep coming back just in the one area? If so, it's probably a lack of flow in that area. You might want to try using someone else's test kits to make sure they jive with yours. Try doing 10 gal water changes instead of 5 for a while--can't hurt.

[grallster]

Originally Posted by bklynmet

the reason i find zero nitrates odd is because it's been debated that if you can ever really reach zero nitrate level... it is the end product of the nitrogen cycle...

Nitrogen gas is the end product of the nitorgen cycle....it's the whole philosophy behind DSBs and plenums.

[ckusnierek]

Originally Posted by grallster

Does it keep coming back just in the one area? If so, it's probably a lack of flow in that area. You might want to try using someone else's test kits to make sure they jive with yours. Try doing 10 gal water changes instead of 5 for a while--can't hurt.

It's the entire sand bed. there is none on the rocks.

I will try a 10g WC for a while.

[Sand $]

here is an article I found : http://reefsources.itgo.com/features...s/cyanora.html

[bklynmet]

Originally Posted by grallster

Nitrogen gas is the end product of the nitorgen cycle....it's the whole philosophy behind DSBs and plenums.

Dave,

I totally agree... which is why I thought zero nitrates were odd unless he had macro algae or DSB..

[jgordie]

Chris-I bought my skimmer around the same time you did. And i too have been battling a cyano problem..I wonder if it has anything to do with the skimming. I need to add more sand b/c I have been siphoning the water every couple of days as well.

[ckusnierek]

Originally Posted by jgordie

Chris-I bought my skimmer around the same time you did. And i too have been battling a cyano problem..I wonder if it has anything to do with the skimming. I need to add more sand b/c I have been siphoning the water every couple of days as well.

This skimmer did take a LONG time to "break in" which probally fueled the cyano. is your skimming well? I turned mine up last night. I do not have a drain line so I dont have to worry about a flood if the cup overflows. I will just need to check it daily.

I have been filtering my sand when siphioning it. I'm saving it. I will bleach it and rinse well once I need to add it back to the tank.