nutrients released?

Markus · 06-05-2006, 10:24 AM

Morning all, happy Monday.

I've been having a cyanno problem for a while now, and have tried many things. I have nothing in the tank that really needs light at the moment, so this weekend I left the lights off the whole time. When I got home the problem was way better, as it should be. My question was; when you kill the cyano like that does it release nutrients back into the water column?

Thanks,
Mark

VWD · 06-05-2006, 10:34 AM

Need more info on the tank, age and so on, If You have nutrients in the tank before you turn off the lights and it dies and when you turn them back on yes they are still there. If You have a new tank in cycle you will have it and nothing to worry about, The answer is not turning off the lights, You have to turn them back on sometime. Give us more tank info.

Markus · 06-05-2006, 10:43 AM

The tank is a 90 gal.
nitrates 10
phosphates 0
48" outer orbit 24 hr. ligthing system.
no sump
no fuge
RO water
prizm pro deluxe skimmer

Last weekend I was away and the cyano got out of control. Just this weekend when we went away I left the lights off because I wasn't going to be there to tend to the cyano. Now that lots of it is gone I am wondering when i turn my lights back on again are there going to be those excess nutrients in the water? I no my skimmer isn't the best and i am getting a better one.

My plan was to get the cyano down by shutting the lights off andthen keeping it under control now that im home with the lights on.

VWD · 06-05-2006, 10:56 AM

Still, How old is the tank? How long hads it been set up, What color is the cyno

Markus · 06-05-2006, 11:02 AM

Tank is 6 months old. Cyano is deep red, almost purple with a ton of bubbles that form underneath it.

VWD · 06-05-2006, 11:19 AM

I say high in nutrients. bad water movement. You need to skim really well and maybe do more water changes. The red slime is feeding on something in your water.

Markus · 06-05-2006, 11:28 AM

If I have all that cyano in my tank and I turn the lights off to kill it, does it release the nutrients it used back into the water? Or is that nutrients eliminated when the cyano dies? My plan was to let it grow like mad, turn the lights off and let it die, rinse and repeat. Or do you have to vac it out in order to get that nutrients out. I must not have explained my question to well sorry.

Geoff · 06-05-2006, 11:33 AM

unless the skimmer and your siphon are up to the job. they cyano will come right back within a few days of turning on the lights.

you need to skimm wet to remove the excess nutrients from the water column and siphon out all of the cyano and the SB in those areas where it grows the most. this is where all of the nutrients are. turning off the lights to kill it will not help you any.

you need to export the nutrients, not change its form. siphoning it out is the best way to remove the nutrients needed for cyano to live.

G~

Markus · 06-05-2006, 11:38 AM

****... so there is no easy way out is there.....

Thats okay, time to pull my sleeves up!

Kevin1000 · 06-05-2006, 08:15 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Markus

. My question was; when you kill the cyano like that does it release nutrients back into the water column?

Yes ... You have a closed system and unless you remove the nutrients they tend to stay in the system. Anything that removes nutrients from the system will help (water change and skimming are high on the list).

Geoff · 06-05-2006, 09:11 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Markus

****... so there is no easy way out is there.....

Thats okay, time to pull my sleeves up!

no easy way out.

G~