Tropical Fish Forums

[Jason H.]

I had a cyano problem like 6 weeks ago, then my 38g tank sprung a leak about 3 weeks ago. I was able to transfer about 80% of the existing water to a new 50g tank. I used about 10g of tap water just to have enought water for the skimmer to work, and until my ro/di unit had time to make enough water. Since then I have done a 10% water change with ro/di water, and top off water has all been ro/di water. I have 2 seio powerheads (620gph each) in a circular pattern as Dale suggested in an earlier post. I did the airstone mod to my seaclone and it pulls about 1/2 cup of goo everyday on average, sometimes a whole cup a day. I STILL have a horrible cyano problem... my lights tend to be on for at least 12 hrs a day... which I guess could be part of the problem, but I think its something else. Phosphates are so low they don't register on any of my tests, (hagen tests) Nitrites 0 nitrates very low. I always thought phosphates and silicates are the major cause of cyano... but I use ro/di water now and that shouldnt be the problem. What should I do next?
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50g FoWLR, Reef when ready..

[Pete Harcoff]

Nitrates and phosphates will register 0 because they are being consumed as fast as they are being produced.

You could try dosing with erythromycin. I had some bad cyano in my tank and a couple doses cleared it right up. Mind you, that doesn't treat the source of the problem, but it can provide a solution to any existing cyano in the tank.

[Jason H.]

is that fish medication... or specifically for cyanobacteria issues?
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50g FoWLR, Reef when ready..

[Dusko]

Not that long ago I was on a salt water seminar listening to a (no name) marine biologist from Sweden that was working on many species around the globe. He said that this type of algae doesn't prefer blue spectrum so in a case of a cyanobacteria out-break use all blue bulbs/tubes for a while till it disappears.

Regards, Dusko.
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[Pete Harcoff]

[SLACkra]

Dusko I'd say you might as well just completely darken the tank if your going to just have actinics.

Cyano seems to be a problem with immature systems. eventually you'll get rid of it over time. for the moment syphon as much of it out of the tank during water changesr.

Also if anybody can say this is rubbish or true etc that would be good but I have heard that having a high alkinity 9-11dKH help with dealing with cyano. can't remember how or if its true so if some one can support that statment or rip it to threads please do so!

andrew

[incognite426]

dillution is the solution. do consistent water changes. about 30% every week. syphon as much as you can. cut back on your lights and if all else fails, use Red Slime Remover to knock it out. read the instrcutions carefully though. good luck
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[MarkLehr]

Slackra- I can support your 9-11 dkh treatment. It used to be a common suggestion, although not a cure all. But it helps.

Two points not mentioned:

Water flow is a huge preventative to cyno outbreaks. In a 38 gallon aquarium I would have no less than 3 powerheads mounted inside the aquarium for water movement. Preferably at different angles and rotating.

Phosphate readings of zero are not uncommon, see Pete's post above. You need to reduce the introduction of phosphates into the aquarium. A common culprit is a dirty filter pad. I would suggest removing your filter pads completely during cyno treatment. If this is to drastic, clean them every day, morning and night. Literaly. This is very important.

[FloridaBoy]

Just take a deep breath, keep after it and give it some time... this is not uncommon in newer systems.
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Keepin' marines happy for 25 years

[dale]

Hi Jason,
I deal with cyanobacteria (CB) outbreaks all the time in my business and can offer a few insights for you.
First, don't panic!. Although it looks unsightly, CB is easy to treat if you address the underlying issues. CB is ubiquitous (meaning it is always present in trace amounts) and opportunistic; it only becomes a problem when stress conditions exist in the tank. Some common stressors include:

1.cycling a new tank.
2.moving a tank.
3.major aquascaping or disturbance of the sandbed.
4.overfeeding (high nutrient loads can be a stressor as well as fuel for CB).
5.decaying fish or corals.
6.low/no flow water zones.
7.poor filter/sandbed maintenance.
8.sudden large water changes after periods of no water changes.
9.overstocking.
10.spikes or drops in water temps (often showing up days or weeks after a power failure). It is not the highs or lows as much as the fluctuation between them.
11.low oxygenation (again showing up down the road from a power failure that stopped circulation pumps).

If you look at the list you will see that all of these stressors can disrupt tank stability (except #1 as there is no stability yet). The way to combat CB is to regain stability within the system.

First, eliminate the stressors. You may treat and retreat without long term success until you do.
Next, decide if you can put up with the current outbreak or not. True, there are products sold at the LFS (redslime remover, slime away etc...) that will quickly kill all the CB in your tank but it will also wreak havoc on your beneficial bacteria and pollute your system. In a severe outbreak it might be worth going this route (follow the directions on the package) but if the outbreak is moderate and you are patient you can turn things around without medication (I now go this route with all but the most severe outbreaks).
In my opinion frequent, smaller water changes are better than larger ones. Large water changes will only continue to destabilize the system. siphon some CB out with each water change but don't vaccum the whole sandbed over and over each time as this tends to destablize the sandbed microflora/fauna ecosystem (I routinely do 1/4 of the sandbed in large tanks each water change and 1/3 - 1/2 in smaller tanks).
Last, be patient. If you correct the stressors it will diminish over time.

Hope some of this helps, Good luck.
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