Cyano help

thefishyboy

thefishyboy

Member
Hi all

My tank has been running just over 12 months and all was going well however I am recently having a huge amount of cyano growing on everything and now matter how much I siphon off it returns very quickly.

My parameter are

No3- 2-4ppm
Pos-0
Cal- 420
Mag- 1240
Dkh - 8-10
Sal- 1.024 - 1.026

I religiously change 10% every week and am running gfo which I change once every two months. I recently tried the 3 days with no lights which I thought had worked but the cyano returned and my elegance coral didn't appreciate 3 days without the lights it has only just forgiven me and started fully opening again.

I would really like some help to get rid of this problem and get my tank looking nice again.

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When this happened to me, it was a nitrate problem. Don't believe the test kit, if the bacteria is present, something is fueling it.

I had to clean out every spec of detritus manually, scrub my equipment, start doing 30-50% water changes every couple of days, run some filter socks, and start carbon dosing.
 
Next step for you is simply using red slime remover.. per the directions exactly (and skimming to keep the water oxygenated)..
It works great and if lights out isn't doing it and siphoning isn't stopping it then chemically treat it.. Some are 100% against it but others use it will no problems (I use it when needed)

I don't think anyone really knows the exact reason that the cyano grows and doesn't seem to go away.. Its fueled by something.. could be phosphates..could be nitrates..could be light spectrum.. could be something else.. or a combination of multiples.


https://www.amazon.com/Ultralife-Pr...=1472493895&sr=1-1&keywords=red+slime+remover
 
Thank you. I have read that red slime removing products can cause the tank to crash though would be a little worried that it may upset the chemical balance. Have you used these products with success?


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Well you might read more on it but the cyano killer is a bacterial killer and while it is different in ways from your bio filter I would read on it. I decided against it and just battled the cyano with removal and water changes and darkness. It was no longer a problem after my tank hit 9-10 months old.

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Do you clean your substrate when doing your weekly water changes?, if not i suggest you start . It will help greatly to rid the red plague. Good luck, zsu
 
thefishyboy said:
Have you used these products with success?
Click to expand...

Yep.. used it maybe 8 times in my reefing life.. NEVER had a single problem with it and it has ALWAYS worked for me when blackouts and siphoning just wasn't cutting it both on "young" and "mature" tanks..
I just use it as a last resort because I'm not a fan of bottled solutions but this one works
 
mcgyvr said:
Yep.. used it maybe 8 times in my reefing life.. NEVER had a single problem with it and it has ALWAYS worked for me when blackouts and siphoning just wasn't cutting it both on "young" and "mature" tanks..
I just use it as a last resort because I'm not a fan of bottled solutions but this one works
Click to expand...

I'll also agree to this, I have used it 4 times and never had a problem.
 
I just ordered some today to help with my cyano issues after reading many reviews by others that have used it. . 999% were favorable
 
JMorris271 said:
I just ordered some today to help with my cyano issues after reading many reviews by others that have used it. . 999% were favorable
Click to expand...

Yeah, my experience was that my SPS don't really like it, but they recover just fine. I've never lost anything, and red slime remover absolutely destroys cyano. It's one of the only "chemical solutions" I use.
 
+1 Red slime remover.

Fought cyano for months, used slime remover, was gone in a few days. No ill effects in tank. My tank was mostly softies/lps at the time though. Couldn't speak to the effect it might have on super sensitive acros etc.
 
Just make sure you get the Red Slime Remover and not the Red Slime Stain Remover. They are different.
 
Last edited:
+1 on the water changes, skimming the sand bed, lights out and red slime remover.

Even if you the nutrients to zero (you still need some for your corals) cyano can pull dissolved N2 out of the water which is why good tank husbandry may not eradicate it from your tank and why the final step of using chemicals may be needed.


fwiw, my tank is 18 months, about 12 months I was able to get it under control to a manageable level, but never fully gone - even lowering down to zero NO3 and PO4 with good tests. I'd stir up things or dose coral food and bang, it would bloom. So I am convinced, since my water chemistry is about and good as it will get, to use red slime remover to rid the remaining colonies.
 
I had the same issue and upped my water changes to 5% almost daily (2 out of every 3 days) for about a month and it is now all but gone. I also suggest a ATS. My system is almost totally clean and the water is crystal clear now! No algae, almost no cyano.
 
I'm having Cyano problems as well.

From what I've read, you might want to change your GFO more often. I am running one media reactor with GFO and another with Carbon. I am considering switching the Carbon to either 100% GFO, or at least 50% GFO and 50% Carbon.

Also, what are you using to test phosphates? Hanna Checker has a low range phosphate checker/tester (ppm) and an ULTRA low range phosphate checker/tester (ppb). For phosphates, many recommend the Ultra low range.
 
Hitch08 said:
I'm having Cyano problems as well.

From what I've read, you might want to change your GFO more often. I am running one media reactor with GFO and another with Carbon. I am considering switching the Carbon to either 100% GFO, or at least 50% GFO and 50% Carbon.

Also, what are you using to test phosphates? Hanna Checker has a low range phosphate checker/tester (ppm) and an ULTRA low range phosphate checker/tester (ppb). For phosphates, many recommend the Ultra low range.
Click to expand...

^^^ Hitch raises a good point about PO4 test. Some are better that others. From my own experience and confirmed by posts here, API are useless at low amounts. My API was reading zero nitrates and PO4, but the tank was telling me otherwise. I switched to Red Sea algae test hit and sure enough, I did have NO3 and PO4.

That was helpful in me deciding to dose carbon and run GFO. But only after confirming what my levels were AND deciding what I wanted to target.


Don't start changing things until you are sure about your parameters and needing to lower them.
 
Thanks. My no3 test I have Red Sea and Jbl test both show 1-2 ppm. Po4 is seachem which I bought as I thought this was a good kit. Only Api kit I have is for calcium. Ps used red slime remover it worked a treat tank looks really clear now only took one dose. Skimmer went berserk though had to do a 50% water change and let it pull enough stuff out that it calmed down.


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