Cyano is killing me

[Gargamel35]

My reef tank is 1.5 years old. It's 120 gallon with sps and lps corals, 3 fishes and couple smaller animals. Lot's of snails too.

Parameters are great (i'm using balling method), i run 4 pumps for best water movement, light bulbs (6x T5) are just changed with new ones.

I have no problems, all corals grow nicely. Except cyano. It's everywhere, also on some lower rocks. I simply don't know what to do any more. I tried bigger water changes, then smaller... Nothing worked.
I have cyano now at least 5 months.

I'm so far that i'm thinking about chemistry. Is there anything on the market that kills cyano and nothing else? I know i should search for original problem (source) but i just don't know any more. I should have a great looking tank but cyano makes it look horrible.

Everybody is telling me to wait. But i'm tired of waiting.

So does chemistry work? Which one?

 

[mcgyvr]

Boyd Chemiclean or Ultralife Red Slime Remover..
Both typically work just fine and only basically target cyano..
Follow directions..

 

[Auston]

Dose live phytoplankton, it completely cleared my my cyanobacteria. Mine was black thick mats of it everywhere. I imagine it out compeating the cyanobacteria and then pods and filter feeders eat the phytoplankton. Win win and no chemicals.

 

[Gargamel35]

Isn't phytoplankton food and adding more nutrients would only cause problems?

What i don't understand is why Cyano still exists and not going away.

I have even too good parameters for my SPS and LPS. My phosphate is 0,03. Nitrate 0. I know nitrates should be a little more for corals, but i feed less because of Cyano.

I have 6 x T5 ATI bulbs. NEW. 5 x blue and just 1 whiter. I'm running balling for other parameters and are all good. I'm adding "good" bacteria 1x a week. I change 5% to 10% water every week. I use RO/DI water only with 0 TDS.

I just don't get it.

 

[PCguy21]

Chemiclean. I used it and it hasnt come back in months.. I did it for 9 days and its been completrtly 100% eradicated.. it says 3 days but after 3 it was only half gone so i did it for 3 tteatments to be sure

 

[AcanSkywalker]

Vibrant works wonders!

Sent from my SM-J737P using Tapatalk

 

[ReefsandGeeks]

+1 for chemiclean. Used it in my mixed reef several times with good results. Typically for me, it seems to remove about 95-99% of the cyano. Then I'm good to go for many months before it seems to try comming back.

When starting the treatment, follow the directions closely. Also, manually remove as much as possible as it will die in the tank if you don't and cause nutrient problems. Plus it just seems to work more effectively that way.

 

[Silly clownfish]

I increased the vinegar I dose in my kalk and switched one of my Tunze powerheads with a gyre (Icecap 3000) to get more distributed flow. It went away except in the fuge section of my sump which is low flow. That said, The Icecap gyre has an annoying high pitched whine, so I am not very happy with it. I am afraid if I switch back to the Tunze I will have areas that are not getting enough flow.

 

[sde1500]

Isn't phytoplankton food and adding more nutrients would only cause problems?

What i don't understand is why Cyano still exists and not going away.

I have even too good parameters for my SPS and LPS. My phosphate is 0,03. Nitrate 0. I know nitrates should be a little more for corals, but i feed less because of Cyano.

I have 6 x T5 ATI bulbs. NEW. 5 x blue and just 1 whiter. I'm running balling for other parameters and are all good. I'm adding "good" bacteria 1x a week. I change 5% to 10% water every week. I use RO/DI water only with 0 TDS.

I just don't get it.

Read up on Cyano. It's capable of photosynthesis. Nutrients help it, but aren't needed.

 

[Michael Hoaster]

Try the Big Combo: massive manual removal, 3 day blackout, chemiclean (or erythromycin), massive water change. Providing a fast growing macro algae to compete for nutrients, like ulva or caulerpa can prevent its return.

I haven't heard of using living phytoplankton to outcompete it, but that sounds great too.

 

[houstonreefer]

Chemiean works just fine.

 

[_DZ_reef]

Your tank is unbalance that’s why u have cyano. There is lots of threads all over about it. Bring your no3 between 3 and 5 and keep po4 where u have ant it will go away on it own. No needed for chemicals. Besides your sps need no3 for better coloration.