Cyano on Seahorses

[Octoshark]

Our cyano problem just got serious as it has started growing on our seahorses (on their back and the ridge over the back of their neck). How do we get it off of them? I tried using a turkey baster but it wont come off. Any ideas?

Im going to turn off the lights and hope it dies off of them.

We make sure to limit the amount of uneaten foodand have done a great job at it. When we turn the flow back on after feeding there are no loose pieces floating around. Just about every piece is being eaten, and the few pieces that dont get eaten by the horses gets caught by the firefish. We are feeding the recommended half cube per horse per day, so I dont understand why this cyano has become such a problem. RODI water reads zero, we rinse mysis before feeding, weekly 35% water changes, skimmer, etc, etc... what the heck?

Whats even stranger is that we used to have the pair of erectus in a 30 gallon hexagon and NEVER had a single cyano outbreak for about a year, then we switch to a 40 gallon rectangle and all of a sudden BOOM. None of our habits changed, the absolutely only thing that has changed since the tank transfer was the flow pattern (we did add more flow to make up for the increased tank volume) and we stopped using the aquaclear HOB filter running carbon. But we recently added carbon back to the system, so everything is pretty much identical to the time when we had no problems whatsoever. I dont get it!

 

[barbianj]

Then it's from switching tanks and starting a new cycle. If you don't have corals, I'd at least limit the light until it passes. Three days lights out takes care of it, too.

 

[namxas]

If it really bothers you, you can take one of those really soft toothbrushes for babies and very lightly remove the cyano. This doesn't harm the SH, altho they may get PO'd at you and "growl".

Another thing you can do is add an airline (use a piece of rigid tubing, open-ended) and the SH may simply hitch to the line and let the bubbles knock it off (assuming it's bothering them).

 

[Octoshark]

It doesnt bother us as much as it worried us. We just thought it might jeopardize their health having it start to grow on them.

I will try to find a really soft brush, and be sure to be careful around fins. We actually already have an airline that we frequently use, and they havent tried "rubbing it off" so maybe they arent affected as we thought they would be.

Thanks for the idea

 

[namxas]

SH in the wild are often found with algal growth on them. We've had a few SH that had a bit of cyano on them and it honestly doesn't really bother them, nor will it harm them.

 

[GhostCon1]

Turning the lights out for a few days will not "treat" your cyano problem. It will only hamper its growth for a bit. Finding the source of the problem is the key to defeat of the ugly beast!

 

[pledosophy]

How big of a skimmer do you have? If it were me I would turn the lights off for a few days and when I turned them back on start sugar dosing, and let the skimmer do the work. You'd be amazed what a half packet of sugar every other day can do.

Read up on it first, that is not the complete directions

As far as the horses they don't care, it's only bothering you.

 

[Peka]

No matter what I do, all of my tanks go through the cyano stage.. In fact I have a horse that I have named cyano because he's always wearing it.. don't worry about the horses, they are used to having cyano and algae on them. Just keep up with water changes and siphon out as much cyano as you can....

 

[Octoshark]

saxman,

Thanks for the info, good to know


GhostCon1,

Yea I'm aware it would grow back after the lights came back on if the cause of the problem wasnt addresssed, I just wanted it to die off of the horses. Then if it grew back on the sand/rock then so be it, just as long as it didnt grow back on the horses immediately. But now that I hear cyano on horses isnt so bad, Im not as worried.


pledosophy,

We have the Red Sea Prizm HOB due to the lack of space for a sump. We just got a cannister filter to fill with carbon, etc and will be sure to clean it out frequently so it doesnt become a nitrate factory. I have researched vodka dosing but my girlfriend is too scared to try it due to the fear of overdosing. I will look into sugar dosing.


peka,

very original

 

[GhostCon1]

saxman,

pledosophy,

We have the Red Sea Prizm HOB due to the lack of space for a sump. We just got a cannister filter to fill with carbon, etc and will be sure to clean it out frequently so it doesnt become a nitrate factory. I have researched vodka dosing but my girlfriend is too scared to try it due to the fear of overdosing. I will look into sugar dosing.


peka,

very original

Both are forms of Carbon dosing, and you could easily overdose on both. If you are concerned with overdosing, I believe I read on one of the articles that you can dose half of the recommended dosage to help out the fear Pledosophy can probably chime in on that statement.

 

[mcdonaldjosh7]

My ways of dealing with algae:

More water flow, less feeding, more skimming, less lights.