cyano
- Thread starter skewlboy
- Start date
AZBigJohn
Usually confused...
Possibly killing off the beneficial bacteria in your system that is acting as your biological filter. Possibly causing an ammonia spike that could harm inverts and fragile species in your tank. Possibly killing off macro algae in your tank.
I am not a big fan of using chemicals in my tank, but that is just my personal preference. Your experience may very well be different.
I am not a big fan of using chemicals in my tank, but that is just my personal preference. Your experience may very well be different.
My understanding is that cyano is of a different type of bacteria, gram positive vs gram negative, and your live rock and sand will not be affected. I've used chemiclean before and never noticed a negative affect outside of overactive skimming. You do want to suck out as much as possible beforehand just to prevent excess nutrient buildup when it dies.
I used it at 2 months in to a new tank when everything was covered (rock/zoas/sps) - it was a last resort but the lights out, flow increase, wet skim, underfeed wasn't working (it is in an area with available natural light). Did chemiclean and 48 hrs later a 30% water change and the sky didn't fall. Now 6 months later it is only on the sandbed and I can siphon it out along with a superficial layer of sand only to have it come back over time. I know about the gram positive/gram negative aspect (believe it is erythromycin but my denitrifying bacteria should be ok) but with all the "it will crash your tank" talk I was wondering who actually had first hand experience that this treatment will harm your stuff/fish.
tcamos
Reef, Crustacean, Puffers
Because cyano is relatively easy to get rid of I generally don't recommend chemical treatment. However, it can lower the oxygen in the tank so water changes and extra flow, including extra surface agitation are recommended. I've used this stuff on a tank before, not mine, but still I did it and it worked with no ill effects.
CReyes350
Member
Not to hijack but how is cyano easy to get rid of in your opinion? I just about pulled my hair out battling that stuff for six months last year. I did the lights thing and sucked it up as soon as I saw it thing... Increase flow... You name it...
Thank you in advance
tcamos
Reef, Crustacean, Puffers
It's unfortunate you had that experience.
Since cyano is a bacteria lighting alterations won't get rid of it. It's not photosynthetic. Flow alteration can keep the floc from getting too large or on your corals but it doesn't actually get rid of it.
What we do know about cyanobacteria is that it's nitrate loving (http://aem.asm.org/content/66/1/133.full). In fact it's used as a process by municipalities to pull nitrates out of ground water for purification.
So the key to combating it is to remove the nitrate from the water. This is done in several ways, less feeding, alteration in stocking, increase in water changes, or...if none of those work we have to examine the denitrification process in a tank. If there isn't sufficient live rock, or if the rock that is in in a tank is either too small or not porous enough to create the suboxic zones where denitrification takes place then nitrate builds up in a tank and promotes the grown of cyanobacteria.
If that's the reason then you can bash your head against a wall with all the water changes you like and all the flow but still will end up with cyano.
I've always been able to get rid of it quickly in my tank just by reducing my feeding regimen or adding a few good sized pieces of quality live rock.
That's been my experience with it anyway. I've always been able to either avoid it or remove it quickly.
Since cyano is a bacteria lighting alterations won't get rid of it. It's not photosynthetic. Flow alteration can keep the floc from getting too large or on your corals but it doesn't actually get rid of it.
What we do know about cyanobacteria is that it's nitrate loving (http://aem.asm.org/content/66/1/133.full). In fact it's used as a process by municipalities to pull nitrates out of ground water for purification.
So the key to combating it is to remove the nitrate from the water. This is done in several ways, less feeding, alteration in stocking, increase in water changes, or...if none of those work we have to examine the denitrification process in a tank. If there isn't sufficient live rock, or if the rock that is in in a tank is either too small or not porous enough to create the suboxic zones where denitrification takes place then nitrate builds up in a tank and promotes the grown of cyanobacteria.
If that's the reason then you can bash your head against a wall with all the water changes you like and all the flow but still will end up with cyano.
I've always been able to get rid of it quickly in my tank just by reducing my feeding regimen or adding a few good sized pieces of quality live rock.
That's been my experience with it anyway. I've always been able to either avoid it or remove it quickly.
HowManyClowns
New member
Boyd's chemiclean works great and I never saw any ill effects from it. Cyano is extremely difficult to get rid of once it takes hold but this stuff just handles it
Lighting has a huge effect on it, same with nitrates and phosphates.
tcamos
Reef, Crustacean, Puffers
Well, yes, light matters, I mis-stated when I said it's not photosynthetic, it is able to use light for energy just not quite the same as algae and plants and even varies depending on the spectrum of light used.
But I would disagree with using the word "huge" when using light to battle it in a reef tank or even a fish only tank. It's only going to be dormant and will come back again once light is available. Since we need light in a reef tank and even need light to help grow balancing micro algae in a fish only tank (algae is important) we shouldn't rely on light since it's only an absence of that's effective. If the nutrient problem isn't taken care of any light will return the cyano to full growth and the problem returns. That is really the point I'm trying to make here, that it's a nutrient issue, specifically nitrates as they are nitrogen loving.
But I would disagree with using the word "huge" when using light to battle it in a reef tank or even a fish only tank. It's only going to be dormant and will come back again once light is available. Since we need light in a reef tank and even need light to help grow balancing micro algae in a fish only tank (algae is important) we shouldn't rely on light since it's only an absence of that's effective. If the nutrient problem isn't taken care of any light will return the cyano to full growth and the problem returns. That is really the point I'm trying to make here, that it's a nutrient issue, specifically nitrates as they are nitrogen loving.
saintsnsinners
New member
Chad is correct. nutrients cause algae and cyanobacteria. lights can fuel both, but it is not a cause.
