Cyano

[sgarrett1108]

I know this thread has been in here a thousand times but I have a questiion about the maroon algae that we all love know as cyano. I keep getting patches of this stuff popping up in my tank. All of my param are 0. NOt sure about phos don't have a kit for that. but I do use ro/di water. lights are on 12 hrs a day 2 hrs just actinic. I am using power coompacts. I also get a brownish rust color on the sand bed. I don't have a huge clean up crew. Which I am assuming would help this. Any suggestions on how to keep this stuff out. Clean up crew. do i need a sand sifting star or something like that to keep things stirred up? Is there a product that will help get rid the cyano.

Thanks
Scott

 

[ipiniowa]

Chemi Clean. I used it once and got rid of it.

 

[glaspie69]

increase your flow and check your phosphates.....you have to solve where the problem is comming from....chemi clean just masks the problem and usually causes other problems down the road.....do the correct thing not the easy thing

 

[sgarrett1108]

I have 2 maxi-jet 900, 2 seio 620's and a mag 9 on a return, how much flow does a man need. I would think shortly my sand bed is going to be taking off. It already hills up where the current is strong.

 

[Sk8r]

Tanks do this at 3 months and again at about a year. Keep on trying to perfect your water, lighting and so on, and look to the pattern of cyano growth as your "trouble spot" spotlight...but in the meanwhile, chemi-clean will scotch it.

 

[atram]

I recently had an outbreak in one of my tanks. It's coming up on the one year mark. I do weekly water changes, high flow, etc.
I changed my MH Bulb and increased alkalinity and it vanished overnight.

 

[sgarrett1108]

does alk play a huge role in cyano growth. I really don't keep an eye on that.

 

[Sk8r]

That's a good thing to note, atram: the one year anniversary, and the expiration for lights and filter media, etc.

 

[atram]

Thanks, a fellow reefer suggested I change my light as I've had it for 10 months. I also recall seeing similar threads and experienced reefer's have mentioned alkalinity. I don't know how alkalinity effects cyano, but I'm not opposed to trying something that's worked for someone else. I made the adjustments last weekend and there's not a trace of cyano anywhere, my zoas look happier as well.

 

[dastratt]

<a href=showthread.php?s=&postid=7226453#post7226453 target=_blank>Originally posted</a> by sgarrett1108
does alk play a huge role in cyano growth. I really don't keep an eye on that.

Yes I believe it does. How is your coralline growth? I have found that Alk tends to drop over time in my salt water tanks, if I don't supplement. I have been using two-part supplements, currently B-Ionic. I would recommend you try this, and test Ca as well as Alk. Low alk seems to favor cyano growth and also can cause Ph instability (drops at night), also coralline will not grow as fast.

http://www.advancedaquarist.com/issues/nov2002/chem.htm

I haven't tried Chemi clean. I had an LFS recommend it. But their tanks had plenty of cyano.

I've used Phosgard to get Phos levels down. I used tap water in my tanks for years without knowing any better so I'm pretty sure my LR is leaching Phosphates.
Good luck