Dave Harms
Premium Member
I have my GFO under the GAC as per BRS directions... the GAC helps catch any GFO fines. They don't recommend mixing the two as the GFO will pulverize the GAC.
cynobacteria nightmare
- Thread starter chercm
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HighlandReefer
Team RC
BRS = www.BulkReefSupply.com
Tigé21v
Active member
slow_leak,
I've been adding Microbacter7 at the recommended new tank rate for two weeks now, along with adding vinegar to my kalk topoff. However, never did get any bio digest. Nitrates are down below 0.2. Still no change in cyano, either for the better or worse. Still have not added any GFO. Would you think to give GFO a try , or potassium nitrates?
I've been adding Microbacter7 at the recommended new tank rate for two weeks now, along with adding vinegar to my kalk topoff. However, never did get any bio digest. Nitrates are down below 0.2. Still no change in cyano, either for the better or worse. Still have not added any GFO. Would you think to give GFO a try , or potassium nitrates?
I would not add nitrates as it was an experiment that "WORKED" but at reducing cyano but did wash out montipora. I will not do that again. I would recommend increased feeding however after test levels for phosphates and nitrates are zero.
Acetic Acid will be a weak carbon source and may not work. I would simply keep your current formaula anyway up for atleast another 90 days before you make a judgment. Not exciting but you will have an idea what direction your going in.
Acetic Acid will have a charge and not pass into bacteria as well as ethanol would, requiring a higher amount to see an effect. Just stay the course though as cyanobacteria may cycle out.
Acetic Acid will be a weak carbon source and may not work. I would simply keep your current formaula anyway up for atleast another 90 days before you make a judgment. Not exciting but you will have an idea what direction your going in.
Acetic Acid will have a charge and not pass into bacteria as well as ethanol would, requiring a higher amount to see an effect. Just stay the course though as cyanobacteria may cycle out.
I think the limiting factor for algae should be phosphates not a carbon source as they are photo synthetic and could use CO2 or alkalinity.
I found my blue tort stag horn of 6 years is very sensitive to even 2 ppm nitrate spike after a month and I might lose it. Everthing else got a little browner. So I am doing daily 20% water changes. I whish I had a larger tank for mixing salt than 30 gallon Nalgene tank
I found my blue tort stag horn of 6 years is very sensitive to even 2 ppm nitrate spike after a month and I might lose it. Everthing else got a little browner. So I am doing daily 20% water changes. I whish I had a larger tank for mixing salt than 30 gallon Nalgene tank
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Cyano is in between plant and animal, and is not an algae in the normal sense. It adapts to varying food sources. Some varieties even crawl. So phosphates aren't a good guide.
The best cure I have found is depriving it of the one thing it needs that an aquarium can actually do without longer than it can: light. In the absence of light, it dies very fast, and vigorous skimming will keep you from trouble. A reef can stand a 3-day dark period with no trouble at all. Fishes can be fed normally during this period in just ambient room light.
THis routine done once a month for a few months will generally take care of the problem. BUT if you're using metal halides, give it a 4th day of actinic-only and an hour of mh, to avoid burning the corals, which will be 'sleepy'.
I used the chemical (actually an antibiotic) solution once, and will not use it again: it did a number on my pod population and weakened the sandbed, giving me other problems. Lights-out is the route I take, and the skimming and water changes should remove a lot of the nutrient problem. I no longer have any detectable cyano.
The best cure I have found is depriving it of the one thing it needs that an aquarium can actually do without longer than it can: light. In the absence of light, it dies very fast, and vigorous skimming will keep you from trouble. A reef can stand a 3-day dark period with no trouble at all. Fishes can be fed normally during this period in just ambient room light.
THis routine done once a month for a few months will generally take care of the problem. BUT if you're using metal halides, give it a 4th day of actinic-only and an hour of mh, to avoid burning the corals, which will be 'sleepy'.
I used the chemical (actually an antibiotic) solution once, and will not use it again: it did a number on my pod population and weakened the sandbed, giving me other problems. Lights-out is the route I take, and the skimming and water changes should remove a lot of the nutrient problem. I no longer have any detectable cyano.
Tigé21v
Active member
Sk8r, I tried the darkout once , seemed to help a little for the first few days, but by the end of the week the cyano seemed to be back with a vengeance . Maybe I was not able to keep up with pulling out the nutrients being released, though I did a 25% water change, and put my Deltec MCE600 on the system in addition to the ASMG3 w recirc mod. I wonder if maybe trying it again, since I've been adding the Microbacter7, may show better results?
I know my wife enjoyed the last time I did it. You can only stare at a trash-bag-covered tank for so long...
I know my wife enjoyed the last time I did it. You can only stare at a trash-bag-covered tank for so long...
lol! It will come back the first few times, but remember it's a 3 day dark once a month for several months, and it should get less and less. Combine that with your other efforts and it may help you. I didn't go so far as the trash bag---just ambient room light.
One thing: it responds to light spectrum. If there is any place where sunlight is getting to the tank from a window (as the seasons change) that will nearly guarantee an outbreak in that one spot. So do protect it from sunbeams.
One thing: it responds to light spectrum. If there is any place where sunlight is getting to the tank from a window (as the seasons change) that will nearly guarantee an outbreak in that one spot. So do protect it from sunbeams.
I thought question was about food source for algae.
I have found lights out works well even though it makes me a bit concerned with MH lights only.
I also have had good luck with Whisper Diatomagic filter. It filters to micron levels after clean glass or blowing off rocks. Micronized carbon is sometimes used as a second coat for clarity but I have not done it. I am always suprised this diatom filter design is not used much
I have found lights out works well even though it makes me a bit concerned with MH lights only.
I also have had good luck with Whisper Diatomagic filter. It filters to micron levels after clean glass or blowing off rocks. Micronized carbon is sometimes used as a second coat for clarity but I have not done it. I am always suprised this diatom filter design is not used much
cyano needs light, nitrat, phosphate, more nutrients. but also cyano seen much on low nutrient, nitrate and phosphate systems.
and suggestions for cyano are adding potasium nitrate, amino acids as a nutrient and stopping bacteria dosing. i did not understand why we need this?
and where is nitrogen and phosphorus here? and is this possible to control nitrogen?
actually i did not understand or am i wrong?
and suggestions for cyano are adding potasium nitrate, amino acids as a nutrient and stopping bacteria dosing. i did not understand why we need this?
and where is nitrogen and phosphorus here? and is this possible to control nitrogen?
actually i did not understand or am i wrong?
You'll always have algae in a healthy reef.
Spiking phosphate is likely a source of food for cyano. It does not have reserve energy like hair algae does. Acetic acid will feed bacteria potentially not algae as they are not carbon limited.
Spiking nitrate in planted tanks does wonders for plants but can easily kill sensitive acros. Leave that to the experts who want to kill stuff and write papers.
Spiking phosphate is likely a source of food for cyano. It does not have reserve energy like hair algae does. Acetic acid will feed bacteria potentially not algae as they are not carbon limited.
Spiking nitrate in planted tanks does wonders for plants but can easily kill sensitive acros. Leave that to the experts who want to kill stuff and write papers.
The goal of carbon dosing, such as vinegar, is to encourage bacterial growth. Then the skimmer removes the bacteria, along with nitrogen and phosphorus they have taken up from the water column. It seems to help in some cases. Carbon dosing can fuel cyanobacteria, too, though, possibly because of the energy available in the carbon dose.
I have had cyano for over one year now. I have tried adding nitrate, limiting nitrate, adding phosphate and limiting phosphate. None of these have helped.
As many vodka users are reporting cyano outbreaks I figured it might be due to the organic carbon. I installed an ozone generator and put some GAC at the skimmers outlet. I also stopped using NSW for waterchanges, and I am now only using TM pro reef salt mix. I am changing 25 liters/week (325l water in the aquarium). At the start (18 oct)about 2/3 of my sand bed, and some of my LR was covererd by a thick mat of cyanobacteria. Today I only have some small patches here and there. I have not removed any cyano manually which means that the bacteria is dying, and this is actually working. During this period I have been dosing small amounts of both N and P.
As many vodka users are reporting cyano outbreaks I figured it might be due to the organic carbon. I installed an ozone generator and put some GAC at the skimmers outlet. I also stopped using NSW for waterchanges, and I am now only using TM pro reef salt mix. I am changing 25 liters/week (325l water in the aquarium). At the start (18 oct)about 2/3 of my sand bed, and some of my LR was covererd by a thick mat of cyanobacteria. Today I only have some small patches here and there. I have not removed any cyano manually which means that the bacteria is dying, and this is actually working. During this period I have been dosing small amounts of both N and P.
anemone123
New member
I had a lot of cyano when I was using a nitrate reductor and no skimmer. The nitrate reductor removed the N but P built up over time and cyano covered the tank. After I figured out the problem it took several months to fix. I eventually removed the nitrate reductor and added a skimmer.
My recomendation is to keep the N and P both low. If you have P you will have cyano, if you have N and P you have hair algae. If you just have N neither will persist but it can affect the corals.
My recomendation is to keep the N and P both low. If you have P you will have cyano, if you have N and P you have hair algae. If you just have N neither will persist but it can affect the corals.
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