cynobacteria

[temperhead]

i am still strugling with cynobacteria on my substrate, its been 3 months and still sucking the stuff out every 3-4 days when it comes back.
i have cut back on lighting and food do to this issue, i do alot of water changes only ro/di, my nitrates fluctuate from 10-20 ntrite-0, a-0, ph-8.3,
i cant put alot of flow close to the substrate cause it blows the sand around.

any one with the same problems?
any tips?

 

[nauticac4]

What do you have for flow? Describe your total system and that will be a starting point for advice. Many times there is not enough flow, ect. Have you tested phosphate...

 

[billsreef]

Are you running carbon?

 

[temperhead]

NO CARBON, FLOW FROM-KORILA 4, 2 RIO 600'S, DOWN FLOW FROM A CPR BAKPAK W/RIO 1200 AND A AQUA CLEAR 110/500. THAT SEEMS GOOD FOR A 55GAL RIGHT?

 

[temperhead]

i have never tested for phosphat.

 

[cutegecko3]

Do you ever vaccum or stir your sand bed?Left alone for a long time it becomes a phosphate trap.

 

[billsreef]

I'd suggest running some high grade carbon along with doing a good phosphate test.

 

[hartsafire]

hmmmm red slime algae? I had that too in my 24 g AP... got some chemiclean red slime remover.. haven`t had the problem since...Make sure you do a water change 48 hrs after using this.. It worked for me and I had the stuff all over my sand bed..

 

[Reef Aquatics]

I would suggest Chemi Clean to be a Last Resort.

Chemicals are only a quick fix and doesnt eliminate the actual problem, IE Poor
water quality, high nitrates,phosphates or silicates..There are many other methods
to try first.

I would suggest running either a bag of Phos Guard or Chemi Pure Carbon.
The new Chemi Pure has ferric oxide and will remove Silicates and Phosphates.

Also keep siphoning, it will at some point cause chemical self destruction.

Also check your flow, Cyano likes to spread in areas of low flow, quite possible
you have some dead spots and thats where it is thriving. Point one of your
powerheads toward the area most affected by the cyano.

Limit your feeding, don't over feed..

Although Cyano is more of a bacteria then it is an Algae, I would still limit
your day lighting schedule for a short time.

Test your water...Cyano loves Nitrate, phosphates and silicate...

 

[The Crowing]

Excessive PO4 levels always seem to be the main contributor with me. It wouldn't hurt to check, and also I agree with reef aquatics that phosguard is a good product for PO4 removal.

 

[tanyashankles]

Im no expert, but I had the same problem for like 3 months, came here on rc, and was told it is a natural part of the cycling process that occurs on younger tanks, and that it would go away on its own. I could siphon if I wanted to, just to keep it at bay. So thats what I did, just sucked it out and waited. And as quickly as it came it was gone, after waiting another couple weeks. I was told that no matter what you do, it will occur on a newer tank. My tank was 4 months old when it began growing, and about 6-6 1/2 months when it cleared up. It is now 10 months and still havent seen a speck since it cleared up. It covered everything, and I searched and searched, and all I could find was a definition of what it is instead of how to rid it. Then I came to RC, and they told me to wait it out, and they were absolutely right. I personally dont think a reef tank is completely finished its stages and cycling until the first year has passed. That seems like a long time, but I thought 6 weeks ended the cycling, but it seems a new stage comes along when another finishes. Patience is a virtue in this hobby, I learned that the hard way. It is really hard to be patient with something that is so beautiful and fascinating, especially when ur beautiful and fascinating creation has red slime covering its inhabitants and substrate and anything else in it. At that point in ur newly found hobby, you are probably thinking, 'oh my gosh what do i do' and dont realize it WILL go away, you are thinking it is something that needs fixed or it will stay that way. At least thats what I thought. I panicked because I thought there was something I was doing wrong to cause this ugly growth. But in fact it was just another stage one has to go thru, so dont worry. It will go away, if you have had it for a while now, it is probably going to be gone within the month. Another powerhead will help too. I had to end up stirring it up and scoop it out with a net because the vacuum wouldnt always pick it up due to the fact that it was stuck on substrate and too heavy, it would just fall back out. So stir it around and scoop your net back and forth back and forth until the biggest part is gone, if it bothers you. otherwise, just give it some more time, and Im sure it will be gone before you know it. Sorry for the 'book' Im shutting up now... lol..

 

[jdiddy8384]

I had a little problem with red slime when i didnt have enough flow. Added more flow = problem solved

 

[Reefer Brian]

Water changes, phos remover, and some chemi clean should do the trick.............

 

[tspors]

If I may add my 2 cents here. Cyno is a bacteria. You can not remove a bacteria by changing your lighting, or water changes, it will only alter the speed it grows. You have to remove the issue. You will here people talk about UltraLife Red Slime Remover. http://www.ultralife.com/addit.htm#bgr
They will say it is bad and it hurt there tank. It will not hurt your corals or fish. This tank treatment will eat the red slime from your tank. The problem with people knocking products like this is that they use it wrong. They do not take all considerations in before using it. It tells you to use 1 scoop per 15 gallons. If you have a 150gal tank this does not egual 15 scoops. Yes you can damage your tank if you do that. If you calculate the diplasement volumn the rock has then you can properly treat your tank, and safely. Also you should apply one more treatment after it is all gone. This should take 6 days before you complete your water change. Also during this 6 days turn off your skimmer. Turn it back on when you do the water change and get ready to empty it daily. Treatment are ok when you actually do them properly.

Cynobacteria
Common Name: Red Slime Algae, Blue-green algae

Cynobacteria are unicellular aquatic bacteria, only visible to us when they form large colonies, often in sheet form in areas of slow water flow in the aquarium.

They are one of the oldest and most important forms of bacteria. Photosynthetic in nature, they can produce their own food from light. In fact plants contain ancestors of cynobacteria in the form of chloroplast within the plant cells.

Unsightly outbreaks of cynobacteria are often initially associated with an excess of nutrients (chemical causes), although once established nutrient levels are less important. Other environmental factors that seem to encourage outbreaks include physical causes such as slow water flow and fluctuating or high water temperature (often occurs in the summer in inadequately cooled aquariums) and a lack of predation (biological control).

Unfortunately for us, it is their adaptability that makes them so successful in the aquarium, as such it is usually not a single easily identifiable factor that is responsible for an out break.

 

[madadi]

i had 4 koralias in my 90gal tank. i sold two of them to someone last weekend. now my tank is all covered in cyano. nothing else changed. im convinced flow is the issue. i cant wait to buy two koralias to increase flow back up.

 

[J. Montgomery]

I kill cyanobacteria with erythromycin. I've done it one several occasions without any trouble other than it makes the skimmer go insane when you turn it back on.

I dose half the recommended amount over night, with the skimmer turned off. The next morning I do a water change (10-20%, the bigger the better), and turn the skimmer back on. I repeat as needed, usually no more than three days.

 

[Reefynewby]

I've had the same problem.
I get cyano EVERYWHERE.
i've had a tank for a little less than a year, with cyano blooming everywhere (also some brown algae sometimes).
I have tried increasing flow a lot. I run mag-flows that are fast i forget the actual GPH, it was like 300 or something.
However, I do have Power heads. I've tried everything. I have a 60 gallon show that's 4' long, and i've had two korallia 3's in the tank and they had no avail.

 

[Fish_King_25]

try lowering the powerheads a little so they flow is closer to the sand...worked for me when i first got my 30g set up...i dont have any cyano problems anymore.

 

[opskiller]

I was struggling with cyano myself and just recently got it somewhat under control. I have a 30 Gal Ocianic Cube and just added a powerhead and poly filter and it seems that it is keeping things at bay. I am going to pickup another powerhead that rotates to add to one more dead spot in the tank and I really think it will be under control. Chemiclean does help also. Cam anyone tell me if this is true? I read that the Scarlet Red Leg Hermit Crabs eat cyano, but I find that hard to belive.

Thanks

Ops

 

[erikages]

Cyano will vanish with the right combination of regular husbandry.
1. RODI water changes (regular routine)
2. appropriate water flow (no hurricanes needed)
3. lots and lots of reef custodians (crabs, snails, etc.); replenish these on an annual basis
4. Phosban/carbon reactors, if you wish.

You don't need chemicals (Chemiclean) or drugs (erythromycin). Just develop a standard husbandry protocol and you'll be fine in the long run.

As far as new tank syndrome and the presence of cyano, I've experienced the same thing, even with the addition of established live rock and aragonite sand. Patience, water flow and a nice community of custodians will eventually bring it all under control.

Erik