Fighting with Cyano

[EllieSuz]

I'm having a battle with Cyano. Has anybody figured out a way to vacuum it off the sand without taking a whole bunch of sand with it? I siphon it up, pour off the dirty saltwater with the free floating cyano in it, clean the remaining sand left in the bucket with fresh saltwater and put it back in the tank. I just keep thinking there must be an easier way.

 

[AmherstReef]

That's usually how I do it too , just try to use the smallest size siphon hose possible

 

[saltwaterpicaso]

i tried all the siphoning and blowing it off everything and it never went away. the way i got rid of it was raising salinity too 1.026 buying a new skimmer. adding gfo and a watchman goby to clean the sand. walla no more cyano.

 

[EllieSuz]

Yes, I'm doing all those things too, plus larger and more frequent water changes. The siphoning it off the sand is just so it looks better, not because I expect it to cure the problem.

 

[Conesus_Kid]

Eileen,

How are you making your topoff water? The reason I ask is that I had a float valve on my RO/DI reservoir that would refill as the topoff constantly dripped into the sump. This meant that the RO/DI was always stopping/starting and never was making really pure water. I was constantly battling cyano.

Now, I turn on the RO/DI once per week and the cyano problem has all but disappeared.

 

[EllieSuz]

I make RO/DI water one day a week and store it in jugs. I do not use an ATO, but add it manually twice a day. I have recently replaced the filters in the RO/DI unit and it's testing 0 TDS. I change GFO every two weeks, and my skimmer is fairly new and overskims a tank my size. I've exhausted every "natural" remedy I can think of and have great reservations about adding any chemicals. For instance, I've read reviews on ChemiClean and although the vast majority of them are positive, now and then you get one where all the livestock died after using it. That's not an option I'm willing to chance. This crap sure takes a lot of the joy out of the hobby.

 

[88rxna]

I am pretty much in the same exact boat. I DID do the chemiclean i think it helped. I can not say for sure because i did all the other remedies you are.currently doing (ro/di filters, new bulbs gfo etc...). I am about ready to dump more chemiclean in to see if it helps again.

 

[tmz]

Don't know an easy way to siphon without getting some sand. Siphoning is important not just for aesthetics but because it removes th cyano and the nutrients and toxins in it. Lower PO4 will cause it to wane over time. Cleaning up detritus accumulations is very helpful too.

 

[GMaquarium]

Siphon it out with sand. If your water is not high in N and P, and you have enough water movement in spots where cyano always sparks up, you gatta get it out. Siphon cyano with sand it's growing on. There are bound nutrients in it that locally creat conditions for it grow. Also make sure you stir it up before water changes. This old sand could be recycled, just wash, soak for a bit in vinegar and reuse.

 

[AmherstReef]

The only thing that worked to get rid off cyano for me was adding a reactor running GFO. I see you already are , just wondering if you using enough .

 

[EllieSuz]

I'm using the recommended amount and changing it out every two weeks without fail.

 

[88rxna]

Are you measuring phosphates? I havent been but i have a hanna checker in the mail as we speak.

 

[Jstn]

Are you measuring phosphates? I havent been but i have a hanna checker in the mail as we speak.

I think it comes down to this, if you arent measuring your PO4, your GFO may get consumed in a few days. Until your PO4 are manageable, you may have to use a considerable amount of GFO to get there.

 

[EllieSuz]

What's the best test for PO4 that doesn't break the bank?

 

[Conesus_Kid]

Eileen,
Bring a sample to LFS (ABC Aquarium for example) to at least get an accurate baseline.

 

[EllieSuz]

Good idea, Scott. CF is having a sale this weekend and I was going to go there anyway. I also think my neighbor has a test kit and he and I help each other out with our tanks all the time.

 

[tomgndallas]

Had success with chemiclean, but it still comes down to phosphate management. I use chemipure and phosphagen on the 20 nano, it works pretty good. Light feeding and good flow too.

 

[tomgndallas]

We also had a local that confused diatoms with cyano, I know it sounds crazy but it happens. Something caused his tank to cycle, so yes getting a good work up on your chemistry is the right way to go.

 

[tmz]

The hannah low range phosphate checker for about $50 gets good reviews.