griss’ Battle with Cyano - all the Things I’ve Tried

[shred5]

Today’s test results.

Alk 10.5
Mg 1170 (added some Mg supplement)
Ca 475
NO3 4
PO4 0.00

So, a couple things baffling me.

1. Ca was at 450 two weekends ago and I haven’t added anything to increase it. I did do a water change using IO last weekend???

2. PO4 still 0.00? I took the GFO out last weekend and have been feeding daily, frozen Mysis, frozen brine or pellets.

Hobby kits are not very accurate. Half a drop one way or another can make a difference.

 

[griss]

Hobby kits are not very accurate. Half a drop one way or another can make a difference.

What’s baffling me the most is the PO4. I’m using a Hanna low range checker which, if memory serves, are pretty accurate.

 

[shred5]

What’s baffling me the most is the PO4. I’m using a Hanna low range checker which, if memory serves, are pretty accurate.

Well if you have algae it can use up the phosphate even though it is being added everyday through dosing, food, amino etc..
So yea the water column might be very low. Bacteria can use allot up too.
Like I said earlier I believe cyano can uptake bound phosphates. So it may not be in the water column it my be leaching form rocks or sand or what ever it is laying on. I mean if you have algae there are phosphates it cant live without it.

Do you have another way of testing phosphate? I have had bad test kits/reagents etc.

Did you use live rock or dead rock?

 

[griss]

Well if you have algae it can use up the phosphate even though it is being added everyday through dosing, food, amino etc..
So yea the water column might be very low. Bacteria can use allot up too.
Like I said earlier I believe cyano can uptake bound phosphates. So it may not be in the water column it my be leaching form rocks or sand or what ever it is laying on. I mean if you have algae there are phosphates it cant live without it.

Do you have another way of testing phosphate? I have had bad test kits/reagents etc.

Did you use live rock or dead rock?

Yep, I understand all that. But thanks for bringing it up again. In all my years in the hobby, I've never really been big on testing. I usually let the health of the corals dictate my maintenance. This battle is what caused me to start chasing the numbers

I currently do not have another way to test the PO4. The Hanna checker was detecting it previously until this month. The powder is all new and not expired. So, I'm assuming it's good.

I used a combination of dry rock from the now defunct Reef Rocks and live rock from KP.

 

[griss]

Finally got around to testing today. I intended to over the weekend, but babysitting the granddaughter and boating to priority.

I’ve been neglectful about adding NO3 daily for a week or so

I removed the gfo a while back and removed my filter socks a day or two ago. I’ve also, for the last week, added reef roids to my daily feeding.

Today’s results:
Alk 9.45 Salifert
Mg 1125 Salifert
Ca 450 Salifert
NO3 1.0 Salifert
PO4 0.02 Hanna

 

[griss]

Oh, and on a side note, the Cyano is making a bit of a comeback for the last week…but only on the sand. It’s not on the rock like it was previously.

In addition, my Caulerpa in the fuge is doing really well.

 

[wvned]

Battling cyano causes cyano
Which sounds stupid but I believe it
Get parameters right and then use chemaclean and it stays away until they go wonky again

 

[griss]

Battling cyano causes cyano
Which sounds stupid but I believe it
Get parameters right and then use chemaclean and it stays away until they go wonky again

Had the parameters right, used chemiclean. Wiped most of it out but it came back.

 

[wvned]

I haven’t had any since the first of the year
As long as none of the reactors go wonky it won’t be a problem. I haven’t done any testing since February. Stable is wonderful

 

[griss]

Maybe I should stop chasing numbers. Removed the filter socks, replenished my fuge with macro and removed the GFO. Bi-weekly water changes instead of weekly and the Cyano seems (knock on wood) seems to be retreating and the Mermaid’s Wineglass is coming back????

 

[griss]

Haven’t posted in a while. Tank looks fantastic. No Cyano on the rocks and only a tiny bit here and there on the sand.

I noted my pH was a bit low several weeks ago and have been dosing kalk.

Numbers as of today:
dKH - 11.8
Ca - 430
Mg - 1200 (need to start dosing again)
NO3 - 0.5 (need to start dosing again)
PO4 - 0.0 I cannot get this to increase. I’ve been over feeding and removed GFO???
pH - 8.0 - 8.2

 

[kharmaguru]

Haven’t posted in a while. Tank looks fantastic. No Cyano on the rocks and only a tiny bit here and there on the sand.

I noted my pH was a bit low several weeks ago and have been dosing kalk.

Numbers as of today:
dKH - 11.8
Ca - 430
Mg - 1200 (need to start dosing again)
NO3 - 0.5 (need to start dosing again)
PO4 - 0.0 I cannot get this to increase. I’ve been over feeding and removed GFO???
pH - 8.0 - 8.2

If your tank looks good, don't chase a phosphate number just because 'they' tell you so. You know you are inputting it, so consider it balanced and carry on IMO. I agree with upping nitrate and mag. In a recent article from Mike Paletta, he said it's been observed that tanks with the best coral coloration have phosphate to nitrate of 1:100. So if we assume you really have .01 phosphate, you only need 1ppm nitrate to be balanced.

 

[griss]

Thanks Sean, appreciate the input.

 

[griss]

All I can say is, since starting dosing Kalk, wow.

 

[griss]

Some more pics, some with blues and some without.

 

[griss]

@Joypaws83 check out my still crazy R. Florida

 

[Misled]

Very cool George.

 

[griss]

Very cool George.

Thanks Jesse. I’m happy with my reef the last couple months for the first time in a long time.

 

[Joypaws83]

@Joypaws83 check out my still crazy R. Florida

Love it!

 

[griss]

Well, been back to my 1990s/early 2000s roots. Dosing Kalk and not chasing numbers.

I think things are looking pretty good. Just cleaned the glass and the actinics are off.