This is a good thread from the past; originally posted by glaspak six years ago it resurfaces from time to time. Glaspak's original approach was pretty much right on and his techniques have withstood the tests of time.
Nutrient management is the key to solving algae problems. It is the only truly reef safe method. Two years ago someone advocated using the antibiotic, Maracyn, to cure cyanobacteria outbreaks. True cyano is somewhat borderline between a bacteria and algae but, if an antibiotic eliminates it, won't it also eliminate the bacteria that are keeping ammonia levels in check in your tank. Adding an antibiotic to a display tank is a very risky undertaking as it usually does more harm than good. There are also those who advocate the "slime algae" removal chemicals. I can tell you that a stiff dose of copper sulfate will kill cyano and also coralline, corals and probably your fish if the nitrogen cycle bacteria are also eliminated by dosing it. It is very hard to find a substance that zeros in and kills off just a particular organism. If there were we would not catch colds and billions of dollars have been spent on finding a cure for the common cold.
Glaspak had it right; the key is good tank management. Cyano is an especially hard bacteria/algae to eliminate even with good tank management and nutrient control. Why? Well he has a little trick up his sleeve. He can "fix" nitrogen, that is, he can take atmospheric or dissolved nitrogen and turn it into ammonia or nitrate. That is why tanks with low nitrate levels can have serious cyano outbreaks. Cyano can make their own food. They are also pretty much universal in our tanks as their nitrogen fixing abilities make them good symbionts for corals and sponges that harbor their cells.
The best means to control cyano, and many other nuisance algae for that matter, is phosphate control. If we can keep phosphate in check we can break the growth cycle of any algae who need it for nutrition. Water changes and good feeding practices help but phosphate is a component of all living cells and when they die, or during excretory elimination, they are released back into the water column. It also hides from our test kits as it often is in organic forms that are not detected by common test kits. One of the better methods for elimination of the element lies in using a phosphate reactor that removes phosphates using a ferric oxide removal media. These in combination with the ideas that Glaspak suggested in the original post in this thread can be a major help in keeping algae under control.
Nutrient management is the key to solving algae problems. It is the only truly reef safe method. Two years ago someone advocated using the antibiotic, Maracyn, to cure cyanobacteria outbreaks. True cyano is somewhat borderline between a bacteria and algae but, if an antibiotic eliminates it, won't it also eliminate the bacteria that are keeping ammonia levels in check in your tank. Adding an antibiotic to a display tank is a very risky undertaking as it usually does more harm than good. There are also those who advocate the "slime algae" removal chemicals. I can tell you that a stiff dose of copper sulfate will kill cyano and also coralline, corals and probably your fish if the nitrogen cycle bacteria are also eliminated by dosing it. It is very hard to find a substance that zeros in and kills off just a particular organism. If there were we would not catch colds and billions of dollars have been spent on finding a cure for the common cold.
Glaspak had it right; the key is good tank management. Cyano is an especially hard bacteria/algae to eliminate even with good tank management and nutrient control. Why? Well he has a little trick up his sleeve. He can "fix" nitrogen, that is, he can take atmospheric or dissolved nitrogen and turn it into ammonia or nitrate. That is why tanks with low nitrate levels can have serious cyano outbreaks. Cyano can make their own food. They are also pretty much universal in our tanks as their nitrogen fixing abilities make them good symbionts for corals and sponges that harbor their cells.
The best means to control cyano, and many other nuisance algae for that matter, is phosphate control. If we can keep phosphate in check we can break the growth cycle of any algae who need it for nutrition. Water changes and good feeding practices help but phosphate is a component of all living cells and when they die, or during excretory elimination, they are released back into the water column. It also hides from our test kits as it often is in organic forms that are not detected by common test kits. One of the better methods for elimination of the element lies in using a phosphate reactor that removes phosphates using a ferric oxide removal media. These in combination with the ideas that Glaspak suggested in the original post in this thread can be a major help in keeping algae under control.
