chopper320
New member
I posted a similar question in the reef discussion section a couple of weeks ago but I didn't find get much advice that I hadn't already been trying.
My issue is nuisance algae. I have a 40 breeder with 20 gallon sump predominately sps. The tank is lit by 2 reefbreeders value fixtures.
This tank has been setup for about 1.5 years and I have generally always dealt with algae problems. When I set the tank up, I let some caulerpa get out of hand and it has been a constant battle. My only method of removal has been manually during every water change, I pull off as much as I can. It keeps it somewhat in check but it's still a pain to deal with.
This isn't the bad part though. The algae that I'm even more concerned about is cyano. It forms on my sand and my rock. My nitrates show 0 on multiple test kits. My phosphates registered 0 on a test kit that I borrowed but I don't have my own phosphate kit at this time.
I do weekly 10% water changes with previously IO salt but just switched to Reef Crystals over the last 2 weeks. I started running GFO in a phosban reactor about 2 months ago and have been changing it out about every 5 days.
I also have an area in my sump that grows chaeto and it seems to grow at a pretty decent rate. My skimmer cup fills about 1x per week but I empty and clean the cup about every 3 days to keep it running more efficient. I have about 75x gph flow in my tank.
I have been going lights out for 3 days each month. When I do this, the tank looks great afterwards but withing 3-4 days, the cyano is back. Over the last 2 weeks, I've been doing a 10% water change every other day and siphoning out sand each time. I had a 1" sandbed with a sugar fine sand that would occasionally get blown around by my pumps. My goal is to just slowly remove all of this.
My fish are:
2 perc clowns
1 yellow tail damsel
sixline wrasse
starry blenny
I feed my fish predominately frozen but very sparingly. I feed about a half cube every other day and sometimes I substitute pellets or flakes.
My sps are all healthy except for a pink birdsnest that gets algae growth on its tips. Everything else has good color and growth rate. I dose B-Ionic and occasionally magnesium.
My CA is 420
Alk 9dkh
Mg is 1350.
I just can't figure this cyano out and its driving me mad. Even though my corals seem healthy, my tank is ugly to me when I look at it because of that algae. It has me close to throwing in the towel.
My issue is nuisance algae. I have a 40 breeder with 20 gallon sump predominately sps. The tank is lit by 2 reefbreeders value fixtures.
This tank has been setup for about 1.5 years and I have generally always dealt with algae problems. When I set the tank up, I let some caulerpa get out of hand and it has been a constant battle. My only method of removal has been manually during every water change, I pull off as much as I can. It keeps it somewhat in check but it's still a pain to deal with.
This isn't the bad part though. The algae that I'm even more concerned about is cyano. It forms on my sand and my rock. My nitrates show 0 on multiple test kits. My phosphates registered 0 on a test kit that I borrowed but I don't have my own phosphate kit at this time.
I do weekly 10% water changes with previously IO salt but just switched to Reef Crystals over the last 2 weeks. I started running GFO in a phosban reactor about 2 months ago and have been changing it out about every 5 days.
I also have an area in my sump that grows chaeto and it seems to grow at a pretty decent rate. My skimmer cup fills about 1x per week but I empty and clean the cup about every 3 days to keep it running more efficient. I have about 75x gph flow in my tank.
I have been going lights out for 3 days each month. When I do this, the tank looks great afterwards but withing 3-4 days, the cyano is back. Over the last 2 weeks, I've been doing a 10% water change every other day and siphoning out sand each time. I had a 1" sandbed with a sugar fine sand that would occasionally get blown around by my pumps. My goal is to just slowly remove all of this.
My fish are:
2 perc clowns
1 yellow tail damsel
sixline wrasse
starry blenny
I feed my fish predominately frozen but very sparingly. I feed about a half cube every other day and sometimes I substitute pellets or flakes.
My sps are all healthy except for a pink birdsnest that gets algae growth on its tips. Everything else has good color and growth rate. I dose B-Ionic and occasionally magnesium.
My CA is 420
Alk 9dkh
Mg is 1350.
I just can't figure this cyano out and its driving me mad. Even though my corals seem healthy, my tank is ugly to me when I look at it because of that algae. It has me close to throwing in the towel.
