I need help figuring out this nutrient issue

[Bpb]

Upgrading to a larger skimmer and installing a biopellet reactor. I can handle a little cyano here and there. It's the other nuisance algae I can't stand. Maybe a herbivorous fish would help also. I know other locals that have tap water tanks, no skimmers, no refugiums or reactors of any kind, but lots of tangs and their tanks are void of algae. I throw everything but the kitchen sink at mine and it's an algae factory

 

[MammothReefer]

I'm not so sure that sure that carbon dosing doesn't help with cyano. I you dose a source of carbon that would increase the growth of other bacterial strains that will take the P cyano needs to use. If C is the limiting nutrient in the system that doesn't affect the growth of cyano, which gets C via photosynthesis, but definitively will limit the growth of other bacterial strains.

In a lot of cases carbon dosing will give you cyano where you didn't have it before. Got to run GFO w/carbon dosing (maybe not zeo) but the other methods.

 

[chopper320]

If I had a large enough tank for a tang, I would definitely add one but this being a 40 breeder, I don't think I could keep one happy. The skimmer that I have doesn't produce a ton of skim so wouldn't a bigger skimmer be pointless? I skim an almost tea colored skim and it still takes close to a week to fill the cup.

 

[Bpb]

isnt the cyano caused by carbon dosing only a temporary issue, which may not even happen if you run GFO and you ramp up your carbon dosing very slowly? I'm not so sure the argument of weak skimmate is indicative of an over sized skimmer. I tend to think that better reaction chamber design, as well as a pump that draws more air would result in more skimmate. I could be way off mark though. LOL I'm gonna be irritated if I spend $250 and upgrade from my under sized 5 year old 3" diameter eshopps skimmer to a 6" brand new Bubble Magus cone skimmer, and get no better performance.

 

[chopper320]

Yeah I don't know for sure on the skimmer. I'm running a bubble magus 3.5nac skimmer that's rated for an 80 gallon tank so I would think it's a capable skimmer for this tank. Plus isn't a skimmer going to effect nitrates more than anything? Those always register 0 for me.

 

[eg8r210]

The best response I think you got in this thread is the introduction of bacteria. In the past, every time I have cyano I dose MB7 to the tank and after a short while, week or so, the cyano is gone. When you add the MB7 turn your skimmer off for an hour or so to make sure you are not cleaning the bacteria right back out of the system.

 

[chopper320]

The best response I think you got in this thread is the introduction of bacteria. In the past, every time I have cyano I dose MB7 to the tank and after a short while, week or so, the cyano is gone. When you add the MB7 turn your skimmer off for an hour or so to make sure you are not cleaning the bacteria right back out of the system.

Yeah I think that is what I'm going to try. I'm a little nervous about adding bacteria but I will start conservatively.

 

[Bpb]

Skimmers remove a lot of stuff both good and bad beyond nitrate. There have been limited studies actually done on the matter, and the one that is often cited on here is a little wordy for me to read in its entirety but that is the basic conclusion. That skimmer should be about right for your tank, but if you were to start organic carbon dosing I believe you want to be at least one step bigger than ideal. Whether yours fits that category who knows. Mine certainly doesn't. From what I understand phosphate readings especially never tell the whole story, and you can have an algae feeding phosphate problem but the test will read zero. Not much solution here (still looking for solutions myself) but these are some conclusions I've drawn thus far

 

[chopper320]

Yeah that's what I figure is happening. I assume that I have elevated phosphates but they are being consumed by the algae and cyano. I really hoped that adding GFO would solve my problem but it's not really doing much.

I thought about upgrading the skimmer but I didn't want to just blindly throw money at the problem without being confident it will help.

 

[ramseynb]

Make sure your RODI filters don't need replacing. Also, do you have chloramines in your water source? If so, you need to add a special prefilter for that. Standard prefilter a won't work for chloramines and it's basically like dumping ammonia in your tank. You can check with your utility company and find out if they sanitize with chloramines. Just a thought.

 

[SeargentSlice]

Try cyano clean from Korallen zucht I have great results from there bulbs and other addatives

 

[chopper320]

Make sure your RODI filters don't need replacing. Also, do you have chloramines in your water source? If so, you need to add a special prefilter for that. Standard prefilter a won't work for chloramines and it's basically like dumping ammonia in your tank. You can check with your utility company and find out if they sanitize with chloramines. Just a thought.

I change out the prefilters every 6 months and never let my tds rise above 0. I haven't checked with the water company for chloramines but I know a lot of reefers in this area that aren't running special prefilters and aren't having these issues so I would assume there's no chloramines. I will check next week though. Thanks

 

[chopper320]

I guess the other question is: with the crappy pics I posted does it look like cyano to you guys? It does to me so that's what I've been calling it but I could be wrong.