My cyano appeared to be gone, but today it is definitely back. After the first outbreak, I increased circulation and started dosing Kent Marine Buffer parts A and B. Now it's back and there's a layer of "turf" under the red slime. Is this "turf" the real cyano? I took it all out, turf and all. I hope that wasn't a mistake. I ended up removing some sand too because I was having difficulty removing just the cyano. I didn't take a lot of sand though, so I hope that won't be a problem. Anyway, how should I go about fixing this problem?
My Cyano's Back
- Thread starter Christine
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I would also be interested in a reply to this topic. I have gotten a few small patches of red slime forming in my tank also. I siphon it off a water changes but it keeps coming back. Its not overtaking the tank,yet, just a few patches.
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I really don't know if I'm right or wrong on this problem but I have been dealing with red algae for a few months now. It shows up on some of my LR and on my substrate, usually 4 to 6 days after my last water change.
I've been using a two-fold method which has not eliminated the problem but seems to be keeping it under control. First, at every 10% water change (once per week) I blow the rocks and substrate off with a turkey baster, trying to capture as much of the red algae up as I go along. I also clean off the tank sides before I change the water. If you're careful, the red algae comes off in "sheets" and is easy to suck up with the baster.
Once a month during my real big clean, I stir the substrate, blow off the rocks and do a 25% water change.
I just broke through a hard, green algae bloom and I hope to get through this next bloom the same way, with regular water changes and lots of daily maintenance.
I've also, tryed brushing off the rocks with a soft toothbrush but I don't really like this method as much because it disburses too much debrise into the water.
Hope this helps.
Dianne =
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You bought some rocks and they were how much?
I've been using a two-fold method which has not eliminated the problem but seems to be keeping it under control. First, at every 10% water change (once per week) I blow the rocks and substrate off with a turkey baster, trying to capture as much of the red algae up as I go along. I also clean off the tank sides before I change the water. If you're careful, the red algae comes off in "sheets" and is easy to suck up with the baster.
Once a month during my real big clean, I stir the substrate, blow off the rocks and do a 25% water change.
I just broke through a hard, green algae bloom and I hope to get through this next bloom the same way, with regular water changes and lots of daily maintenance.
I've also, tryed brushing off the rocks with a soft toothbrush but I don't really like this method as much because it disburses too much debrise into the water.
Hope this helps.
Dianne =
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You bought some rocks and they were how much?
hesaias
Premium Member
Hey, its helpful to know Im not the only one suffering with this stuff.
Im adding some caulerpa and many snails, and a cuke next week. 10% waterchanges weekly blasting, carbon and pleater filters to get the junk out of the system, but nothing seems to help much. Ill let y'all know if the cleanup crew and caulerpa work.
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hesaias
my homepage
Im adding some caulerpa and many snails, and a cuke next week. 10% waterchanges weekly blasting, carbon and pleater filters to get the junk out of the system, but nothing seems to help much. Ill let y'all know if the cleanup crew and caulerpa work.
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hesaias
my homepage
hey all, i was haveing the same problem a while back it was mainly in my substrate, or i should say on my substrate! i was useing fine crushed coral, and it looked awful!!!!! every other day or 2 the stuff would come back, i would vacume it out with my siphon hose and again it woud just come back!!!! so what i did is overhaul the tank and take all the substreate out down to the bare glass!!! this seemed to work and the only small patches i have left is on one spacific piece of live rock with some bristle looking algae on it that i got from the store, it only grows on the algae grass stuff for the most and i brush it off once a week from there. this way anything that settles to the bottom can be siphoned out once a week when im doing a 10% water change and its easy to see with no substrate! ive seen several tanks that look great with no substrate so i went by there example! there were two things ive used to combat the red slime that worked somewhat well they were a kent product in a bottle the stuff was a redish purple, but i cant remember the name of it and the other was a small white BB looking stuff that i put in my bio filter, this stuff took care of it better and as above i cant remember the name of it either. however i will get the names for you this week!!! other than that the best thing i can say is vaccume vaccume vaccume! its the best way to combat it that i know! ive been told that the phosphates in water are the leading cause of this so use ro water!!! if youre not. and hopefully this will help out! hope i helped a little. like i mentioned ill get the names of the 2 products ive used for you all and mabe they can help you too,
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caver
however i will get the names for you this week!!! other than that the best thing i can say is vaccume vaccume vaccume! its the best way to combat it that i know! ive been told that the phosphates in water are the leading cause of this so use ro water!!! if youre not. and hopefully this will help out! hope i helped a little. like i mentioned ill get the names of the 2 products ive used for you all and mabe they can help you too,------------------
caver
Cyanobacteria typically appear as blue-green to black bubble trapping sheets. Like other chlorophyll-bearing creatures they utilize light (though not a lot), CO2, and dissolved organics. This is where you can beat them. Create a hostile environent by increasing the oxygen level in the water (surface agitation or a simple increase in flowrate in their area) and by taking the dissolved organic compounds (DOCs) out of the picture via fractionation (skimming) or precipitation (kalking). The reason they hug rocks and substrate is proximity to the waste products of the fauna hiding within.
Sometimes red sometime clear Dinoflagellate sheets are a slightly diferent issue. Check your pH (something that gradual kalking can do nicely, thank you). There is plenty of anecdotal evidence that raising pH (and some claim raising temp) suppresses their spread. You can also try to starve them out of nutrients by lowering DOC's.
Both occur naturally even in the most well maintained aquaria, so if they aren't present in alarming quantities...
In an cae, any remedy has to be applied judiciously so as not to stress other tank inhabitants.
I highly recommend physical removal of havy sheets, they can literally suffocate cryptic fauna (and flora) in rocks. Cyanobac and dinoflag alike benefit from the increased nutrients brought about by subsequent tank fouling from all the dead organisms, and we wouldn't want the disgusting, slimey basts TOO happy.
Sometimes red sometime clear Dinoflagellate sheets are a slightly diferent issue. Check your pH (something that gradual kalking can do nicely, thank you). There is plenty of anecdotal evidence that raising pH (and some claim raising temp) suppresses their spread. You can also try to starve them out of nutrients by lowering DOC's.
Both occur naturally even in the most well maintained aquaria, so if they aren't present in alarming quantities...
In an cae, any remedy has to be applied judiciously so as not to stress other tank inhabitants.
I highly recommend physical removal of havy sheets, they can literally suffocate cryptic fauna (and flora) in rocks. Cyanobac and dinoflag alike benefit from the increased nutrients brought about by subsequent tank fouling from all the dead organisms, and we wouldn't want the disgusting, slimey basts TOO happy.
Keep your phosphates down too!
Be stingy about overfeeding, and test your replacement water. I've found some phosphate in my replacement water (TWP + IO salt), so when I'm curing my replacement water, I use a phosphate sponge so I don't introduce any phosphate into the system.
[This message has been edited by Joez (edited 01-03-2000).]
Be stingy about overfeeding, and test your replacement water. I've found some phosphate in my replacement water (TWP + IO salt), so when I'm curing my replacement water, I use a phosphate sponge so I don't introduce any phosphate into the system.
[This message has been edited by Joez (edited 01-03-2000).]
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