need some serious help..thinking about hanging the hobby up in frustration :/

[Fish_King_25]

Hello All,

I know it has been a couple of months since I have posted..but I will try to make this as short and sweet as I can, but still provide as much possible detail for everyone, because I definitely need some help getting things back to the way they once were.

Brief:
I have a 29g reef tank that has been up and running for about 1.5 years. (The tank was a FOWLR for about 10 years, and I decided to add coral about 1.5 years ago, the tank was transported when I moved, but has always been up and running. As far as equipment, I run a HOB Fuge and HOB Protein Skimmer. The skimmer is quite large (not 100% sure on brand but I remember it's specs were for a tank around 100g or so. I have two powerheads in the tank as well..a Koralia 2 AND an Aqueon 950 (tons of flow.) As far as livestock, I have approx. 20-25lbs of LR, 5 different types of Zoas, a Kenya Tree, yellow polyps, candy cane coral, waving hands, and another lps I forget the name of. I have a percula clown that I have had for about 9 years, bangaii cardinal, and a yellow coris wrasse (3 weeks old). 8 troucus snails, 2 margarita snails, peppermint shrimp, sand sifting starfish, and a serpent starfish.

Okay, now for the problem...For about 6 months I have been attempting to combat a cyanobacteria outbreak. Now I have seen many pictures and have researched this a bunch, but I am definitely missing something. I have not been able to get rid of this cyano regardless of what I have tried, and I have become quite discouraged. In fact, I am thinking about shutting my whole setup down completely if I cannot defeat this problem. The majority of the cyano continues to grow in my refugium. I have one ball of chaeto in there, and it doesn't grow NEARLY as fast as it used to. I have some cyano growing in various spots inside my tank as well. This was the main reason I added the additional powerhead that I really didn't think I needed, but it didn't help at all. I have tested my water dozens of times, taken my water to get tested to a very reputable LFS in my area as well, and all of my parameters have been absolutely perfect with a VERY SLIGHT elevated phosphate level. I have most recently ( 1 month or so ago) added a Phosban bag in my refugium, and it has not seemed to help at all either. I have done water change after water change, and the algae never stays away more than a week or so. I've done 72 hour blackouts.. I have cut feeding back so much, and just do not know what to do next. I am all out of ideas.

If anyone at all could chime in..ask some questions...provide some other options or thoughts...I would so greatly appreciate that. I am really struggling mentally because I just cannot get this problem resolved, and my corals and fish are all THRIVING, but the cyano just does not die.

***I had about 20 nassarius snails...and almost every single one has died with the exception of a few..I also had a diamond goby that was about 3 months old that died yesterday as well. I have NO idea if any of this has to do with the real problem, but I tried to stuff as much info in here as possible. IF anyone has any help at all, please please please help me out..

Thanks for reading everyone..

 

[gveng]

When you transported your tank when you moved did you reuse your old sand? If the answer is yes, then there's your problem.

 

[WunderWagen]

Another option that I heard about was old lighting. As the bulbs age the color spectrum can shift and cause this type of issue. On mine I was using PC lighting but I believe this applies to all bulb type lighting (not LED). When I changed my bulbs the cyano went away and the corals looked better. Might be worth a try.

David

 

[Fish_King_25]

When you transported your tank when you moved did you reuse your old sand? If the answer is yes, then there's your problem.

I did, but the tank was not emptied. The tank was moved while it was full. I just bagged up the fish that were in it at the time, and moved them seperately...Still think that could be the problem??

 

[Fish_King_25]

Another option that I heard about was old lighting. As the bulbs age the color spectrum can shift and cause this type of issue. On mine I was using PC lighting but I believe this applies to all bulb type lighting (not LED). When I changed my bulbs the cyano went away and the corals looked better. Might be worth a try.

David

Now here is a thought I have not given. I bought a brand new quad-bulb T5HO fixture last Feb '12. It came with 2 white and 2 actinic no name bulbs..and I am still using the same bulbs 14 months later..Is this my culprit??

 

[anbosu]

Possibly - do you use ro/di water?

 

[gveng]

I did, but the tank was not emptied. The tank was moved while it was full. I just bagged up the fish that were in it at the time, and moved them seperately...Still think that could be the problem??

There is your problem. When you moved the tank you stirred up the sand bed releasing whatever nasty crap you had trapped inside.

 

[Fish_King_25]

Possibly - do you use ro/di water?

Yes I do. Always..and I try and do 5g water change every other week.

 

[Fish_King_25]

There is your problem. When you moved the tank you stirred up the sand bed releasing whatever nasty crap you had trapped inside.

The tank has not been moved in 8+ years though. Would it have taken this long for that effect to take place?? I have had the tank in the same spot for years, but 1.5 years ago was when I decided I wanted to start adding coral and convert it to a reef tank..and this is when I purchased the light fixture so that I could grow coral.

 

[WunderWagen]

At 14 months your lights are overdue for a change... I would try that and see what happens.

David

 

[Leopard]

Raise your alk level and it should help or go away

 

[Dolmo5000]

Also, just because you test for and don't see any nutrient levels doesn't mean there isn't a source (even a large one) in your tank. The cyano and chaeto are doing what they do and taking it out of the water column as fast as it is released. I have had this issue with some very old live rock most of the time I have had my tank. When the nutrients are no longer present, the cyano and chaeto will stop growing. Hope this helps.

 

[navyfishguy]

Your parameters are reading low our slightly elevated because the cyano is eating whatever no3 and po4 you have in your tank. Cyano is probably one of the most efficient cleaners in the hobby problem is it takes over and it looks horrible. I'll bet my tank that the combination your lights and the old sand is what your problem is, and your getting good readings because the cyano and whatever other algea you have in your tank are using those nutrients before you can test them

Sent from my SPH-D710 using Tapatalk 2

 

[navyfishguy]

Also, just because you test for and don't see any nutrient levels doesn't mean there isn't a source (even a large one) in your tank. The cyano and chaeto are doing what they do and taking it out of the water column as fast as it is released. I have had this issue with some very old live rock most of the time I have had my tank. When the nutrients are no longer present, the cyano and chaeto will stop growing. Hope this helps.

Sorry didn't read your post lol but huge +1

Sent from my SPH-D710 using Tapatalk 2

 

[Reef Frog]

Don't let one of the most primitive life forms on earth beat you. Hang in there. Yes the old sand is a big culprit. Get rid of it slowly at water change time.

Silica is also a contributing but often over looked possibility. Very hard to find a good test for it. Comes in with water sometimes, even thru an RODI system. GFO will absorb it. I say run it in a media reactor...bags are inefficient & are best for small scale issues. I'd rather spend $35 + the price of a tiny pump than exit the hobby in defeat.

Get rid of all detritus & cyano you can by siphon and/or mechanical filtration. Keep at it.

Yes & go ahead & change the bulbs. A few more 3 day dark periods during the process may help break its back but is never a successful stand alone or permanent solution.

Your rocks have absorbed mucho nutrients during its 10 year life as a FOWLR. at water change time, consider blowing off the rocks big time in a separate bucket, if coral placement allows. You'll probably be amazed at the storm of filth you'll see.

EXPORT EXPORT EXPORT. Skimming! No offense but HOB skimmers are known to be terrible. Do your water changes. Keep dissolved organics low with GAC & modest feeding.

As a last resort there are lots of tank additives/mess that work. They have their downsides so do your research.

Combine these methods in a thoughtful consistent way & you'll have success. But GOOD GFO in a reactor is going to be the major tool IMO.

Best of luck.

 

[dkeller_nc]

I currently have a 20g nano powered by 2 65w PC bulbs. I was having similar algae issues running a combo sunpaq actinic 10K/460nm and a sunpaq 6700K/10000K daylight. Both were 10 months old or so.

I switched out both bulbs - a replacement 10K/460nm and a dual 460nm.

I also vacuumed out the sand (about 2" deep) and replaced it with new Arag-alive. I should note that I did this fairly slowly - a 5" square section removed once ever two days until the tank bottom was bare, then slowly added the arag-alive through the use of a funnel/long tube assembly over the course of 2 weeks. The arag-alive has a lot of "dust", but doing it this slowly resulted in the tank get just a slight milky tinge that was removed in about an hour with a Hagen aqua-clear installed for just this purpose (since removed).

That did the trick - coralline algae growth exploded, and GHA has pretty much died off. Not quite the same as cyano, but a similar light spectrum/nutrient accumulation problem.

 

[kingfisher62]

if you do get new bulbs be sure not to burn your corals. Start with a shorter photo period and work your way back up.