SPS Tank with cyano

Saltygram said:
Are you running an air stone in the tank or sump? When I use Red Slime Remover the instructions call for adding air.
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No, I didn't:( I have the water circulating through my sump and moderate flow with the Tunze pumps. Just did a 40 gallon water change at 29 hours and will do another one tomorrow night. Skimmer still going crazy so it's off. I should have followed Rams advice and used the Blue Life.
 
I didnt run an air stone myself as the powerheads have always been enough along with my skimmer I left on and pulled the drain plug to let it run right back into the sump.

Ive never had any problems with fish having negative effects from the chemiclean.
 
Came home to a cloudy tank with several dead/dying snails, water smelled like a major cycle with fresh live rock. Remove the snails and did another 40 gallon water change, added a generous portion of carbon and Phosguard, along with new sump sponges. Was able to restart the skimmer on the lowest setting with minimal overflow, unlike last night.

No dead fish seen, but I'm sure there are more dying snails in the recesses of that 150-180 pounds of live rock. So, now I wait, monitor and see what happens. 15 years in the hobby and I feel dumber than ever with this decision. I've always avoided quick fixes and while I had battled cyano/Dino's for months on this tank, I really regret using this product and will never advise anyone try it in spite of all the successes of others.
 
Wow - that's crazy. I also don't like quick fixes and hesitate to add anything to my tank for fear of the repercussions. However, chemiclean seems like one of those "tried and true" things in the hobby so I didn't hesitate to use it. Had absolutely zero issues and hadn't read of anyone else having any.

I'm sorry you are having this problem and feel bad for recommending it.

Keep us informed.

-Mike
 
It's crazy! I am losing acro frags to RTN very quickly now. At least 8 dead and more on the way, clams dead and the smell is just awful after another 40 gallon water change. Added another bag of carbon to the sump in addition to the carbon in the media reactor.

I suspect this tank will become something else like lps and/or softies. The SPS are just too difficult for this ole cowboy.
 
Wow, this cascaded fast.
Do you think it was not having an air stone or air source?
I have a small cyno problem, now I'm concerned about doing something like this.

I was told to just add a beneficial bacteria. It will out compete the cyno.
 
malira said:
Wow, this cascaded fast.
Do you think it was not having an air stone or air source?
I have a small cyno problem, now I'm concerned about doing something like this.

I was told to just add a beneficial bacteria. It will out compete the cyno.
Click to expand...
The skimmer couldn't be run due to massive over flooding turned all the way back. I did not run an air stone, so that was a factor for sure. I do have pretty high flow with tunze pumps and flow through the sump, but it wasn't enough.

The red water column looked like Mar's atmosphere which shocked me on Saturday night. This morning the whole house wreaks like rotting live rock. Most acros are bleached white and I found some more dead snails that weren't out last night.
 
Nanook said:
The skimmer couldn't be run due to massive over flooding turned all the way back. I did not run an air stone, so that was a factor for sure. I do have pretty high flow with tunze pumps and flow through the sump, but it wasn't enough.

The red water column looked like Mar's atmosphere which shocked me on Saturday night. This morning the whole house wreaks like rotting live rock. Most acros are bleached white and I found some more dead snails that weren't out last night.
Click to expand...

If you remember when my 135 crashed I had the same smell, and I didn't add anything. Just saying it may not be the chemclean stuff
 
Some cyno removers contain erythromycin.

I have seen way to many crashes with chemiclean.. I have asked what is in it and they wont tell me, I am guessing it is oxydator like maybe permanganate since they say no erythromycin. Is there any purple specs in in it? permanganate also can turn the water purple/pink.

Sorry about the crash.

This is a general statement to all who have cyano problems:

Cyno is extremely abundant and eventually be reintroduced to your aquarium and next time it will be far worse if the problem is not taken care of.

You need to find the limiting factor and cut it off and that is phosphates. That cyano is using up phosphates and if you kill it with a chemical those phosphates will continue to grow and cause even bigger problems like bind to your rock or substrate and once that happens your in for a real treat trying to rid your tank of phosphates.. That is really the main reason people have so many issues with algae. Right now that cyano bacteria is actually doing you a favor and warning you of a problem and using up that phosphates.

Find the source of the phosphates.. It in most cases is improper nutrient export or too much nutrient import. Nutrient import can be from over feeding or overcrowding.. It also could be coming in through make up water or water used for water changes if the water is not properly treated with a ro/di system.. Nutrient export could be done through a properly sized skimmer or water changes. Some people us other things like Phosphate removers which can help get things back under control too..

It could be too late and the cyano could be pulling bound phosphates from the rock or substrate. Substrate can be changed if that is the problem.. If it is coming from the rock it can take a while.... Start siphoning out the slime algae, by doing this you are removing the nutrients directly.

Cyno is one of the easier too control algae, really a bacteria and is a good learning point on how to keep algae under control.. Bubble algae, dictyota, dinoflagellates, bryopsis are far harder.
Almost everyone has some cyno in their tank, it is just kept under control and most of the time you dont see it.

My real problem with using chemical to rid yourself of a problem is you dont learn anything and when a bigger problem creeps up you end up with a crash.
 
Last edited:
shred5 said:
Some cyno removers contain erythromycin.

I have seen way to many crashes with chemiclean.. I have asked what is in it and they wont tell me, I am guessing it is oxydator like maybe permanganate since they say no erythromycin. Is there any purple specs in in it? permanganate also can turn the water purple/pink.

Sorry about the crash.

This is a general statement to all who have cyano problems:

Cyno is extremely abundant and eventually be reintroduced to your aquarium and next time it will be far worse if the problem is not taken care of.

You need to find the limiting factor and cut it off and that is phosphates. That cyano is using up phosphates and if you kill it with a chemical those phosphates will continue to grow and cause even bigger problems like bind to your rock or substrate and once that happens your in for a real treat trying to rid your tank of phosphates.. That is really the main reason people have so many issues with algae. Right now that cyano bacteria is actually doing you a favor and warning you of a problem and using up that phosphates.

Find the source of the phosphates.. It in most cases is improper nutrient export or too much nutrient import. Nutrient import can be from over feeding or overcrowding.. It also could be coming in through make up water or water used for water changes if the water is not properly treated with a ro/di system.. Nutrient export could be done through a properly sized skimmer or water changes. Some people us other things like Phosphate removers which can help get things back under control too..

It could be too late and the cyano could be pulling bound phosphates from the rock or substrate. Substrate can be changed if that is the problem.. If it is coming from the rock it can take a while.... Start siphoning out the slime algae, by doing this you are removing the nutrients directly.

Cyno is one of the easier too control algae, really a bacteria and is a good learning point on how to keep algae under control.. Bubble algae, dictyota, dinoflagellates, bryopsis are far harder.
Almost everyone has some cyno in their tank, it is just kept under control and most of the time you dont see it.

My real problem with using chemical to rid yourself of a problem is you dont learn anything and when a bigger problem creeps up you end up with a crash.
Click to expand...




I would say that Nook is very experienced in reef keeping and exhausted every possible way to rid his tank of this bacteria. I believe that he has kept his phosphates in check since the beginning of his tank which makes me wonder about the statement you made about the feeding off of phosphates.


Nook, good luck man.
 
Pife said:
I would say that Nook is very experienced in reef keeping and exhausted every possible way to rid his tank of this bacteria. I believe that he has kept his phosphates in check since the beginning of his tank which makes me wonder about the statement you made about the feeding off of phosphates.


Nook, good luck man.
Click to expand...

I know who he is.. Don't matter how experienced you are you still can make mistakes or have neglected your tank for a bit due to work or some family issue etc. and ended up with bound phosphates or a phosphate issue?

What does bacteria feed off?
Same as most living organisms.
Phosphate, nitrogen and carbon source. The limiting factor for algae is phosphate. Limiting source for bacteria most of the time in aquaria is carbon that is why some add carbon but with out phosphate cyano still wont grow.

The problem is after time phosphate can bind to your rocks or sand bed and algae and bacteria can sometime pull this out. Cyno and dinoflagellates are very good at pulling these bound phosphates out even if very little is available in the water column. They are also very good at trapping food and detritus and getting phosphate this way. I am not saying anything that is not well know in the hobby or marine biology.
 
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