xtrstangx
Premium Member
First, you need to ask yourself the following questions:
How long has your tank been set up? If the answer is less than 6 months, its a phase of the maturing process. If it is more than 6 months, you have a nutrient issue.
What are your nitrates? Chances are the cyanobacteria is thriving on nitrates, especially if it is 5+. In some cases, the cyano will take up nitrates faster than your test kit can read them.
Do you use bioballs, sponges, canister filters, or any other mechanical filter? Mechanical media can trap detritus. They will convert the junk to nitrates, but rarely finish the process of changing them over to nitrogen gas. If you want to run mechanical filters, make sure you clean them often.
Do you have atleast 1 pound of rock to 1 gallon of water? Having 1 pound of rock per gallon is ABSOLUTELY necessary for denitrification.
Do you use a skimmer and how often do you do water changes? If you don't use a skimmer, get one. If you use a skimmer that is underrated, get a better one. If you don't do water changes, do larger water changes more often.
Do you use a refugium? I recommend one because they not only provide a place for copepods to propagate, but you can also grow macroalgae (such as chaetomorpha) which uses up the same nutrients as your cyano does.
What is your alkalinity? I have found that cyano usually thrives in low-alkalinity tanks. I suggest bringing your alkalinity up (I used to use baking soda):
http://home.comcast.net/~jdieck1/chem_calc3.html
Do you use tapwater for your reef? The only water that belongs in our tanks is RO/DI. You can also use distilled, but it may be expensive in the long run (nano tanks excluded). "filterdirect" has good quality (low price) RO/DI on eBay. Ask for the Dow 75GPD membrane (they will exchange it for no cost). The Dow membrane is more effective at removing junk from your water
Secondly, chemicals. There are a few chemicals on the market which claim to remove your cyano from your tank. Using these chemicals will remove the cyano most likely, but they do not remove the nutrients that the cyano is living on. Cyano will return or you will be stuck with another algae.
I battled cyano for a while. If your tank has just started up, its a phase that every tank goes through. Just wait it out and don't give up. If your tank is older, then you have a nutrient problem. More water changes of larger volume, skimmer maintenaince (and possibly a better skimmer), feeding less, etc
If you have cyano on your sand bed, DO NOT DISTURB YOUR SAND BED, especially if it is a DSB. This will cause very bad problems and can crash your tank.
Are there snails that eat cyano? In my experience, no. I had 1 Turbo snail that ate it, but he didn't go after it often. You can try to remove it by hand (I like to use a turkey baster and just suck it up). Another good method is to get 1/2" vinyl tubing (available at Home Depot for cheap) and siphon from your display into a filter sock in your sump. This will export the nutrients just like chaetomorpha
Myths about cyano:
1. Bad bulbs cause cyano. While old/expired bulbs will encourage cyano to grow (spectrum shift), it cannot be the only cause for cyano. Cyano has to have nutrients in the water (specifically nitrates and phosphates)
2. Low flow causes cyano. Just like light bulbs, this condition will encourage cyano to grow, but it cannot cause a cyano outbreak without nitrates and phosphates. Increasing the flow will help, but isn't your main problem.
3. Turning off your lights for a week. I suppose you could do this, it will kill what cyano you have now, but you still have the nutrients! You'll also have some angry fish and coral :lol:
Hopefully everyone can add something to this thread. I do not claim to be a marine biologist or even an expert reefer, just sharing my experiences with cyano.
How long has your tank been set up? If the answer is less than 6 months, its a phase of the maturing process. If it is more than 6 months, you have a nutrient issue.
What are your nitrates? Chances are the cyanobacteria is thriving on nitrates, especially if it is 5+. In some cases, the cyano will take up nitrates faster than your test kit can read them.
Do you use bioballs, sponges, canister filters, or any other mechanical filter? Mechanical media can trap detritus. They will convert the junk to nitrates, but rarely finish the process of changing them over to nitrogen gas. If you want to run mechanical filters, make sure you clean them often.
Do you have atleast 1 pound of rock to 1 gallon of water? Having 1 pound of rock per gallon is ABSOLUTELY necessary for denitrification.
Do you use a skimmer and how often do you do water changes? If you don't use a skimmer, get one. If you use a skimmer that is underrated, get a better one. If you don't do water changes, do larger water changes more often.
Do you use a refugium? I recommend one because they not only provide a place for copepods to propagate, but you can also grow macroalgae (such as chaetomorpha) which uses up the same nutrients as your cyano does.
What is your alkalinity? I have found that cyano usually thrives in low-alkalinity tanks. I suggest bringing your alkalinity up (I used to use baking soda):
http://home.comcast.net/~jdieck1/chem_calc3.html
Do you use tapwater for your reef? The only water that belongs in our tanks is RO/DI. You can also use distilled, but it may be expensive in the long run (nano tanks excluded). "filterdirect" has good quality (low price) RO/DI on eBay. Ask for the Dow 75GPD membrane (they will exchange it for no cost). The Dow membrane is more effective at removing junk from your water
Secondly, chemicals. There are a few chemicals on the market which claim to remove your cyano from your tank. Using these chemicals will remove the cyano most likely, but they do not remove the nutrients that the cyano is living on. Cyano will return or you will be stuck with another algae.
I battled cyano for a while. If your tank has just started up, its a phase that every tank goes through. Just wait it out and don't give up. If your tank is older, then you have a nutrient problem. More water changes of larger volume, skimmer maintenaince (and possibly a better skimmer), feeding less, etc
If you have cyano on your sand bed, DO NOT DISTURB YOUR SAND BED, especially if it is a DSB. This will cause very bad problems and can crash your tank.
Are there snails that eat cyano? In my experience, no. I had 1 Turbo snail that ate it, but he didn't go after it often. You can try to remove it by hand (I like to use a turkey baster and just suck it up). Another good method is to get 1/2" vinyl tubing (available at Home Depot for cheap) and siphon from your display into a filter sock in your sump. This will export the nutrients just like chaetomorpha
Myths about cyano:
1. Bad bulbs cause cyano. While old/expired bulbs will encourage cyano to grow (spectrum shift), it cannot be the only cause for cyano. Cyano has to have nutrients in the water (specifically nitrates and phosphates)
2. Low flow causes cyano. Just like light bulbs, this condition will encourage cyano to grow, but it cannot cause a cyano outbreak without nitrates and phosphates. Increasing the flow will help, but isn't your main problem.
3. Turning off your lights for a week. I suppose you could do this, it will kill what cyano you have now, but you still have the nutrients! You'll also have some angry fish and coral :lol:
Hopefully everyone can add something to this thread. I do not claim to be a marine biologist or even an expert reefer, just sharing my experiences with cyano.
