What is this stuff and how do I get rid of it
- Thread starter squid row
- Start date
Grab your siphon hose and start a siphon back to a filter sock into your sump. Now you can vaccum all that junk out into the filter sock and remove it. Mine was getting really bad, and since I did that it hasn't come back. (Knock on wood...) I also increased flow and blasted my rocks clean while running a filter sock more often.
This is a 20 gallon tank with a HOB filter and two powerheads, one on each side of the tank
I increased flow, cut back on fish feeding (2 small blue/green chromis, 1 small clown)
I use RO/DI water and feed the fish frozen Mysis or brine shrimp but I wash it first, or I have recently started giving them some flake food instead
Water changes are 5 gallons, once per week and top off with RO/DI
Parameters are:
Nitrite 0
Nitrate 0
Phosphate 0.25
I added Phosguard in a bag three days ago, see no change whatsoever
Lighting is PC 65 watts and is on 9 hours per day
Can scrape the cyano off the rocks but getting it off the sand is problematic because it is covering every inch of the bottom and comes right back once removed
What else can I do?
I increased flow, cut back on fish feeding (2 small blue/green chromis, 1 small clown)
I use RO/DI water and feed the fish frozen Mysis or brine shrimp but I wash it first, or I have recently started giving them some flake food instead
Water changes are 5 gallons, once per week and top off with RO/DI
Parameters are:
Nitrite 0
Nitrate 0
Phosphate 0.25
I added Phosguard in a bag three days ago, see no change whatsoever
Lighting is PC 65 watts and is on 9 hours per day
Can scrape the cyano off the rocks but getting it off the sand is problematic because it is covering every inch of the bottom and comes right back once removed
What else can I do?
It seems to me I've read somewhere some speculation that there might be a link between NO3/PO4 ratio and Cyano growth.
Not sure if this means anything, but...
I had NO3 at zero, and PO4 was low, but detectable. About the same time that I siphoned all that cyano out of my sandbed (taking about 15% of my sand with it), I started Nitrate dosing. I am using Potassium Nitrate (KNO3), in the form of Spectracide, a readily available stump dissolver. I'm using a solution of 18 teaspoons:1 Liter (aiming for one mole) and dosing about 2-3 ml/day into my 56g tank. Nitrates are now hovering around 2ppm. Cyano is gone, and the rest of the tank looks happier.
To be clear, I did not start Nitrate dosing to clear up my Cyano, but to raise nutrients to the detectable level trying to improve coral health. IF it helped with the Cyano, that was a bonus.
Not sure if this means anything, but...
I had NO3 at zero, and PO4 was low, but detectable. About the same time that I siphoned all that cyano out of my sandbed (taking about 15% of my sand with it), I started Nitrate dosing. I am using Potassium Nitrate (KNO3), in the form of Spectracide, a readily available stump dissolver. I'm using a solution of 18 teaspoons:1 Liter (aiming for one mole) and dosing about 2-3 ml/day into my 56g tank. Nitrates are now hovering around 2ppm. Cyano is gone, and the rest of the tank looks happier.
To be clear, I did not start Nitrate dosing to clear up my Cyano, but to raise nutrients to the detectable level trying to improve coral health. IF it helped with the Cyano, that was a bonus.
nmotz
Active member
Bulk Reef Supply have a video out on youtube where they use UltraLife Red Slime remover to deal with cyano. I have to say it's pretty effective. Maybe try that? I do agree with the others though that keeping nutrients in check and practicing good husbandry is also very important. But the video explains that some tanks do seem to get cyano for almost no apparent reason. I know there will be some disagreement about that, but BRS is pretty knowledgeable about this hobby and it's something to consider.
yep yep,,good to hear
That is a brilliant idea with the siphon. I have just been siphoning from my display to a 5 gallon bucket when I have been doing WCs.
I had the same problem with my tank last year; it was covering everything.
I ended up doing the lights out method... That worked great for me.
Here is the link that explains it better..
http://reefcentral.com/forums/showthread.php?t=2279039
I ended up doing the lights out method... That worked great for me.
Here is the link that explains it better..
http://reefcentral.com/forums/showthread.php?t=2279039
