Constant cyano-- please help

[AquaTricia]

I've certainly not meant to disagree with anyone or discount an opinion. Please don't take it that way. I'm just trying to sort out and understand all the info I'm getting to help my problems. I am trying to take everyone's ideas and put them into play. Please continue to come up with more ideas to help me figure out what's going on and how to fix it.


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[carey]

Like I said earlier, the ammonia and nitrites would be my first order of business.

BUT as far as the alkalinity, i had been using soda ash that i purchased from BRS. A couple teaspoons and bam, done and adjusted.
I am not sure if soda ash is the same thing as baking soda, but i think it may be. I paid like $8 for a huge canister of it and you dont add it to the ato top off water by the way.

If it were my tank, after addressing the ammonia and nitrites I would dose once with red slime remover. This would give you a headstart on the cyano. It would wipe out what you have so you could start off with a clean slate after the water change you do after dosing slime remover. Cheating? maybe..... effective? YES
I admire the resolve to not add chemicals to your tank but with all that you have going on with the parameters I would make an exception this one time. lol

 

[bribo12]

Here's the calculator I use to figure out proper dosages for my tank. You can raise alk about 1 dKh a day safely. You plug in your gallons an then the product youre using to dose. it will tell you how much is needed to raise it from where its at to where you need it. http://reef.diesyst.com/chemcalc/chemcalc.html

And I agree the ammonia, Trites and trates are number one priority. Test your makeup water too for any trace of them.

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[AquaTricia]

Thanks, Carey. I believe the params are the most important thing, too. They get out of hand, my fish, etc. die. I can't let that happen. I will work first on the nitrates, nitrites and ammonia by verifying the previous results, then another water change. I have Purigen on order and will be here Tuesday and will be installed immediately. The article I read mentioned you could use soda ash as well by taking baking soda and baking it for 4 hours. After that, he never mentioned what to do with it! . What do you do with it?


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[AquaTricia]

Bribo12, that's an awesome calculator! What product(s) would you suggest?


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[bribo12]

I use 2 part b ionic and have never had pH problems with using that calculator to figure out the right doses. I just dose it slowly over the span of a couple hours.


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[AquaTricia]

Ok. Have heard others mention that product so it must be good. Will check it out.
And Carey, you stated 2 tsp (I think), do you just sprinkle it in the tank? Same amount for any size tank? Do I sound like an idiot, because I feel like it?


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[carey]

I use the BRS calculator. It was about 2 teaspoons for my 125g so it would be less for a smaller tank. As stated above by bribo I think, do not adjust more than a dkh a day. I mix the powder in freshwater and make sure it is dissolved and then add to my sump or very slowly into the tank in the powerhead flow or the return flow. You dont want any to land directly on corals or it can burn them.

I have had fish try to eat it with no ill effects though, go figure.....

Glad your first priority is the ammonia and nitrite. If you do some larger water changes to get them in check I bet your alkalinity comes up as well. If you are using a reef grade salt that is. The best all natural way of correcting inbalances in alk, mag and calcium is to do a water change. The fresh saltwater will bring all those levels up after your corals have depleted them.

 

[AquaTricia]

I make saltwater twice a week using r/o d/I and IO Reef Crystals. Hope that's a good salt. After research, I found out that the Georgia Aquarium, which is one of my favorite places, uses this salt. I will use the calculator for the quantity of soda ash to use, but I changed 19 gallons of a 28 gallon tank Friday, so I will retest tomorrow, then, if necessary, will do a massive change again first. I will let everyone know what I find out. Thank you.


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[carey]

Reef crystals are just fine, thats what I use the majority of the time.

And yes, retest and let us know.

 

[AquaTricia]

I will. Thanks.


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[Gregcoyote]

Baking soda is sodium bicarbonate (the "bi" means it has an extra C02 atom).

Soda ash is sodium carbonate. You can make baking soda into soda ash by baking it in a oven, that drives off that extra C02 atom.

The general rule is that baking soda drives the ph down temporarily as that C02 goes into solution. Soda ash doesn't change the ph much at all. Both work fine and provide carbonate. That's how I remember it.

I also have used reef crystals for years.

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[AquaTricia]

Thanks, Gregcoyote, I appreciate the explanation. At least I understand why I'm supposed to bake the soda to make ash and why it may or may not slightly affect the pH. I'm going to concentrate on ammonia, nitrate and nitrite first and if my readings were correct, I'm gonna be doing some water changes. Alk might change with the water changes. If not, I'm baking the soda.


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[carey]

I experienced a slight increase in pH when using the soda ash, but nothing drastic..maybe it went from like 8.0 to 8.2. But it goes down pretty quick back to normal. I just bought the soda ash cause i am lazy and didnt wanna mess up the baking process. lol Plus I could use the calculator on BRS's page.

 

[AquaTricia]

How large was the amount you bought? Too much to make it worthwhile for my 28?


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[Ingy]

What I was trying to say is baking soda and pH buffer or alkalinity booster (under any brand name) is essentially the same. Sodium carbonate plus an amount of borate. The only difference is the amount of borate added which determines the endpoint pH. Yes, some have a few added chemicals that are considered essential, but are also included in your salts so not entirely required.

In the end there is very little difference between baking soda and Alk buffers. The effect they will have on pH and calc/mag are the same.
What that effect is comes down to the coral stocking you have, not what buffer you use.


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[AquaTricia]

Ok, thanks, Ingy. Makes it easier on me. I will test everything, including alk, tomorrow and go from there. I appreciate the further explanation.


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[jeffaquarius]

Detectable ammonia and nitrite would be my first concern. Definitely raise the alk for the sake of the corals, but I don't think that's going to do the job for the cyano. I would sort out the nutrient level.

Alk that is below 7.0 is acidic and algae thrive on acidic water. It is not the only cause of algae but higher alk will help slow it down. Although there is a ton that the OP has to correct. One important thing to note is that algae started flourishing when the new LED light was installed. Algae loves phosphates, acid and specific light.

 

[AquaTricia]

Actually, the cyano started 4 months ago, new lighting one month ago. I am testing today, and if alk is still too low, I will treat it with baking soda. But that will be after I change a boatload of water if my ammonia, nitrates and nitrites are still high. Admittedly, using kits are more difficult than my Hannas, but they haven't released one for nitrates, ammonia or mag. And I don't like the ammonia kit I bought. It's a Seachem. Other than Hannas, the other two are Salifert. Get a bad ammonia reading today, I'm ordering a Salifert. Just to be sure. By the way, cyano is back this morning, but I'll not worry about that 'til I get my params corrected.


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[AquaTricia]

Ok, I'm pretty depressed. Params appear to be worse and I have questions but I'll hold off on them until I give you the latest numbers.
PH 8.11
Salinity 1.025
Temp 79.0
Mag 1470 went down
Nitrite 10ppm
Phosphate 0
Calcium 384 went down
Ammonia 1.0 ppm (I think I'm dying here )
Alk 8.064 whoopee!
Nitrite 29 ppb

Questions: the Hanna Nitrate test I use is ultra low reading. Does that matter? Explain please any translation in numbers. Ammonia...why? I changed 19 gallons on Friday. No critters missing except maybe one Nass snail. I found the other two. Fish not fed since before water change Friday. After testing today, I gave them a few pellets. That's when my Nass snails came out.
I don't know what's going on, and I'm worried and frustrated. Will do another 10 gallon change tonight before sunset. Husband has ordered a flush kit for my ro/di unit. TDS is 2. I'm trying anything.
Before I started this forum, I read all that Randy Holmes-Farley had written. One thing to raise alk was 2.7 tsp of baking soda in a gallon of top off. I had to use 1/4 gallon last night. I assume that's the reason for the mag, calc, pH and alk changes. I'm leaving on a trip in 2 weeks and will be gone the rest of September. My husband is babysitting my tank, but he only knows what I tell him and he won't test. He will check salinity, top off and feed. That's it. I need to leave him a healthy tank. HELP!


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