My first Cyano out break! :o)

[Evilbass]

First off, hello again! I know I have been MIA, but the summer months are the season for the industry I am in. so its been a little bit of a crazy summer... Good news is, as kids head back to school, my job starts to slow down!

anyhow, I was on vacation in July and when i returned home after about 6 days, I had a small Cyano out break. I vacuumed all of it out, and continued doing my normal 3 - 4 gallon water change on my 30 gallon tank. Now, a month later, I have noticed that I'm having another out break, but this one seems to be a bit more rapid.

I have done some reading, and noticed that everyone has been saying that the lead cause of it, is sand being movement. Well, I do have a pistol shrimp that has ADHD, and seems to moved all of my sand weekly! along with the watchmen goby, I can count on them to re arrange everything around my Live Rock.

Anywho, I had read a while back that canister filters are a HUGE nitrate/nitrite factory. I do have an Eheim canister filter, as well as a Moray Protein Skimmer. I have started to only let it run about 8 hours a day, along with my lights. Hoping this would slow the outbreak down. However, it has not. I have not vacuumed it out yet. I feed pellets (every other day) to my 2 clown fish, goby, pistol shrimp, blood shrimp and coral beauty.

Aside from the above information, is this something I should just learn to live with since the shrimp stirs up my sand all of the time?? I know a few people talk about CUC's, and I have thought about getting one, However, I'm worried that if the snails die, and I can find them, it'll kill off the rest of my tank!

input?? Thanks guys and gals!

 

[danbstrong]

First off, hello again! I know I have been MIA, but the summer months are the season for the industry I am in. so its been a little bit of a crazy summer... Good news is, as kids head back to school, my job starts to slow down!

anyhow, I was on vacation in July and when i returned home after about 6 days, I had a small Cyano out break. I vacuumed all of it out, and continued doing my normal 3 - 4 gallon water change on my 30 gallon tank. Now, a month later, I have noticed that I'm having another out break, but this one seems to be a bit more rapid.

I have done some reading, and noticed that everyone has been saying that the lead cause of it, is sand being movement. Well, I do have a pistol shrimp that has ADHD, and seems to moved all of my sand weekly! along with the watchmen goby, I can count on them to re arrange everything around my Live Rock.

Anywho, I had read a while back that canister filters are a HUGE nitrate/nitrite factory. I do have an Eheim canister filter, as well as a Moray Protein Skimmer. I have started to only let it run about 8 hours a day, along with my lights. Hoping this would slow the outbreak down. However, it has not. I have not vacuumed it out yet. I feed pellets (every other day) to my 2 clown fish, goby, pistol shrimp, blood shrimp and coral beauty.

Aside from the above information, is this something I should just learn to live with since the shrimp stirs up my sand all of the time?? I know a few people talk about CUC's, and I have thought about getting one, However, I'm worried that if the snails die, and I can find them, it'll kill off the rest of my tank!

input?? Thanks guys and gals!

Try upping flow via powerhead i have a pistol shrimp to always digging no cyano i doubt its him

 

[Evilbass]

I forgot to mention, I have a 250 GPH power head (on the left pointing in), along with a 350 GPH on the right side also pointing inward. They have been there since day one.

 

[bigben2057]

Maybe you were overfeeding during your vaction? Are you using RoDi water? Cyano is a nutrient problem. Phosphates and nitrates.

 

[Evilbass]

its possible that they were over fed while I was gone, however, ive been back for well over a month, and now I'm having a 2nd outbreak. I am using RODI water, I mix it myself with IO Reef Crystals. See, I was figuring it was a nitrate problem because of the use of my canister filter....

 

[bigben2057]

What kind of lights maybe you need new bulbs. I dont think that the canister filter is contributing to it that much. If you want it gone now go get some chemiclean and throw it in but you should prob figure whats causing it first. Or maybe your Ro system filters need changed.

 

[Evilbass]

The lights are about 3 months ago. I started the tank on May 1, with all new equipment.

The only things I can really attribute to it are the filter and possibly over feeding... which, that could be the problem, but with the two shrimp, they're pretty aggressive at feeding time, and done ever see them missing anything.

 

[Chad36]

It's not from the shrimp, having your sand moved around is a good thing. Overfeeding will def do it, especcially in a new setup. You have to just up your water changes, keep cleaning it out and be persistent. And its better to underfeed than to overfeed. I personally only feed my fish 2-3 times a week.

 

[54seaweed]

add a few of these buggers never need to worry bout not enough sand movement again
Saltwater Sand Sifting Crab (Emerita talpoidea) | Reefs2go.com

 

[danbstrong]

add a few of these buggers never need to worry bout not enough sand movement again
Saltwater Sand Sifting Crab (Emerita talpoidea) | Reefs2go.com

I reccommend tongan nass snails for sand stirring they also will consume quickly anything that makes it down to the bottom

 

[Evilbass]

Im looking at a CUC now... might go with Reefcleaners.org and get a package from them....

 

[Sniperhank]

If put money your tank was getting over fed while you were away. Cyano is a nutrient issue that happens to like low flow. A cuc and more flow will help but not solve the issue at hand. Lessen feedings.

 

[danbstrong]

If put money your tank was getting over fed while you were away. Cyano is a nutrient issue that happens to like low flow. A cuc and more flow will help but not solve the issue at hand. Lessen feedings.

I doubt your overfeeding if you only feed every other day unless your feeding excessive amount rule of thumb is whatever they can consume within 2 minutes id say get some tongan nass snails tongan are bigger than reg nass theyll keep your sand from building up nutrients and also eat whatever your fish dont your flow seems fine to

 

[danbstrong]

I doubt your overfeeding if you only feed every other day unless your feeding excessive amount rule of thumb is whatever they can consume within 2 minutes id say get some tongan nass snails tongan are bigger than reg nass theyll keep your sand from building up nutrients and also eat whatever your fish dont your flow seems fine to

Make sure your skimmer is also working properly

 

[Saratj1]

My cyano problems I have found are directly related to my frozen food use. I cut way down on frozen foods, and my cyano goes away. Maybe something to check into if you use frozen mysis or other frozen cubes for feeding.

 

[danbstrong]

My cyano problems I have found are directly related to my frozen food use. I cut way down on frozen foods, and my cyano goes away. Maybe something to check into if you use frozen mysis or other frozen cubes for feeding.

I found a frozen food called rods made here in illinois the lowest phosphate in frozen that ive found i highly reccommend trying this if possible

 

[Evilbass]

I feed pellets mostly. Frozen food every other Sunday because I had heard the same thing about them being a major cause of outbreaks.

As far as my protein skimmer. I usually empty it every water change... Its usualy almost to the over flow valve. sometime it will overflow. Its an Aqua C Remora. So I'd assume that its running right???