What exactly causes cyano??

[Billsgate]

I've heard some theories, but wanted to hear your opinions. LFS told me you get it when it's in the water you add to the tank. Other thing they told me was too little surface agitation.
I've also heard that 0 nitrAtes causes cyano to grow nicely.

(BTW, my cyano problem is solved, just curious about the causes)

 

[patagonia]

check this out

http://www.netpets.org/fish/reference/reefref/cyanobacteria.html

hope that helps....

 

[patagonia]

i also found this somewhere else....

The cyanobacteria of concern are generally freshwater or brackish water species and are commonly found as 'blooms' in slow-flowing, nutrient-rich waters, usually in the warmer months of the year (when both temperature and sunlight are optimal). Blooms are often found in farm dams or ponds where very little mixing occurs, allowing warm water layers to form near the surface. As a result, highly toxic 'scum' material often forms on the water surface, creating a potential danger for livestock and, indeed, humans.

 

[malkore]

yeah, typically its not enough water movement and/or a lack of nitrate/nitrogen in the water. cyano is somehow a photosynthetic bacteria, since black-outs usually wipe it out too.

 

[humpty]

I also heard that is is present almost everywhere and that it takes a trigger to make it form up into a colony that we can see. As I understand it is one of the most prevalent and oldest groups of bacteria in the world.

Which doesn't mean I have to like it though!

humpty

 

[Big C]

How do you know if there is cyano in your tank?

 

[malkore]

cyanobacteria appears as blanket-like sheets of blue/green colored algae. often it will have air bubbles that form and stay trapped underneath it. it also have a very strong, pungent smell, which I could best describe as fresh cut grass mingled with a sickly sweet odor.
manual removal usually causes it to break into tiny pieces...so when removing by hand, I suggest using a gravel vac in the other hand, and siphoning out as much as possible.

manual removal plus a 4-5 day total blackout, and making sure you have about 10ppm nitrate usually wipes it out. On occasion it will not, at which point using Maracyn (eurthromycin antibiotics) will wipe it out. Use a half-dose, for 7 days. But this is your last resort for killing cyano.