Ill add my Cyno experience to the list of seemingly unrelated fixes...I had a Cyno bloom. My De-Nitrator and skimmer died all in the same week, but I didn't realize it. It wasn't until the dreaded red showed that I started checking things. I got both back in order, but the cyno, while not seeming to spread any further didn't get much better. Did some reading and while its always up to the tank keeper to decide what to torure your critters with, I chose not to use any snake oil miracle cure crud like biotics or any other kind of meds. I waited about a month and no improvement. I *will* say one common thread from those who try the au-natural approach is to reduce (either how I did or through extra or addtional skimming/sponge, some type of additional filtration) nutients. Less nutrients, less resulting crud to feed the bad guys. I'll be honest, I was feeding my fish 2 times a day with a *way* under powered clean up crew and not-so-great CPR skimmer. I've seen starved fish, so mentally, I've always been afraid to not feed. However, it was get rid of the ugly Cyno or sell the tank. Wasn't keeping the 'red snot' as it was referred to in my living room in all its glory for us to bask in every night. I cut the feedings to once a day and even then I was careful. (This does not include my once a week capful of micro-vert for da coralies and such) I watched the fish close for *any* sign of weight loss and after about 3 weeks I chilled. During that time (feeding being the only thing I reduced/changed) I saw a very noticable decline in Cyno. So, being the hands on guy I am, I went ahead and scrapped away at what I could get to. Been a bout month and a half now and its gone. As a side note (As if this book needs another chapter) I did buy a couple of decent sized halloween crabs, added a total of 8 turbos and a couple green emerald crabs. My clean up crew had dwindled and I didn't realize how much we rely on the night crew for eating up all the uglies we don't want. Just to prove a point to myself, I pulled the plug on my skimmer about 2 weeks ago. While monitoring the levels (Still 3x0 (0 Am 0 Nitri 0 Nitra)) I *have* seen some green algea pop up. (Course most of us fight that anyway), which in a way tells me I could really still use to cut back on the feedings a hair more. While some folks may balk, I look at it like this. Skimmerless is not a new approach, its old skool. However, I will probably save on the power to not run the skimmer *plus* my tang and damsels seem to enjoy the now fresh algea that they scavenge rather than that dried trash. /shrug works for me, long as the levels stay good, Im not turning the skimmer back on. No Cign0 of Cyno and to be honest my corals are looking pretty darn happy since I turned off the skimmer. /shrug go figure ; ) Well, thats my story and Im sticking to it, GL with your tank. O, and remember, lots a folks, including me, try all kinds of whack stuff. What works for 10 peeps will surely fail for the next 100, so stick with what yields positive results for you.
