Need help with cyano!

[bizzybeas]

I have been battling cyano for several months now. It all started when my skimmer broke down. It was very controlable until about 2 weeks ago it started going crazy! It is like a carpet on the sand, I can not even siphon it out fast enough. It is all over my live rock, every available nook! There is even red slime floating on the suface of the water!!! My bulbs needed replacing so I got new halides about 5 days ago. Cyano is not changing. My corals are looking irritated and sick. What can I do? I am desperate.
dkh=5.03 meq
ca=450
no3=5ppm
temp=81
salinity=1.025

 

[bizzybeas]

Ooops. I forgot to mention that I feed sparingly and always use RO water.

 

[ReefRaff]

what kind of filtration do you have? how much rock/sand? how often do you change water? and lastly Do you test for PO4? oh! what kind of skimmer and is it fixed now? Just trying to get a feel for things.

 

[Overstocker]

Chemi-clean will kill it quick. But still gotta figure out what is causing it......

 

[bizzybeas]

I have a 65 gallon tank with live sand, 75 lbs of live rock, and a plenum. My skimmer was replaced within a few weeks of the failure; an aqua c remora pro. My po4 levels were within parameters, I tested it but did not write down the number. I change the water weekly, 10 percent.

What is chemi clean? Where can I get it? Is it reefsafe?

I have the feeling if I got rid of it it would not come back, but you never know. I think I would rather have hair algae at this point.

 

[ReefRaff]

I would get a skim box like the one listed here- http://www.marinedepot.com/md_viewItem.asp?idproduct=AC3313&ast=&key=

this would help out greatly with the stuff floating on the water.

PO4 should be less than .02 ppm

chem-pure is a chemical filtration media that works wonders http://www.thatpetplace.com/Product...Chemical+Media/T1/F39+0092+0008/Itemdy00.aspx

I would also run some phos-zorb listed here- http://www.thatpetplace.com/Product...Chemical+Media/T1/F39+1044+0173/Itemdy00.aspx

you could try some of our sponsors for this stuff, I just find theses site's easier to navigate.

 

[Overstocker]

Chemi-clean is a Boyd product. Works wonders but it is treating the sympton not the cause. It cleared my tank in about 24 hours. I put in phosphate absorbing stuff afterwards and have seen no more red slime in well over a month.

http://www.petmeister.com/item1998.htm

"Removes disease causing red cyano bacteria (red slime) from live coral.
Oxidizes trapped organic sludge and sediment.
Clarifies aquarium water to crystal clear. Promotes ideal enzyme balance.
Safe for reef tanks, all invertebrates, desirable macro algaes, nitrifying bacteria and fish. "

 

[Overstocker]

Cheaper here:



http://www.marinedepot.com/aquarium_medications_boyd_chemiclean.asp?ast=overture&key=

 

[i have crabs]

i bought a 6 dollar phosphate/silicate sponge put in in the output of my skimmer and it was gone in 2 days and hasnt returned in 3 or 4 weeks so far

 

[bizzybeas]

Thank you all, I just ordered the stuff!

 

[chimera]

i battled with cyano for a couple of months. here's my 2 cents worth...

1. be careful with chemicals - they can never work out exactly what is bad and what is good so some good is likely to be removed from your tank. i dosed "anti-red" to try and kill it and it failed. my corals (esp. pulsing xenia) shutdown. it also says to move fish out of your tank should any look stressed - easier said than done in most cases. from experience, IMO I would dose at 75% of the recommended dose on the packet.

2. cyano is often (but not always) due to high nutrients. cyano is always in your tank, it only "pops up" when it manages to either overpower the "good" bacteria or there are enough nutrients to feed both happily.

3. physically remove as much as possible first (that is what the instructions will say on the chemiclean anyway). there is no easy solution. you have to continuously syphon it out - it is tedious, annoying and time consuming but there is no real easy way. before each water change, make sure you suck as much red out as possible (the red is not the actual bacteria, its what they exude) thats why i recommend a scrub with a toothbrush to fully "loosen" it. you can almost "peel" the red off the sandbed!

4. i researched cyano for weeks (as i was battling it) this is by far the best article i found. i highly recommend having a read: http://netclub.athiel.com/cyano/cyanos2.htm

5. finally and most importantly, deal with the cause not the effect - fix ya skimmer and keep up good and regular maintenance!

good luck!

 

[bizzybeas]

I dosed twice with the chemi clean and still have it. This is enough to make you quit the hobby! Thank you for the article, did you use the redox? If so what brand?

I am going to do a water change now and add a phosphate sponge. Boy, this is frustrating.