cyanobacteria problem

[wvanderborg]

My tanks covered with cyano and I'm scraping the glass daily. Asides being unattractive does this cause any other problems? I seem to be losing my anenomes. And if u can give any suggestions as how to fix this id appreciate it

 

[Crabs]

U could look at the thread titled red slime/ algae outbreak Just a couple threads ahead of u. That thread should answer ur question. Haven't seen cyano on glass so I suspect u might have an algae problem. Then again I could b wrong

 

[Crabs]

Another thing u should do is post a couple pictures if u can. So others can help ID whatever ur dealing with

 

[RJC89]

My tanks covered with cyano and I'm scraping the glass daily. Asides being unattractive does this cause any other problems? I seem to be losing my anenomes. And if u can give any suggestions as how to fix this id appreciate it

Load your tank with macro algae, as much as you can find, no more phos!

 

[Crabs]

I'm not sure that's the answer. I've got macro and I still got cyano. Cutting down phosphates helps but expecting macro to eliminate it is reaching

 

[RJC89]

Really load it up, the more the better, see Dutch aquariums!

 

[wvanderborg]

Ill post a picture of it now. I added another 20 gal marineland biowheel filter and I'm using chemi pure elite in it instead of a actual filter pad. Also I changed the lighting from 10000k to 6500k. Herd 6500 is better for my shallow tank 10000 is better for deep tanks.. from what I hear... ill post a pic in my album nano reef.

 

[xxStLxx]

Cyano is a bacteria not algae. Change your light up in spectrum because the lower the spectrum the more yellow/white the light is = more algae. I recently just went through an outbreak and successfully killed all of it in 3 days. Don't listen to the guy that's telling you to load your tank with macro cause it won't do anything.

I did a 20% water change where I sucked out as much of the cyano as possible including all of it on the sand. Then I turned off the lights in my tank for 3 days and didn't add any supplements at all. (Actually didn't feed my fish either....oops there still alive though) then every day I would take a turkey basted and blast off all the rock work of detritus and cyano. Three days later it was all dead. Then turned on my lights for a reduced time for a couple days before returning everything to normal.

 

[Tomchong22]

Look at it this way, I am running a fuge with lots of macro algae, dsb, and algae turf scrubber and I have a small amount of cyno. It Is a pain to get rid of. If you have corals don't black your tank out for 3 days, that does more harm then good. Do this: use ro/di water, increase flow in tank, feed fresh frozen food (not flakes), cut back on feeding every other day or every 2 days. Replace your bulbs with new ones if needed, and do weekly waterchanges while trying to siphon as much as you can out.

 

[xxStLxx]

I have sps, softies, lps and polys in my tank and they're doing just fine. They came out full force today like nothing had ever happened. Though +1 on the RODI. That is a must.

 

[wvanderborg]

I'm using chemiclean right now and I do weekly waterchanges anyways. As far as ro/di goes I don't have a close source for it. I'm in process of figuring out if my filtered water I use at work will suffice for me. Gettin it tested tomorrow mornin.

 

[wvanderborg]

Alright guys. I'm using this chemiclean and the stuff obviously isn't working. I don't care about the cyano anymore its the red slime algae that's destroying my tank. Also bubble algae. All my nems are dying and my zoos on its last limbs. I'm seriously considering a total tank shutdown and I really don't wanna do that. Right now I'm running a 10000k and a 6700k. I'm waitin on my new hood which will be 2 10000k and 2 actinic but if this stuffs thriving now I don't think changin the lights going to help much. I've been using just treated tapwater forever and never had this prob before. Someone told me its because I use tap water but y didn't this happen sooner if that's the case? Idk I'm distraught guys any advice on how I can get rid of this annoyin algae would be much appreciated.

 

[greaver83]

6700k could be some of your problem that's more for a freshwater tank. but i do know in freshwater if you don't have any plants competing for resources 6000k-8000k can cause massive algae blooms try a 12-1400k and actinic blues good luck im noob as **** to salt water my tank is still cycling so i could be totally wrong

 

[Rutrag]

Red slime algae is really just another fporm of cyanobacteria. it actually can be almost black, red, or dark green in my experience. How long are your lights on each day?

Also, nitrates and phosphates are fertilizers for the stuff. What are your readings on that? If your nitrates are running high, that will also affect your anemones. I'm unsure if high phosphates will ahve a similar affect or not.

As to why you have the problem all of the sudden, who knows? Your municipality may have changed something in their treatment process o rmaybe things in your tank just reached a critical mass.

I had a fight with the stuff as well. I actually removed all my rock (I had little to no life on it), scrubbed it in a bucket of tank water, and then kept sucking it out with water changes, added a circulation pump, and used Algaefix from Aquarium Pharmacueticals. (Most folks prefer Chemiclean and trust it.)

I use Aquarium Pharmaceutical's Tap Water Filter to produce my water as well. It's essentially a deionizer. (One of these days I'm going to get an RODI unit. Just gotta get it past the wife.)

In any case, the stuff can be beat. Don't give up!

 

[xxStLxx]

The light spectrum is too low and will cause the algae to go crazy. You need to get into the 10k ranges if not 20k. High nitrate and phosphate will only feed the bacteria along with light.

When you condition tap water your not removing any of the phosphates, silicates, fertilizers or anything from the water. All the conditioner does is render the chlorine and chloramine harmless by adding more TDS to the water.

I just had a cyano bloom for the first time after running my 12g aquapod for over a year with no blooms. It is possible as to why now who knows. The way I killed mine was killing my lights for 3 days. And blasting the rocks off daily with a turkey baster removing all the bacteria from the rock and ll my corals. On the forth day I ran my lights for half their normal cycle and the fifth day returned to normal. I did not feed or dose my tank while the lights were off. Not till the forth day did I feed and then again on the fifth day. I'm doing my water change tomorrow.

 

[Crabs]

I think everyone has given u enough sound advice. Bottom line. Tap water doesn't work. Distilled water is better. Less than $1 a gal. At the store. RO/DI is best. If u won't take advice, why keep whining?

 

[carey]

here is a link for the ro/di unit I use. It produces 0 tds and I've been using it for almost a year with absolutely no algae issues.

eBay - New & used electronics, cars, apparel, collectibles, sporting goods & more at low prices

 

[xxStLxx]

here is a link for the ro/di unit I use. It produces 0 tds and I've been using it for almost a year with absolutely no algae issues.

eBay - New & used electronics, cars, apparel, collectibles, sporting goods & more at low prices

$65 + shipping you can't get much better than that

 

[wvanderborg]

Sweet. All the rodi units I saw were like $130+ and I don't have extra $$ to blow right now but for that price I can. Thanks again carey and stl. U guys rock. How often do u need to change the filter media in this rodi system? That's the only thing I didn't see in the description..

 

[xxStLxx]

Sweet. All the rodi units I saw were like $130+ and I don't have extra $$ to blow right now but for that price I can. Thanks again carey and stl. U guys rock. How often do u need to change the filter media in this rodi system? That's the only thing I didn't see in the description..

Usually once a year if you use it heavily but sometimes longer. Most DI resin can be recharged by doing something that's cheap or sometimes free. To be completely sure when to change it you can get a TDS meter that constantly checks the values of the water and depending on how fancy it is will either give and aural alert or a light will light up. They usually tell you to place one lead at the input of your tap and the other at the end of the system. Or if that's too much they sell handheld TDS meters and you can test your water with each batch.