Cyano Problem

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robertfah

Aquarium Advice Freak
Joined
Jan 5, 2006
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Orlando
Ok, so I've got a cyano problem.....how can I get rid of it? It's been in my tank for about a month now and my levels are:

PH: 8.3
NO2: 0
NO3: 0
Ammonia: 0
Phosphates: not tested

All that in a 155g tank with 8 large Nassarious snails, 1 bali starfish, 2 skunk shrimp, 1 atlantic sea hermit crab and 6 or so blue & red legged hermit crabs.

I know I need to get a phosphate test kit, but it's been hard lately with the kids. At any rate, it's been like this for about a month and I've done PWC's every 2 weeks (of about 50-60g worth) and it still seems to be coming back. I've tried the Chemi-Clean that Foster & Smith recommend, but it's been a week on that and still nothing. It's continuing to grow back every time.

Any suggestions/ideas?

TIA,

RDF
 
I think you need alot more in the way of clean up crew ...not near enough critters for that size of a tank. The other is the phosphate issue of which you are already aware. Siphoning off the cyano and doing more frequent water changes using ro/di water as well as using ro/di for the water top off's is needed.

You might also want to read the following article
http://testing.aquariumadvice.com/article_view.php?faq=2&fldAuto=48
 
I do have a RO/DI unit and use them for both WC's and top-offs, plus seeing as how there are no fish in there, I'm not over-feeding so I don't think that is an issue. I've also got 2 maxi-jet 900 PH's that are good for 230gph and a Mag 18b pump powering the return for 1800gph, so I don't think it's a flow issue either. Ugh! I do agree in that it could be the clean-up crew, so maybe I'll try that route after I read the article and see what it says.

Would a cleanup crew survive in my LS if there are no fish producing waste? Or would I just have to feed them the cyclopeeze and other items?
 
They should be able to find things to eat on the rock, sandbed, glass etc. If there is truly nothing for them to eat, you can put flake food or nori in there and they would eat that. I am not sure on the bali star, it may require meaty foods, but I imagine you know what it needs already.
 
Can you aim your PHs so they point downward a bit. You may not have enough flow on the sand bed.

Right now they are on the back of the tank, but I was thinking of moving them to the side. I do have a long Y splitter on my return so I think there's enough flow going around the tank. When I feed Cyclopeeze, I can watch it flow throughout the tank fairly easily.

I think my major problem was that I was overfeeding (big-time) my fish at first. I lost 4 fish to Velvet and currently have 4 in QT land, so I'm trying to keep the tank fallow for 6-8 weeks to rid of the disease. So I'm not overfeeding anymore, but I think I stirred the pot already and now I have to get it under control.
 
Get your water tested for PO4, both tank water and ro/di water to make sure the filter is removing all the PO4. If the filter is failing then doing water changes is just feeding the cyno.
Just so you know there is no snail or crab known to eat cyno. So dont dump lots of money into a cleanup crew thinking there going to do the job.
IMO you really need to get the water tested so we know what the problem is..
What kind of light do you have and how old are they.
Cyno feeds on PO4 and grows in low flow areas and old bulbs with the wrong spectrium bubls also helps it grow.
 
I have never had any luck and no one I know has had any fish, snail or crab eat cyno. I have Mexican Red Leg Hermit Crabs, Astrea snails and Trochus snails, cerith, nass, scarlet, blue leg, zebra and NONE ever touched it. I even placed the snails in the cyno and they just plowed through it to get to the LR or glass. If it was that easy to get rid of more people would be telling us about it. This has been my experience with cnyo, I have had it several times and the only way I got rid of it was changing out my old bulbs, getting the ro/di running with new filters and the last time I had to get a phosban reactor.
IMO inverts and fish are not a proven way to get rid of cyno.
I have seen a lot of people claim that they have cnyo eating snails, I have bought them and none ever ate it. Just passing on my info. I would invest in a test kit before buying snails or crabs right now. JMO..

what fish eat cyno??
 
Koran Angels eat cyano

Nowhere do I claim that a clean up crew is the definitive only answer to combating cyano, but it does play a big part in fighting it successfully.
 
Ok, well my light is brand new, only 4 months old and it's an Orbit 72" PC. My RO/DI unit TDS meter says water coming in and going out are fine (coming out it's 0 or 1) so I think I'm ok there. I will hit the LFS tomorrow and get a PO4 kit and test both RO water and water in tank to see how it is. Someone suggested on another forum that it may not be Cyano, but Hair or Bubble Algea? It does have air trapped underneith it and it looks like little marbles are forming from it. This crap grows so fast that it's hard to say what 'stage' it's in.
 
can you post a pic? a TDS meter will not pick up nitrates and phosphates, a 0 is a good sign but may not be enough.
is it dark red and slimy to the touch? Does it kick up easy if you blow some water by it.
Cyno is very easy to syphon out and you don't really need to scrub it at all to get it off the LR.
bubble algae looks like green bubbles and they are not soft to the touch. Bubble takes time to spread, at least the bubble I have delt with. Hair algae looks kind of like grass..
A pic would help in the ID, Cyno does trap air, or release it??
 
Ok, here's some pics that I grabbed about 5 minutes ago. Keep in mind that I did a big WC yesterday and cleaned 99% of it and sucked out what I could.

This stuff is definately green....but there are case of it on my overflow box that are brownish/red.....ugh..so hard to tell. It's not the brown algea on the sand that I'm worried about, it's the green stuff. I removed all of it yesterday and there was no green algea on the sand, and now it's back after 24 hours.
 

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I just read on dr. foster and smiths website that turbo snails will eat cyano. I just put one in my tank and he is eating my diatom like crazy.
 
Couple suggestions.

1) More starfish. Simple sand sifters. Does your current starfish do much?
2) TON of cleanup crew. I've alike 60+ critters for a 55gal and then can't keep up. You'll most likely need like 160-200 I suspect. (Mix of Snails, crabs, etc.. etc..)
3) More water flow. Didn't see much in your tank but it appears you are pumping some air in the tank? (via Powerhead maybe?) I didn't see any powerheads so I figure this was a good spot to look? More water circulation kinda leans towards less cyano.

Your pictures to me indicate a larger cleanup crew is needed. Hermits and snails mostly.

HTH
 
Yes. I read the articles above as well. I agree that large cleanup crews are NOT the total solution, but contribute to keeping the problem away after it's resolved. (Same as Hara's comments)
 
Well I've got 2 Maxi-jet 900 PH's on the back side of the tank along with the return from the sump. Maybe I need to move them to the side of the tank? My starfish is pretty active (he did alot of cleaning last night) but I think more would prob. help.
 
I have a 90 gal and have had what I would call mild cyano problems on the sandbed. I'm doing everything "right" except that my cleanup crew has been lacking. About 10 hermits, 10 Astrea snails, and maybe 5 Nassarius snails. That's it for 90 gal.

So I just got 200 Nassarius snails (for $18!). I put them in yesterday. I'll post my results as I observe them. I realize this alone is probably not the cure but I think it'll be interesting to see the effect it has.

P.S. 200 snails is a LOT! :)
 
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