Cyanobacteria

[jjamontan]

Just little story about how I got to where I'm at with the current issues I'm having. For the last two years my job had me working out of state. I was able to come home every other week for two days. During the first year I got water changes done every time I came home. But the second year I was only doing them every other month of more. When I got home for good two months ago the tank was a wreck. Needed new lights both powerheads had failed. It was running with a spare. I will post some pictures after this explanation. So I got to work one it. Pulled out all the algae I could (there was allot). Did a 30 gallon water change. Moved my rock around while moving the rock around allot of my deep sand bed got moved around. Continued doing a 10 gallon water change every three days. After new lights new powerheads installed tank was looking good. Then some cyanobacteria started growing on my sand. I kept doing water changes. It has remained in the sand. Seems to have started to die off. But now it looks like has a thin layer of sand over it with holes. I'm guessing that the holes are due to gas escaping. So I move it around a little and it like chunks of sand mixed with the cyano. I will post a picture of the chunks tomorrow when the white light is on. Anyone gone through this and is this a sign on it getting better or worse?

[jjamontan]

Before leaving for two years

[jjamontan]

What I came back to

[jjamontan]

Cyano a few days ago

[jjamontan]

Chun with the blue lights on

[jjamontan]

Originally Posted by jjamontan

Chunks with the blue lights onAttachment 317631

Chunks with blue lights on

[jjamontan]

Water changes in the last two weeks

[Sniperhank]

Sounds like a coating of cyano still in things. Keep up with the water changes and manual removal. You're most likely almost done with the hard battle that is cyano.

[Autumnsky]

Can you vacuum out the new spots which form?

I had a little issue which is getting so much better with routine care, watching salinity better, manually removing spots with vacuuming from sand and throwing it away. Wiping of other spots which were at the edge of the glass with a swipe using a paper towel I folded the cyano into the towel to help keep it trapped as I removed the towel.

Sounds like it is getting better for you too.

[jjamontan]

So it's not really getting better. Seems to be getting thick in the top layer of sand. So I'm going to give chemiclean a try. I wanted to wait it out but I've been at it for over a month now. Just did a 10 gallon water change. Going to add the chemiclean in the next hour or so. Wish me luck

[jjamontan]

Oh and it's only in the sand I have zero on rocks.

[Sniperhank]

That stuff will only make it go away for a time. Increase flow in the system for starters, cyano can't stick around outside of low flow areas.

[jjamontan]

So it looks worse after 22 hours

[jjamontan]

Thinking it's Dynos

[Brookster123]

Looks like cyano. I'd stick with manual removal via wcs. Once the system is balanced it should subside.

[jjamontan]

I will keep them going, I can do one more before I'm gone for a week. Then only one a week. For the next month and a half.

[Sniperhank]

Don't worry, it isn't dinos. That is 100% grade A cyanobacteria. Increase flow and keep up with the water changes. Any number of things could have happened while you were gone, so nutrients are high. It'll get back to normal with time and patience.

[jjamontan]

So you saw the picture of the tank when I got back. It was a hot mess. Cleaned it up and when moving the rocks around stirred up the sand quite a bit. I also syphoned it a bit. So I think I pulled up to much nasty to the top layer. Mixing 30 gallons up now and will do a 30G change tomorrow. Then I have to go back to stupid California for 6 days. I'll do another 30 when I come back the Sunday I come back. And then another 5 days in stupid California. Then back home for a week. I'll try the chemiclean again at that time.