RODI/Phosphates/Cyano

[Scoot]

I'm working on the SO to get a RODI system for my birthday in a couple months.

Meanwhile, cyano has taken over my fuge and is making an appearance in the display tank. I've been keeping it cleared off.

I've tried various phosphate sponges, pads, media, etc., nothing seems to knock it down.

As long as its not growing on my various polyps, do I need to worry about it in the meantime? Are there any other problems from cyano other than the fact that its ugly?

 

[roka64]

do I need to worry about it in the meantime?

I would say yes. Mine overtook my tank in record time. The cyano will die off and feed more cyano. I imagine, if not eliminated, it could possibly overtake your tank and polyps and kill them. Cyano LOVES DOC (critter waste/decaying food/die-off). Once you eliminate that, or significantly reduce it, you will not have the problem.
Can you siphon it out of your fuge? I am thinking, since you light your fuge 24/7, this is also contributing to your problem. It might even wipe out your algae, in there, eventually.

 

[Scoot]

I'm not lighting the fuge 24/7 any more - its helped stabilize PH through the day.

My DOC is, I believe, under control - my tapwater has 0.5ppm phosphates, which is probably more than enough to feed cyano. That's why I'm looking at RODI.

 

[roka64]

Hmmm.....
I read an article ther other day. Unless I read it incorrectly, it is the DOC that the cyano thrives off of, that's part of why the phosphate reading is generally low. Someone please correct me if I am wrong.

 

[melosu58]

0.5 is enough to feed it. RO/DI will be good for you. Also how often are you feeding?

 

[Scoot]

I alternate between once and twice a day. My parrotfish is pretty big, and when he gets too hungry he starts eating my LR, and occasionally knocking things over, so I like to keep him fed.

They always clear out everything I feed them in short order.


Remember, I'm running without filtration, with 85lb of LR in a 75g tank and 10pounds of rubble in my sump/fuge - with zero ammonia, nitrite, nitrate. Overfeeding would be a real problem pretty fast.

 

[FishFrik]

IMO, .1+ PO4 is high. Try topping off with RO water

 

[roka64]

I alternate between once and twice a day.

I can't find any feeding reqs on parrot fish, but that might be the cause. 1-2 times a day is a lot of excess nutrients in the tank.

when he gets too hungry he starts eating my LR

They tend to munch coral. In fact, if you snorkle or SCUBA near them, you can hear them munching. I actually got bit by one. I beleive they do that to eat and file down their "beaks".

 

[melosu58]

You need to cut back to every other day as 1 or 2 times a day is your problem

 

[Scoot]

Okay - so feeding every other day - what about all the documentation (the thick little book by the Michael guy from Lincoln), that say feed 3-4 times daily for almost every fish I have? My Yellow Tang always seems right on the edge of breaking down with HLLE (he's improved much since I found a source of nori), so I'm giving him nori almost every day. If I cut back on feeding, aren't I taking a chance of providing him even less nutrition, and bring on a bad case?

Virtually no food goes uneaten - so the feeding cutback you're suggesting is to cut down on waste products, right?

Re: the parrotfish: he hasn't bothered any of my softies - shrooms, GSP's, zoo's or xenia's. I don't have any hard corals, those are a potential snack for the parrotfish. He seems to prefer nibbling on the LR itself.

 

[melosu58]

Nothing wrong with leaving Nori in there every day as tangs forage all day. I`m talking about flake , brine or anyother fish food. This leaves DOC in your water that causes excess nutrients and eventually algea.

 

[lando]

Cut back on feedings for sure and work to siphon out as much cyno as you can. I do not often advocate uing chemicals but Chemi-clean worked to rid my tank of cyno a while back. It is imperative, however, that you find and correct the source prior to using this. It will only help remove what is in the tank but do nothing to keep it from coming back. Use it as a last resort. Check out www.thefilterguys.biz for very good reasonable priced RO/DI units.

 

[Scoot]

I loosened up a ton of cyano today with a toothbrush and siphoned it out.

I already have a RO/DI unit (with dual DI filters) and a tank on the way - should be here this week.

That's the first step. I'll cut back on feeding for a few weeks to and see how that goes. Process of elimination.

I'm sure the 0.5ppm phosphate in my tapwater isn't helping.

 

[Scoot]

Still a problem.

Using RO/DI water now (tested at 0.00 TDS), and have cut back feeding drastically.

I've done several PWC's, 4 now of 25%.

I know only doing 25% at a time is a very slow way to remove anything from the water, each one only cutting whatever the problem is down by 25%. (100ppm of something goes to 75ppm, then 54ppm, then 40ppm, then 30ppm, and so on). Doing more than that is difficult without rearranging rocks and my soft stuff.

I'm thinking about using a chemical treatment, just for now, and then continuing to work on the source.

 

[lando]

I'm thinking about using a chemical treatment, just for now, and then continuing to work on the source.

You may be at that point. Try some Chemi-clean. Remember to remove all carbon and other chemical filtration from the tank and turn your skimmer off. Dose the tank and wait 48hrs. Do a water change and put in some fresh GAC or Chemi-pure, turn your skimmer back on.

 

[angelscrx]

A phosban reactor works really well too if you have one. Fill it with Rowaphos to remove the Phosphates in the tank. If not rowaphos in a filter sock works just as good. A phosphate sponge goes a little ways too.