Cyano Bacteria

clowninaround7474

clowninaround7474

Tang
M.A.S.C Club Member
#1
#1
Well I hate to say it, but my tank has finally started its first battle with cyano. UGH!! As I mentioned in my build thread, I contribute it to over feeding on my part, and possibly adding too many fish, too quickly.... Wife surprised me with 2 snowflake clowns that weren't planned.

I've been doing 5g water changes every Sunday and Wednesday as part of my normal maintenance routine. My corals are not too happy right now however, specifically my zoa's and the few LPS I do have. Not sure why

This stuff grows quick. W/C yesterday and sucked as much off of the rocks as possible. Light out makes it look like it goes away. As soon as the lights come on, it's covering rocks and a little on the sand within 3 hrs.

Flow is high in the tank already as it's SPS dominant with 2 mp10's running and the return.

Water tests are normal and parameters are clean.

SG: 1.025
Ammonia: 0
Nitrite: 0
Nitrate: 0
Alk: 9
CA: 480
Mg: 1300
P03: .03

Running carbon and GFO mixed in a BRS reactor.

I'm hesitant to use ChemiClean just yet, but am looking for some advice. Ironically, this is the first time I've dealt with cyano in my own personal tank... After 5 tanks now! I'd say I'm about due.

Feeding has been cut back to every other day but I'm trying to not stress the fish out. Rinsing food now and draining off all excess water before putting it in the tank.

Curious as to why the corals seem upset too.

Thanks!


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SynDen

SynDen

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#2
#2
Ya cyano is kind of a pain in my experience. Sucking it up really will only make it spread faster too, as it impossible to get every cell and any left behind become new strands. They are also very reactive to light, thus why they appear to vanish when lights go out.
I have used Chemiclean in the past with decent success. Although it will make your skimmer go nuts for a while and you will have to empty 3-10 times in the first day before it calms down. You also need to increase oxygen levels in the tank during the treatment but an airstone takes care of that pretty easily. Likely you will have to treat 2-3 times before it completely goes away as well
 
cmacias

cmacias

Cyano
#3
#3
I have had more success with UltraLife Red Slime Stain Remover in the past. Same applies with your skimmer going nuts and increasing oxygen levels.
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Cherub

Cherub

Hey you
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#4
#4
I am generally anti chemical for most algae issues but this cyano stuff is something that almost requires it. I had cyano after using a reef supplement on the tank. it wasn't flow or anything and even the reviews said it may cause it so yeah... I used chemipure and it worked like a charm with no noticeable side effects. Most people will say to increase flow and that's all you need. I beg to differ...
 
J

jda123

Dolphin
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#5
#5
How old is your tank? Cyano was/is a part of even the best tanks early on in the time between the N and P mini spike and the growth of bacteria and micro-fauna in the rock and sand to start to use them back down to zero. It might just be natural and part of the cycle - even with the best equipment, rock, sand, etc, it can take a year or more to get a full ecosystem to where nuisance algae and cyano are small. In the best tanks, you can still find some patches from time to time - the TOTM people just suck it out at picture time. :)

I would not hesitate too much to use a bit of chemiclean, or the like, if you cannot stand it, but you will delay the growth of the organisms that will consume the fuel. However, tank enjoyment should be #1. I would use it at directed strength of water volume - take out the rocks and sand and stuff. Less can be more sometimes. If have found it to be harmless if you don't compound the dosage with aggressive stripping.

If you do use it, don't use any carbon or GFO at the same time. You will strip your tank too much and you can really damage your coral. Water changes are the best thing here.

The daily water changes could upset the coral - don't sweat this too much.

Off topic, but I would get that calcium level more towards NSW levels. You coralline and stonies (if you have any) will look better and calcify faster around 400, or so.
 
clowninaround7474

clowninaround7474

Tang
M.A.S.C Club Member
#6
#6
Tank is 6 months old almost 7. I'm sure that has something to do with it also. Thanks for the help


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clowninaround7474

clowninaround7474

Tang
M.A.S.C Club Member
#7
#7
Is there anything that eats this stuff as part of a CUC? I have about 15 Astraea, 5 nassareus, and 3 turbos that usually keep the tank in check. Just thinking out loud


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jahmic

jahmic

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#8
#8
Trochus do...sometimes. I've noticed them only go after it when there isn't much else in the tank as far as algae goes though... and they generally don't touch any cyano on the sandbed
 
clowninaround7474

clowninaround7474

Tang
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#9
#9
Yea I really don't have much else as far as algae in the tank at all. Seems to stay pretty clean. Are these typically available at LFS?


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clowninaround7474

clowninaround7474

Tang
M.A.S.C Club Member
#10
#10
Just thinking about this a little more, I've been dosing 5ml of AcroPower 2x per week for about 4 weeks now. I'm wondering if this combined with the AA in the elite reef food I'm feeding might be too much. Thoughts!? I've read a few posts about AcroPower and cyano


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jahmic

jahmic

Reef Shark
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#12
#12
I have always had cyano blooms when dosing amino acids...I've tried the aquavitro and another product...can't remember the name right now.

I know that doesn't happen to everyone...but I'm not alone either. I'd slow down on dosing the AA to see if it helps, then slowly start dosing again at a fraction of what they recommend after your cyano is under control.
 
clowninaround7474

clowninaround7474

Tang
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#13
#13
Yea I've totally cut out the AA since last week and have no plans of adding more until everything calms down. For now I'm gonna stick with water changes and keeping parameters up and see how that works.


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clowninaround7474

clowninaround7474

Tang
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#14
#14
D

djkms

Reef Shark
M.A.S.C Club Member
#15
#15
I'm with jda on this one. Cyano is a natural part of the system. I have personally had it with just about every system I have had. It is typically worse the higher the bioload regardless of export. As ugly and annoying as it is I personally just deal with it by basting my rocks every other day or so and sucking it out of my fuge (where it is the worst) during water changes.

I am not really a fan of chemiclean. Cyano is a bacteria and I find it very hard to believe that chemiclean only kills cyano. Our whole ecosystem in a box is very dependent on bacteria to maintain balance and I strongly believe chemiclean disrupts this balance. From my research it mainly effects denitrifying bacteria.

Cyano does become less and less the more mature your system becomes. Just keep in mind, the more you make changes to your system (chemiclean, aggressive water changes, etc) the longer it will take for your corals to adjust. More often then not the best solution to something is to just ride it out and let nature run its course :)
 
clowninaround7474

clowninaround7474

Tang
M.A.S.C Club Member
#16
#16
djkms;300554 said:
I'm with jda on this one. Cyano is a natural part of the system. I have personally had it with just about every system I have had. It is typically worse the higher the bioload regardless of export. As ugly and annoying as it is I personally just deal with it by basting my rocks every other day or so and sucking it out of my fuge (where it is the worst) during water changes.

I am not really a fan of chemiclean. Cyano is a bacteria and I find it very hard to believe that chemiclean only kills cyano. Our whole ecosystem in a box is very dependent on bacteria to maintain balance and I strongly believe chemiclean disrupts this balance. From my research it mainly effects denitrifying bacteria.

Cyano does become less and less the more mature your system becomes. Just keep in mind, the more you make changes to your system (chemiclean, aggressive water changes, etc) the longer it will take for your corals to adjust. More often then not the best solution to something is to just ride it out and let nature run its course :)
Click to expand...
I definitely agree with this. I don't plan on using any chemicals at this point and plan to ride it out. It's by no means "taking over" the tank at all, so it can always be worse.

It's amazing how this stuff completely disappears at night. Just looked and I can't find any trace of this on the sand, rock or glass... But it comes back after a few hrs of the light being on.


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clowninaround7474

clowninaround7474

Tang
M.A.S.C Club Member
#17
#17
Ok after reading more and more I'm starting to wonder if this is Dino's and not cyano. Any good way to identify one from the other. Is there a different approach for Dino's than cyano? I've read some having luck with peroxide dosing?


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clowninaround7474

clowninaround7474

Tang
M.A.S.C Club Member
#20
#20
Cyano Bacteria

Very stringy and no bubbles of any kind, completely disappears at night and is back within hours of the lights coming on.

I'm really hoping this isn't Dino's... I've read horror stories and people end up calling it quits

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