Phosban reactor?

[matt.radich]

I have what appears to be blue/green cyano all over my tank, or so I think. Would a phosban reactor do the trick or is there a cheaper alternative? I have tried removing it and it just isn't working

This is what I'm battling:

 

[Andrew_bram]

Phosban reactor?

Can you give us a front tank shot

 

[matt.radich]

Phosban reactor?

Yeah here:

 

[Andrew_bram]

Phosban reactor?

That's not cyno in my opinion. What are your mag levels at. I would run reactor and I would check and raise mag if needed. Appears to me to actually have structure to it.

 

[matt.radich]

Phosban reactor?

The reason I think it is cyano is because it is a snot like feeling, but I will run tests tomorrow and let you know

 

[Aaron]

Looks like you could siphon it out? I would do a water change.

IMO a phosphate reactor is a great investment though you won't see changes overnight.

I've had a bad experience with a Two Little Fishies Phosban reactor and wouldn't recommend it. The fittings slide on and fall off very easily. IMO it's major point of failure and you could end up with a lot of water on the floor. Also, the cap does not seal very well. Seems like I had to adjust it 10 times or so to get it to stop leaking every time I changed my phosphate which is really annoying.

I've since replaced my phosban reactor with a BRS reactor, which is much more secure. The only disadvantage of the BRS reactor is it takes up more are under your sump. Otherwise, it's 100x better.

 

[Andrew_bram]

Phosban reactor?

Agree however if you already have the reactor you can place it in sump.

 

[Aaron]

One more observation, looks like you're running a backpack filter and that's it?

Have you considered a refugium or a protein skimmer? I would almost rate those two over a phosphate reactor.

 

[daverf]

You could check into lanthanum to control phosphates. Way, way cheaper. Search it on the forum, you'll find a few threads (including one I wrote) on using it.

Have you tested your phosphates?

 

[Catfish Charlie]

Looks like the start of hair algae.

 

[matt.radich]

Phosban reactor?

Yeah I am just running a AC50 right now. Would a HOB skimmer help? I am still learning with the nano tanks, so please excuse all the dumb questions

 

[jahmic]

Re: Phosban reactor?

I'd recommend setting up the AC50 as a fuge. I've had no need for gfo or a skimmer on my 20...although it's admittedly very lightly stocked.

Algae is going to grow somewhere if water changes aren't enough for nutrient export... might as well be in the fuge. You can also try macro in the display, and possibly raising your lights or reducing the photoperiod til things get under control. I found that not shocking the system when changing gfo in my nanocube was challenging with such a small water volume. Best to not make a drastic change for a minor issue IMO.

 

[daverf]

Yeah I am just running a AC50 right now. Would a HOB skimmer help? I am still learning with the nano tanks, so please excuse all the dumb questions

most likely would help, although small chance it could make it worse. whatever it is (IMO cyano), you have nuisance growth that is being fed by the nutrients and light (because it is green) in your tank. nuisance growth usually benefits from dissolved organic compounds in the water column, which a skimmer removes. however, some growth is fueled by cleaner water. trial and error to get rid of it. usually it will cycle through and die off, just need patience...reduced lighting and feeding also will really help.

Source water - do you use RO/DI, what is your TDS measure here? It could be your source.

Again it helps to know your phosphate measure, and also your nitrates.