1 Year Old Tank - High Nutrients - Setup a Fuge - Should I do anything else?

[ReefGeezer]

Yeah, so actually, at month 3 I was fighting dinos and bottomed out N&P. I actually had to dose quite a bit of nitrates and phosphates into my system to overcome the dinos. I believe this is a part of my issue from the beginning of my tank.

 

[ReefGeezer]

Yeah, so actually, at month 3 I was fighting dinos and bottomed out N&P. I actually had to dose quite a bit of nitrates and phosphates into my system to overcome the dinos. I believe this is a part of my issue from the beginning of my tank.

Yep. Happens a lot.

 

[dedragon]

I think an efficient skimmer (if you dont have one) might be the solution for this over the long term to keep nutrients in check, as reefgazer said before. Do you have one running right now? I find gfo more of a hassle to deal with than anything ( can bottom out phosphate quickly)

 

[sanzz18]

I think an efficient skimmer (if you dont have one) might be the solution for this over the long term to keep nutrients in check, as reefgazer said before. Do you have one running right now? I find gfo more of a hassle to deal with than anything ( can bottom out phosphate quickly)

I have a Reef Octopus Regal 200INT been running 24/7 the whole time besides when I had the dinos outbreak in the beginning.

 

[sanzz18]

So after tons of reading including the articles posted in here, I decided to go to the store and bought a bottle of distilled white vinegar 5%. As for phosphate control, I still have not decided whether or not I will use lanthanum chloride or gfo.

Before I start, I wanted to let you guys know I noticed a little bit of Cyano forming (especially in the middle of my tank where the flow is less) accumulate when lights go on and recede when lights go off. I am 100% sure it is not dinos as this is purely red versus that rust color from dinos I battled about 8 months ago. I even checked it under the microscope.

Will dosing vinegar help or hurt my minor Cyano issue?

FYI - Phosphates are still 0.5 (Hannah) and Nitrates are between 25 and 40 (Nyos).

 

[ReefGeezer]

So after tons of reading including the articles posted in here, I decided to go to the store and bought a bottle of distilled white vinegar 5%. As for phosphate control, I still have not decided whether or not I will use lanthanum chloride or gfo.

Before I start, I wanted to let you guys know I noticed a little bit of Cyano forming (especially in the middle of my tank where the flow is less) accumulate when lights go on and recede when lights go off. I am 100% sure it is not dinos as this is purely red versus that rust color from dinos I battled about 8 months ago. I even checked it under the microscope.

Will dosing vinegar help or hurt my minor Cyano issue?

FYI - Phosphates are still 0.5 (Hannah) and Nitrates are between 25 and 40 (Nyos).

Vinegar usually doesn't make Cyano get worse but COULD. Keep and eye on it. Maybe suck it out. Skim wetter. Maybe add some GAC. You might get it to go away while you are still ramping up the carbon dose.

 

[sanzz18]

Vinegar usually doesn't make Cyano get worse but COULD. Keep and eye on it. Maybe suck it out. Skim wetter. Maybe add some GAC. You might get it to go away while you are still ramping up the carbon dose.

Would my high nutrients be causing the Cyano? Most of the posts I read have very low/no nutrients. The only thing I have done differently was add the refugium.

 

[ReefGeezer]

Would my high nutrients be causing the Cyano? Most of the posts I read have very low/no nutrients. The only thing I have done differently was add the refugium.

In my experience Cyano is encouraged by elevated dissolved organics. I think it gets it's nutrients from them. The spot of Cyano you have could be responding to a local condition that concentrates some organics in the area it is growing. However, in many cases, Cyano just happens and is part of the maturing process. I wouldn't blame the refugium.
You might try vacuuming the cyano out and in the process removing any gross organics that might be in the area. GAC and wetter skimming can also help remove more dissolved organics.

 

[sanzz18]

In my experience Cyano is encouraged by elevated dissolved organics. I think it gets it's nutrients from them. The spot of Cyano you have could be responding to a local condition that concentrates some organics in the area it is growing. However, in many cases, Cyano just happens and is part of the maturing process. I wouldn't blame the refugium.
You might try vacuuming the cyano out and in the process removing any gross organics that might be in the area. GAC and wetter skimming can also help remove more dissolved organics.

Okay thanks. I will hookup my reactor that I never refilled with GAC. I turned up the skimmer to skim a little wetter.

The only thing really frustrating me right now is I setup my chaeto refugium for nutrient control and not I got cyano growing in the chaeto.

 

[ReefGeezer]

Okay thanks. I will hookup my reactor that I never refilled with GAC. I turned up the skimmer to skim a little wetter.

The only thing really frustrating me right now is I setup my chaeto refugium for nutrient control and not I got cyano growing in the chaeto.

You can kind of blow the Cyano loose from the Cheato and then vacuum it out. Your tank is fairly new. Your job is simply to manage the problem until it passes. Try to remember that Cyano gets it nutrients differently than algae. While inorganic N & P may be super low, it may be high in the organics dissolved in the water. That's where I believe Cyano gets its nutrients. Wetter skimming and GAC will help reduce dissolved organics and hopefully slow the Cyano until the phase passes.

At last resort, Chemiclean works on Cyano. The down side is you mat get into a Cyano-hair algae-Cyano - hair algae loop. Best if you can just manage it until it goes away.

 

[sanzz18]

You can kind of blow the Cyano loose from the Cheato and then vacuum it out. Your tank is fairly new. Your job is simply to manage the problem until it passes. Try to remember that Cyano gets it nutrients differently than algae. While inorganic N & P may be super low, it may be high in the organics dissolved in the water. That's where I believe Cyano gets its nutrients. Wetter skimming and GAC will help reduce dissolved organics and hopefully slow the Cyano until the phase passes.

At last resort, Chemiclean works on Cyano. The down side is you mat get into a Cyano-hair algae-Cyano - hair algae loop. Best if you can just manage it until it goes away.

Mine is high in N&P and organics lol. Thanks for all your help this past week. I am going to keep up at it, I 100% do not want to use chemiclean if I do not have to. Thanks again.