Bad, Cyanobacteria outbreak

BobSny

New Member
View Badges
Joined
Feb 4, 2023
Messages
11
Reaction score
4
Location
Philadelphia
Rating - 0%
0   0   0
Hello my name is Bob I have a 180 fish and live rock tank for almost 20 years now and I have a bad out break of cyanomy nitrate level is 160 just replace my pump for my sump and also added a fx6 canister filter I only have 4 fish in my tank just wanted to know should I remove my filter socks from my sump and should I remove the carbon pads from the fx6 while I’m treating with chemiclean
 

Saltyreef

I'm not your dad...
View Badges
Joined
Nov 25, 2018
Messages
7,041
Reaction score
6,033
Location
Central Coast, California
Rating - 0%
0   0   0
Hello my name is Bob I have a 180 fish and live rock tank for almost 20 years now and I have a bad out break of cyanomy nitrate level is 160 just replace my pump for my sump and also added a fx6 canister filter I only have 4 fish in my tank just wanted to know should I remove my filter socks from my sump and should I remove the carbon pads from the fx6 while I’m treating with chemiclean
Remove carbon since you are using medication. Keep filter socks in and keep them changed/clean regularly.

Try to find why your nitrate is so high. Seems you need to revisit your nitrate export and flow.
I would start putting some time and elbow grease into rinsing your sand and doing a 100% water change before treating the cyano with meds.
 

brandon429

why did you put a reef in that
View Badges
Joined
Dec 9, 2014
Messages
29,749
Reaction score
23,732
Location
tejas
Rating - 0%
0   0   0
You can kill your reef using chemi clean, search out: chemi clean killed my reef, there's hundreds of them.


You can kill your fish with it too, indirectly, from the rotting compounds after use and from oxygenation issues, recommend to cease use

Post a pic of your tank, it's likely reached its storage maximum for the sandbed and rocks. We can tell by pics of the system
 

Randy Holmes-Farley

Reef Chemist
View Badges
Joined
Sep 5, 2014
Messages
67,311
Reaction score
63,661
Location
Arlington, Massachusetts, United States
Rating - 0%
0   0   0
Welcome to reef2Reef!

The chemiclean antibiotic (erythromycin) should wipe out the cyano, but be careful that released toxins or low O2 do not cause issues. Keep aeration high and possible use GAC, if you have any on hand.

A lot of nutrients will be released as well from the dead cyano, so a water change may be in order to reduce the nitrate.

Are you monitoring phosphate?
 

BigMikeFlipz

Active Member
View Badges
Joined
Feb 7, 2022
Messages
139
Reaction score
145
Location
Franklin
Rating - 0%
0   0   0
Curious, I would think if you followed the instructions on the box and have an aerator running for at least 2 days, then do a water change... I only have 5-6 corals and 20 fish/inverts and chemi-clean wiped out my two baseball sized cyano in 36 hours without issue. I just followed the instructions to a T and worked fine. No issues so far, but I kept the aerator going and didn't go nuts with it. Will keep an eye out as maybe mine was a small buildup and I don't have the same corals that were affected on other threads.
 

vetteguy53081

Well known Member and monster tank lover
View Badges
Joined
Aug 11, 2013
Messages
91,842
Reaction score
202,808
Location
Wisconsin -
Rating - 100%
13   0   0
Curious, I would think if you followed the instructions on the box and have an aerator running for at least 2 days, then do a water change... I only have 5-6 corals and 20 fish/inverts and chemi-clean wiped out my two baseball sized cyano in 36 hours without issue. I just followed the instructions to a T and worked fine. No issues so far, but I kept the aerator going and didn't go nuts with it. Will keep an eye out as maybe mine was a small buildup and I don't have the same corals that were affected on other threads.
Exactly - As long as you follow as directed. I cant remember the last time I had Cyano but remember using it once and it did its thing. They can sure make the vial a little bigger for what you get for the money
 

stambo3

Community Member
View Badges
Joined
Jun 16, 2023
Messages
61
Reaction score
23
Location
Bulgaria
Rating - 0%
0   0   0
Welcome to reef2Reef!

The chemiclean antibiotic (erythromycin) should wipe out the cyano, but be careful that released toxins or low O2 do not cause issues. Keep aeration high and possible use GAC, if you have any on hand.

A lot of nutrients will be released as well from the dead cyano, so a water change may be in order to reduce the nitrate.

Are you monitoring phosphate?
Hello,
I had a cyano in 120g that had covered the sand and rocks. Both were not alive. They were apparently caused by exposing the aqua to direct sunlight in the summer / temperatures up to 91 degrees in the shade /. When I darkened the display, it started to peel off and turn into a very fine gray substrate. The DT started getting very cloudy and the L PS corals I have became miserable. I have done 10% water changes several times, but there is no improvement in the condition of the corals. Do you think the cyano released toxins and how can I get the corals back to the good growth they were before the cyano?
 

Randy Holmes-Farley

Reef Chemist
View Badges
Joined
Sep 5, 2014
Messages
67,311
Reaction score
63,661
Location
Arlington, Massachusetts, United States
Rating - 0%
0   0   0
Hello,
I had a cyano in 120g that had covered the sand and rocks. Both were not alive. They were apparently caused by exposing the aqua to direct sunlight in the summer / temperatures up to 91 degrees in the shade /. When I darkened the display, it started to peel off and turn into a very fine gray substrate. The DT started getting very cloudy and the L PS corals I have became miserable. I have done 10% water changes several times, but there is no improvement in the condition of the corals. Do you think the cyano released toxins and how can I get the corals back to the good growth they were before the cyano?

It may have released toxins or otherwise messed with the water conditions (bacteria bloom feeding on dead cyano, etc.)

Do you have a skimmer for aeration and organic removal?

How long has this been taking place?
 

stambo3

Community Member
View Badges
Joined
Jun 16, 2023
Messages
61
Reaction score
23
Location
Bulgaria
Rating - 0%
0   0   0
It may have released toxins or otherwise messed with the water conditions (bacteria bloom feeding on dead cyano, etc.)

Do you have a skimmer for aeration and organic removal?

How long has this been taking place?
I have a Nios 120 Skimmer, it works 24/7. I did not understand your question about the organic removal, but if it is whether I dosed with some preparation - I did not use anything. Ciano took over everything in 10 days, then peeled off in a little less than a week. There are still small places where it remained. Corals continue to be very bad. I think Caulastrea Curvata is already dying
 

stambo3

Community Member
View Badges
Joined
Jun 16, 2023
Messages
61
Reaction score
23
Location
Bulgaria
Rating - 0%
0   0   0
I have a Nios 120 Skimmer, it works 24/7. I did not understand your question about the organic removal, but if it is whether I dosed with some preparation - I did not use anything. Ciano took over everything in 10 days, then peeled off in a little less than a week. There are still small places where it remained. Corals continue to be very bad. I think Caulastrea Curvata is already dying
 

stambo3

Community Member
View Badges
Joined
Jun 16, 2023
Messages
61
Reaction score
23
Location
Bulgaria
Rating - 0%
0   0   0
I have a Nios 120 Skimmer, it works 24/7. I did not understand your question about the organic removal, but if it is whether I dosed with some preparation - I did not use anything. Ciano took over everything in 10 days, then peeled off in a little less than a week. There are still small places where it remained. Corals continue to be very bad. I think Caulastrea Curvata is already dying.
The water parameters look good, I measure them every few days.
Specific gravity 1.025. Calcium 490
Phosphate: I can't measure exactly.
Alkalinity 9.3
Magnesium 1600
Nitrates 25
Ammonia 0. All tests are new from Salifert, but do not accurately measure Phosphates.
 

Randy Holmes-Farley

Reef Chemist
View Badges
Joined
Sep 5, 2014
Messages
67,311
Reaction score
63,661
Location
Arlington, Massachusetts, United States
Rating - 0%
0   0   0
I have a Nios 120 Skimmer, it works 24/7. I did not understand your question about the organic removal, but if it is whether I dosed with some preparation - I did not use anything. Ciano took over everything in 10 days, then peeled off in a little less than a week. There are still small places where it remained. Corals continue to be very bad. I think Caulastrea Curvata is already dying

I meant that a skimmer dose both aeration and organic removal, and both may be helpful.
 

stambo3

Community Member
View Badges
Joined
Jun 16, 2023
Messages
61
Reaction score
23
Location
Bulgaria
Rating - 0%
0   0   0
I meant that a skimmer dose both aeration and organic removal, and both may be helpful.
Please excuse me for being a bit cheeky in asking!
I don't want to take up your time. But can anyone tell me any options to deal with the situation. Could it be that there are a lot of phosphates that I can't measure. Could there be a bacterial bloom that I can't see either. If I put some phosphate remover or do a big water change / say 50% / will it work?
I've run out of ideas here, but I will stubbornly not let everything die, or at least try to save some of the coral. Greetings to all and have a good day !!!
 

Randy Holmes-Farley

Reef Chemist
View Badges
Joined
Sep 5, 2014
Messages
67,311
Reaction score
63,661
Location
Arlington, Massachusetts, United States
Rating - 0%
0   0   0
High phosphate does not cause cyano or cloudy water or, typically, bacterial blooms.

If there is a toxin problem, organic export methods may help. Skimming, granular activated carbon, purigen, etc.

If there is a bacteria bloom, water changes and a UV can help.

In severe cyano cases, an antibiotic can be used to kill it all, but remove as much as possible first.

In an unknown coral problem, water changes are a reasonable approach.
 

High pressure shells: Do you look for signs of stress in the invertebrates in your reef tank?

  • I regularly look for signs of invertebrate stress in my reef tank.

    Votes: 36 31.3%
  • I occasionally look for signs of invertebrate stress in my reef tank.

    Votes: 28 24.3%
  • I rarely look for signs of invertebrate stress in my reef tank.

    Votes: 21 18.3%
  • I never look for signs of invertebrate stress in my reef tank.

    Votes: 30 26.1%
  • Other.

    Votes: 0 0.0%
Back
Top