Can’t get rid of cyano

Andresnyc93

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Thank you all for the help.
Wait you don’t add beneficial bacteria after every wc? I started doing that battling dynos and cyano and it definitely helped it go away faster. You have a great uv so you just might have to tweak the flow and also those UV bulbs should be replaced after a year if running constantly.
 

CapeCoralDan

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I am having an issue with what I think is cyano. I have researched and took the advice from them but I still can’t get rid of it.
I have lowered my white intensity on my lights, increased flow and got all of my chemicals in check but it just won’t go away.
Please help.
2 year old tank
125 gallon tank
UV sterilizer
Skimmer
Radion gen 2 lights
Carbon reactor
Chemicals:
Alk 8.8
Nitrite 0
Ammonia 0
Ph 8.13
Nitrate 2.37 was lower with the same outcome
Phosphate 0.028 was lower with the same outcome

7155CF2F-E826-44BA-B81B-50CC57DBA7D3.jpeg
I had the same issue, tried everything. Wanted to treat without chemicals. Finally gave in and used Chemiclean. Perfectly clean tank in 2 days. All corals, clam and fish survived.
 

LPS Bum

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I’ve seen Cyano thrive in every reef environment possible. It’s not just a plague in poorly maintained or high nitrate tanks.

Personally, I’ve had success using Chemiclean (a double dose back to back works well for stubborn cases) and then dosing competing bacteria and upping the flow.

If all of that doesn’t clear it up, it’s not Cyano.
 
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Freemason1970

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Wait you don’t add beneficial bacteria after every wc? I started doing that battling dynos and cyano and it definitely helped it go away faster. You have a great uv so you just might have to tweak the flow and also those UV bulbs should be replaced after a year if running constantly.
Currently I do not add any bacteria. Are you saying I should or shouldn’t?
 

vetteguy53081

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First thing to address is, , what caused it ?
Some of the most common causes include:
- Protein skimmer which fills water with tiny air bubbles. As bubbles form from the reaction chamber, dissolved organic compound molecules stick to them. Foam forms at the surface of the water and is then transferred to a collection cup, where it rests as skimmate. When the protein skimmer does not output the best efficiency or you do not have the suitable protein skimmer to cover the tank, the air bubbles created by the skimmer might be insufficient. And this insufficiency of air bubbles can trigger the cyano to thrive.
- Overstocking / overfeeding, your aquarium with nutrients is often the culprit of a cyano bloom
- Adding live rock that isn’t completely cured which acts like a breeding ground for red slime algae
- If you don’t change your water with enough frequency, you’ll soon have a brightly colored red slime algae bloom. Regular water changes dilute nutrients that feed cyanobacteria and keeps your tank beautifully clear
- Using a water source with nitrates or phosphates is like rolling out the welcome mat for cyano. Tap water is an example
- Inadequate water flow, or movement, is a leading cause of cyano blooms. Slow moving water combined with excess dissolved nutrients is a recipe for pervasive red slime algae development

I recommend to reduce white light intensity or even turn lights off for 5-days. Add liquid bacteria daily for a week during the day at 1.5ml per 10 gallons. Add Hydrogen peroxide at night at 1ml per 10 gallons. Add a pouch of chemipure Elite which will balance phos and nitrate and keep them in check.

After the week, add a few snails such as cerith, margarita, astrea and nassarius plus 6-8 blue leg hermits to take control.
 

boeingn747

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I am having an issue with what I think is cyano. I have researched and took the advice from them but I still can’t get rid of it.
I have lowered my white intensity on my lights, increased flow and got all of my chemicals in check but it just won’t go away.
Please help.
2 year old tank
125 gallon tank
UV sterilizer
Skimmer
Radion gen 2 lights
Carbon reactor
Chemicals:
Alk 8.8
Nitrite 0
Ammonia 0
Ph 8.13
Nitrate 2.37 was lower with the same outcome
Phosphate 0.028 was lower with the same outcome

7155CF2F-E826-44BA-B81B-50CC57DBA7D3.jpeg
So I had a cyano problem in a 2 year old system. I have had cyano here and there since I have been in the hobby. After all the research that I have done the best and quickest cure is to get back to weekly 25% water changes or 20% every 5 days. Vacuum your substrate well, manually remove as much of it as you can prior to water change. Start dosing microbacter 7 per dose for your tank everyday until cyano goes away. The good bacteria in the microbacter 7 will out compete the cyano bacteria for nutrients thus killing/eliminating your problem. It really is the quickest method that I have found. Chemiclean is a option, however, imo the good doesn't out weigh the bad. I have just not had great results with chemiclean. Makes the skimmer go crazy for weeks until it's removed from the water. Part of the issue and why you get cyano is excess nutrients in the water. Well a skimmer is removing a lot of that and without it it's just leaving it in the water. Try my first suggestion and you will be happy.
 

outhouse

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I tried chemiclean about a year ago and thought I was going to wipe out the tank. It went away but came back a few months later. I have done the 3 day blackout but may have to if I can’t find the smoking gun.
The trick is large water changes. Before and after dosage. Never lost a single coral. I only dose twice.
 

DannoOMG

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The tank at my work had a cyano outbreak that covered every inch of the 90 gallon tank.

We used "red slime remover" by Ultralife (i think that was the brand). It took it out over the course of a month. Didn't hurt the tank.

His tank is very odd and always had 0 low nitrates which I know can cause outbreaks. (I think)
 

damsels are not mean

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Algae, cyano, etc. These things grow in the ocean. They grow in all tanks, heathy or not, unless there is no light. Their growth waxes and wanes as competition from other forms of biofilm take over and some of these forms are less ugly or invisible to us. In the wild these things have predators and in mature tanks there is simply no space for it to grow due to coral cover. The blackout method, regular siphoning, antibiotics, or biological controls are the only ways to fix these things. Nutrient control is a waste of time when trying to treat algae.
 
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