Can anyone help me understand why I have had a cyano outbreak

[gowlers321]

These are my parameters this month :

 

[Reef - Tripp]

You are adding some carbon source, especially vodka.

 

[gowlers321]

You are adding some carbon source, especially vodka.

I was running carbon in a media reactor. I shut it off a few days ago, I can't think of anything else that could be a carbon source.

 

[Gravity]

It looks like your phosphates are high. Cyano can use atmospheric nitrogen which allows them to thrive in a high phosphate environment. The typical recommendation is phosphates less than 0.1 ppm. The use of heterotrophic bacteria (Dr Tim’s refresh/waste away, Brightwell Microbactor 7, etc...) will help to get rid of cyano once nutrients are balanced.

 

[gowlers321]

It looks like your phosphates are high. Cyano can use atmospheric nitrogen which allows them to thrive in a high phosphate environment. The typical recommendation is phosphates less than 0.1 ppm. The use of heterotrophic bacteria (Dr Tim’s refresh/waste away, Brightwell Microbactor 7, etc...) will help to get rid of cyano once nutrients are balanced.

Okay thank you , any other recommendations ?

 

[Deep]

How old is your tank?

 

[gowlers321]

How old is your tank?

6 months 21 days

 

[SMSREEF]

I would bring nitrate up to 10.
Suction out as much cyano as you can.
Other microbes will then take over.

If cyano grows back repeatedly, suction it out again and use chemiclean. It’s erythromycin (even though they claim it isn’t one form of erythromycin). But it works and will kill the cyano. Read up on some of the issues people had after using it to decide if it’s for you or not. My tank was fine afterward.

 

[TriggersAmuck]

Take a listen late in this video, lots of great info:

 

[Lerequin]

Check the phosphate/nitrate balance with the Redfield ratio calculator?

 

[Gravity]

Okay thank you , any other recommendations ?

The Dr Tim’s cyano/algae recipe worked well for me after I had got phosphate <0.1ppm.

 

[brandon429]

How many gallons is the tank

 

[Retfitter]

I had a problem with cyano bad. I fought it with Dr. Tim’s, chemi lean twice and finally lights out for three days. That worked and haven’t had it since.

 

[Ross Petersen]

Currently have in a 132 gallon system as well. Trying reduced lighting, the odd siphon of the top layer of sand with vinegar bath of the sand, followed by dosing of microbacter clean and Oceanmagik phytoplankton.

 

[vetteguy53081]

It’s a bacteria and favors light, inorganic, phosphate and nitrate
I recommend reducing or killing the white lights for few days, siphon off as much as you can and loosening with a turkey baster and net or siphon that up, then adding chemipure elite which will reduce phosphate and nitrate and keep it in check
Clean filters the next 3 days daily