Cyano, Dinos or.....?

[tundraguy1106]

Hey,

So I’ve been dealing with this reddish mat all over my sand bed and rock work for over a month now. I usually just scrub it off and stir up the sandbed the day before I change my filter socks. It comes back within 2 days. My nitrates are 0 and my phosphates are .04 on a Hannah checker. I just received my microscope in the mail to get some pictures in order to diagnose and come up with an attack plan. My tank is 120 gallon 2x2x4 with a 30 gallon sump. I have a fuge setup running chaeto only with the light on reverse my tanks T5 schedule. I currently cut the fuge lighting down to only 4 hours and have been feeding heavily to try and raise my nitrates. This stuff also grows on the chaeto in my fuge. I’m looking to go reef but have a FOWLR currently. I was also looking at UV sterilizers but I wanted to see what everyone thought this actually was and how to properly battle it. Thanks!

 

[DesertReefT4r]

Cyano. You need to remove it by syphoning it out. Increased flow helps too. Whats your no3 and po4 at?

 

[Fishtheatre]

Yep. That’s cyano. Coincidentally I have a similar tank, a 110 fowlr that i’m hoping to go reef one day. Also have a bit of cyano on the sandbed but nowhere else. Not as bad but it’s noticeable. I upped my water changes, change my socks out more often, increased my cuc(trochus, hermits), and siphoned what was there out. Made a huge difference. While it’s still there somewhat, it’s a lot less. Probably need to put some flow in that spot too. And maybe address my lighting somewhat.

 

[tundraguy1106]

Yep. That’s cyano. Coincidentally I have a similar tank, a 110 fowlr that i’m hoping to go reef one day. Also have a bit of cyano on the sandbed but nowhere else. Not as bad but it’s noticeable. I upped my water changes, change my socks out more often, increased my cuc(trochus, hermits), and siphoned what was there out. Made a huge difference. While it’s still there somewhat, it’s a lot less. Probably need to put some flow in that spot too. And maybe address my lighting somewhat.

Cyano. You need to remove it by syphoning it out. Increased flow helps too. Whats your no3 and po4 at?

No3 - 0, po4 - .04

 

[vetteguy53081]

+1 on cyano. Siphon, reduce white intensity and try ChemiClean which works well. Just keep an eye on skimmer if you have one as ChemiClean can make skimmer go nuts

 

[tundraguy1106]

+1 on cyano. Siphon, reduce white intensity and try ChemiClean which works well. Just keep an eye on skimmer if you have one as ChemiClean can make skimmer go nuts

So I don’t need a UV sterilizer and should I keep feeding heavily?

 

[Skynyrd Fish]

I would keep feeding a few times per day. I feel I start to get cyano when my sand is dirty or my no3 is undetectable. When the last time you siphoned the sand?

 

[vetteguy53081]

So I don’t need a UV sterilizer and should I keep feeding heavily?

I beat a bad case of cyano in 4 days without UV on although I have one.

 

[Miguel Negron]

I had that 2 times. Once it was green and another time it was burgundy. Buy chemi clean and you will be clear in a matter of 48 hours. Trust me! If you keep siphoning, it will come back.

 

[tundraguy1106]

I would keep feeding a few times per day. I feel I start to get cyano when my sand is dirty or my no3 is undetectable. When the last time you siphoned the sand?

I usually stir it up a few times a week (just the top inch) and then bubble scrub and turn my pumps up. Siphoning doesn’t work for me because the cyano is heavy and my tube is wide. I might use a smaller tube. The next day I change the filter socks. I currently have 2 maxspect gyre 330’s set on lunar tide cycle which really isn’t much flow. Might turn those up a bit. Other than that my bioload is

1 kole tang
Percula mated pair
2 bellus angel females
1 lyretail anthia
1 golden Midas blenny

In my QT I have a Regal angel, potters angel and a yellow coris wrasse.

I also have snails urchins and shrimp (2 blood, 1 skunk)

 

[DesertReefT4r]

Increase your no3 by dosing some Neo Nitro. Be careful with Chemi Clean and low nutrients. It caused a dinoflagellates bloom in my tank after dosing it and my reef has not been the same since.

 

[Dan_P]

Hey,

So I’ve been dealing with this reddish mat all over my sand bed and rock work for over a month now. I usually just scrub it off and stir up the sandbed the day before I change my filter socks. It comes back within 2 days. My nitrates are 0 and my phosphates are .04 on a Hannah checker. I just received my microscope in the mail to get some pictures in order to diagnose and come up with an attack plan. My tank is 120 gallon 2x2x4 with a 30 gallon sump. I have a fuge setup running chaeto only with the light on reverse my tanks T5 schedule. I currently cut the fuge lighting down to only 4 hours and have been feeding heavily to try and raise my nitrates. This stuff also grows on the chaeto in my fuge. I’m looking to go reef but have a FOWLR currently. I was also looking at UV sterilizers but I wanted to see what everyone thought this actually was and how to properly battle it. Thanks!

Where the cyanobacteria is growing is an indication that it is being fed very well in that spot, likely there is organic matter accumulation. You may have to look into cleaning the substrate to stop the growth. Tweaking phosphate and nitrate levels might not help you.

 

[starreef05]

No3 - 0, po4 - .04

Keep in mind the cyano will make your phosphate readings lower since it’s absorbing it when phosphate is actually higher.

 

[tundraguy1106]

Keep in mind the cyano will make your phosphate readings lower since it’s absorbing it when phosphate is actually higher.

I siphoned all visible cyano from sandbed the other day. Then upped my flow in my pumps and scrubbed anything left off rockwork followed by bubble scrubbing the tank. Then I changed the filter socks right after. I tested the tank today and nitrates were .25 , Alk 8.3, cal 365 and phosphates .02. Looks like the cyano is starting to come back. I’m trying to avoid dosing chemiclean. I don’t want a dinos outbreak!! Not sure if I need to start dosing nitrate and phosphate? I shortened my fuge light time to just 4 hours at night when tank lights are off and I added an auto feeder that feeds hikari S pellets 3 times a day.

 

[starreef05]

I siphoned all visible cyano from sandbed the other day. Then upped my flow in my pumps and scrubbed anything left off rockwork followed by bubble scrubbing the tank. Then I changed the filter socks right after. I tested the tank today and nitrates were .25 , Alk 8.3, cal 365 and phosphates .02. Looks like the cyano is starting to come back. I’m trying to avoid dosing chemiclean. I don’t want a dinos outbreak!! Not sure if I need to start dosing nitrate and phosphate? I shortened my fuge light time to just 4 hours at night when tank lights are off and I added an auto feeder that feeds hikari S pellets 3 times a day.

Do you have a gfo rector? I did that and it really helps. I’m currently having the same issue atm. It’s starting to go away, my credit goes to asterina starfish and gfo. But if you don’t have any asterina starfish, I would run gfo for a week or two, then manually remove the cyano. You can use bags but I would use phosguard imo.

 

[tundraguy1106]

Do you have a gfo rector? I did that and it really helps. I’m currently having the same issue atm. It’s starting to go away, my credit goes to asterina starfish and gfo. But if you don’t have any asterina starfish, I would run gfo for a week or two, then manually remove the cyano. You can use bags but I would use phosguard imo.

I have an aquamaxx reactor currently filled with just carbon. I have phosgaurd on hand but I thought the goal was to have nitrate and phosphate detectable levels in order to not get dinos and also keep cyano at bay. I’m basically trying to dirty my extra clean tank up to battle the cyano and Dino threat

 

[Nicholas Dushynsky]

Increase your no3 by dosing some Neo Nitro. Be careful with Chemi Clean and low nutrients. It caused a dinoflagellates bloom in my tank after dosing it and my reef has not been the same since.

I think I have the same issue with my tank. I didnt use chemiclean, I used red slime remover. Mine was zero phosphates that caused my issue originally, I think it is just struggling to get back to where it was. I have been dosing phosphate to get a reading then trying to dose phosphates that reduced nitrates. Now I'm doing both to get to the levels I want.