Cyano disappearing with increased PAR?

[ReefNBeer]

Got a weird one...at least for me.

For about 2 years I have been running 2 AI Prime 16HDs over my 2ft cube. Mixed reef with PAR at the top of the tank at 220ish. For the longest time, I would always have a small thin layer of Cyano on my sand bed. Occasionally (every 3 months maybe) it would get bad, which is when I would opt to chemiclean, which would solve my issue for a few months, but then a small thin layer would arise again. Its really just something I have just lived with for 2 years since its not too bad at all.

Anyway...I recently upgraded to an XR30 G5 Pro (freaking awesome light btw) and brought my PAR at the top to around 370 for some of the SPS. Over the course of a day, the cyano bubbled up, and now my sand bed is as white as it was on day one. Really not sure what happened...Would love to hear anyone's thoughts?

Alk: 10dkh
Cal: 450
MG: 1400
NO3: 4ppm
PO4: .02
Salinity: 1.0026
pH: 8.0-8.3

 

[vetteguy53081]

That is weird as light is food for cyano
Is perhaps your nitrate and phosphate dropping ?

 

[thenanoreefkeeper]

That is weird as light is food for cyano
Is perhaps your nitrate and phosphate dropping ?

 

[ReefNBeer]

That is weird as light is food for cyano
Is perhaps your nitrate and phosphate dropping ?

It could be. My nitrates before I started to try bringing them down, we at 8. This was a little over a month ago. Do you think that could ne the culprit? I was under the assumption that 8 was not technically considered “high”

 

[vetteguy53081]

It could be. My nitrates before I started to try bringing them down, we at 8. This was a little over a month ago. Do you think that could ne the culprit? I was under the assumption that 8 was not technically considered “high”

Nitrate and phosphate often the culprit