Cyano is outgrowing my chaeto?

xxoczukxx · Oct 27, 2020

I have a fuge with chaeto in it with an ai prime fuge over it running opposite my tanks light cycle.

The chaeto was growing great for the past few months, although it was growing as basically a sheet over the surface which I would flip now and then to get light on both sides. I added an extra powerhead for flow but it never got tumbly, just pushed it to one side so I gave up and just keep flipping it.

Anyway, recently the chaeto growth slowed and cyano started showing up on my DT glass. Nothing on any rocks at all.

My nitrates are showing 0 on tests and I am waiting for a new phos test.

Does anyone know why this could be happening? I did stop feeding daily to once every other day, and I feed NLS thera A pellets. tank is 50 gal including DT and sump volumes, and there are only 3 fish (two clowns, one royal gramma) and a bunch of CUC and corals.

I may try to feed MORE to increase nutrients as the chaeto is paling and may not be getting nutrients? I also considered dosing iron based on some threads and videos i had seen saying it helps with chaeto growth.

What does everyone suggest?

Miller535 · Oct 27, 2020

Yes, cyano can grow in low to no nutrient environments. Chaeto needs nutrients. If your nutrients stay bottomed out, you will likely see cyano, and possibly even dinos.

CCauthers · Oct 27, 2020

Agreed, can add more fish to increase bioload

xxoczukxx · Oct 27, 2020

Miller535 said:
Yes, cyano can grow in low to no nutrient environments. Chaeto needs nutrients. If your nutrients stay bottomed out, you will likely see cyano, and possibly even dinos.

good to know! I will INCREASE my feeding! Always been wary of having too much nutrients, low nutrients is a weird thing to think of haha

CCauthers said:
Agreed, can add more fish to increase bioload

Ive been thinking about this, just not sure what else to add. I want a goby pistol shrimp combo but no LFS near me has had luck getting a hi fin banded with a pistol shrimp in lately so Ive been waiting. not sure what else I can add comfortably at this point

AlgaeBarn · Oct 27, 2020

Yes to me sounds like low nutrients. If not comfortable adding more fish bioload, you can increase feeding as suggested. ~Shaun K.

John08007 · Oct 27, 2020

Cyano uses phosphate to live

Subsea · Oct 28, 2020

John08007 said:
Cyano uses phosphate to live

Cynobacteria is a large group of photosynthetic bacteria capable of converting nitrogen gas into ammonia. Cynobacteria are also capable of extracting phosphate from calcium phosphate in sandbed or rock. The Redfield Ratio of 16:1 of N

is a standard for marine phytoplankton. Fast growing macro like chaetomorphy have a ratio of 60:1 of N

. So chaeto uses some little phosphate and Cyano is capable of thriving with zero phosphate in bulk water. Cyno will cover corals & macro as it dissolves required nutrients.