I think it's safe to say I have a cyano problem

[starypotter]

Hi everyone,
I've been telling myself it's not much of a problem for a while now but I think I've finally passed that line. It's everywhere, and it's really starting to get bothersome with how unsightly it is and needing to blow it off of my zoas just about daily.

What changes can you advise I make? I really can't stop feeding completely because the ghost shrimps will try to eat one another and they are my pets too

Ulva is growing strong, lights are black box LEDs. Tank is 75 gallons (80 gallons of water). Curve 5 protein skimmer.

Feeding schedule includes-
occasional pinches of Ocean Nutrition carnivore flakes for the shrimp, some leftover frozen food from the fish on occasion, sometimes reef frenzy and hiarki carnivore pellets for spot feeding corals. Any of these feedings are no more than once a week usually.

Inhabitants include-
Corals- Zoas, hammer and frogspawn, duncan, candy cane, favia, brain coral, GSP, galexea, mushroom, clove, and whatever this is
Inverts- Ghost shrimp, 2 skunk shrimp, 1 blood shrimp, halloween hermit crabs, conch, tuxedo urchin, assorted ReefCleaner's crew.
No fish

Latest numbers with Red Sea test kit are as follows- I use Instant Ocean salt and have only dosed calcium in the form of Purple Up, and Alk in the form of baking soda. I know Purple up isn't everyone's favorite but it does at least help calcium levels and I do get coraline growth. I'm thinking I'll need to lay off the purple up for a bit because it has magnesium too? Maybe just dose straight calcium if needed.
Alk- 8
Nitrate- 4
Phosphate- 0.8
Calcium- 425
Magnesium- 1580

 

[saltyfilmfolks]

How old is this one ?

Don’t feed the corals.

Try to almost hand feed the shrimp.
Same for crabs. Pref pellets or sinking foods you can see get eaten

Do you have a Refugium?

I like your returns doing the back of rocks , I’m can’t see how effective the flow is from the PHs. I’d try to play with that bit


Have you tested ph in the am and then right before lights out?

 

[starypotter]

How old is this one ?

Don’t feed the corals.

Try to almost hand feed the shrimp.
Same for crabs. Pref pellets or sinking foods you can see get eaten

Do you have a Refugium?

I like your returns doing the back of rocks , I’m can’t see how effective the flow is from the PHs. I’d try to play with that bit


Have you tested ph in the am and then right before lights out?

The tank has been in this state since August 12th so about 3 months so I know it very well be part of the uglies, I'm hoping I can at least try to reduce it somehow.

The shrimps are really good at catching the floating flakes so I will make sure that I only put in small amounts and watch to make sure it all gets eaten from now on and I'll put a pause on other feedings to make sure everything gets consumed.

I have an area in my sump but all it was doing was growing bacteria so I cut the lights to let it die and plan to start asking locals if they have cheato. I've tried ulva in the sump and it withers and turns to mush, and I do have mangroves but they're just rooted pods, no leaves yet so I don't know if that changes anything.

The overflow box was low because the picture was taken mid water change before I added water back so low water flow and return off. I'm trying to use my two powerheads and the split return to kill as much dead spots as possible since I used to have things collecting in corners.

I will test PH at morning and night.

 

[saltyfilmfolks]

Do you off hand know the approx return rate?

If you run the system and blow the cyano and dust off the rocks , you’ll see the flow pattern and speed.
Not sure if you have tried that

 

[starypotter]

Do you off hand know the approx return rate?

If you run the system and blow the cyano and dust off the rocks , you’ll see the flow pattern and speed.
Not sure if you have tried that

I do not know the approximate return rate, I'm not exactly sure how I could calculate it. I've done it before with simply holding a gallon jug to the return should I try that again to figure it out? It is a 1022 GPH (quiet one pro 4000) pump with a manual dial you can spin to adjust the flow rate and it's somewhere in between. I can turn it up more as well. My powerheads are two eFlux 2100 powerheads, they'll blow the sand all over if given the chance so I can easily turn up all flow. I'm not home at the moment but when I get home I could change things however you recommend.

 

[Pongo]

No fish, but NO3 = 4 and PO4 = 0.8.

Sounds like some food not getting eaten.

Turn up the flow, add some bacteria in a bottle - Dr. Tim's is good.
Maybe add some GFO until you get the PO4 down.

Ugly phase will change with time. Mine got pretty bad before it got better.
Small changes and patience are good.

 

[saltyfilmfolks]

The return rate concerned me because of the “bacteria “ build up and the macro algae wilting.
Plants need flow. To low a flow can cause stagnation , it’ll create more co2 in the system if not create a good home for a “nitrate factory” constant rot producing ammonia then nitrates.
So I think I’d side on the higher end of flow rather than low.

IMO , in tank flow is more an art or craft than science in a way. You really have to look at it for dead spots. Also understand by experience by what is too low.
Many don’t need get that the tank will most likely never be even flow all around , and you make your coral place meant according to the zones you’ve created.

Personally, I’ve become one to use a bit too much flow than too little.

Woth the better flow also comes aeration and o2 and likely lower co2 , so better ph.

I agree with Pongo, some good bacteria to compete and getting the numbers a bit better, but cyano appears to be largely driven by nitrate , ammonia , co2 availability, and light.

Keep blowing off the the cyano , it creates mats to help trap the co2 from the bacteria, smother it too and feed of the direct ammonia from it and the organisms being suffocated. Its why the adage is to check flow when you have Cyano.

 

[starypotter]

No fish, but NO3 = 4 and PO4 = 0.8.

Sounds like some food not getting eaten.

Turn up the flow, add some bacteria in a bottle - Dr. Tim's is good.
Maybe add some GFO until you get the PO4 down.

Ugly phase will change with time. Mine got pretty bad before it got better.
Small changes and patience are good.

I always figured there would be, but seeing as I have a large batch of my first fish going through QT right now I didn't think too much of it because I figured that when the fish go in there there will be an even greater bio load.

The return rate concerned me because of the “bacteria “ build up and the macro algae wilting.
Plants need flow. To low a flow can cause stagnation , it’ll create more co2 in the system if not create a good home for a “nitrate factory” constant rot producing ammonia then nitrates.
So I think I’d side on the higher end of flow rather than low.

IMO , in tank flow is more an art or craft than science in a way. You really have to look at it for dead spots. Also understand by experience by what is too low.
Many don’t need get that the tank will most likely never be even flow all around , and you make your coral place meant according to the zones you’ve created.

Personally, I’ve become one to use a bit too much flow than too little.

Woth the better flow also comes aeration and o2 and likely lower co2 , so better ph.

I agree with Pongo, some good bacteria to compete and getting the numbers a bit better, but cyano appears to be largely driven by nitrate , ammonia , co2 availability, and light.

Keep blowing off the the cyano , it creates mats to help trap the co2 from the bacteria, smother it too and feed of the direct ammonia from it and the organisms being suffocated. Its why the adage is to check flow when you have Cyano.

Come to think of it the ulva was turning to mush when my flow in the sump was barely 60gph so maybe I'll try some again to get a reverse light cycle going. I'll see how I can change things up and see how it goes from there.

 

[Evan28395950]

Well, I had Cyano basically for like 3 months. At that point I tried wc, added phosnet ect. I put chemi clean in the tank, added some air stones. 2 days later it was gone. It’s been gone going on 3 weeks now. Did cause alittle mini cycle, getting alittle hair algae.

 

[Redleg]

I've had some success with increased flow and
manual removal. I also dosed 20ml of biospira
and 15% wc weekly. I noticed increased out breaks after feeding certain foods. PE mysis 1mm pellets would cause an outbreak everytime, but that could be a coincidence.