Is there a relationship between Chaetomorpha and Cyanobacteria?

[Dom]

Mid December, I added Chaetomorpha to the refugium. Over the next 2 weeks, a patch of cyanobacteria approximately 18x24 inches developed in the substrate. I also noticed that the Chaetomorpha began to deteriorate in the sump.

Today, 90% of the Chaetomorpha is gone, but I notice the Cyanobacteria patch has greatly reduced in size and what remains has failed in color.

Do you think the addition of Chaetomorpha triggered the Cyanobacteria?

 

[Mechano]

The chaeto probably caused flow issues and helped your refugium to develop the cyano.

 

[Dom]

The chaeto probably caused flow issues and helped your refugium to develop the cyano.

No, I wasn't clear...
The Cyanobacteria developed n the DT.

 

[DrkNMighty]

Is it possible the chaeto bottomed out your nutrients causing the cyano bloom?

 

[vetteguy53081]

No, I wasn't clear...
The Cyanobacteria developed n the DT.

Is any decaying raising your no3 and po4 level. Or did it lower and its dino you are seeing?
Can you post pics under white lighting ?

 

[Dom]

Is any decaying raising your no3 and po4 level. Or did it lower and its dino you are seeing?
Can you post pics under white lighting ?

Definitely Cyanobacteria. I'll try to take a picture of the slide.

It's continuing to shrink and fade as more days go by.

 

[Dom]

Is it possible the chaeto bottomed out your nutrients causing the cyano bloom?

It didn't bottom out nutrients. I think it is more that a nutrient imbalance was created.

Anyway, it does seem to be self-correcting.

 

[Randy Holmes-Farley Verified Community Expert]

It didn't bottom out nutrients. I think it is more that a nutrient imbalance was created.

Anyway, it does seem to be self-correcting.

IMO, it is not accurate that nutrient "imbalances" (whatever that means) cause cyano problems.

All macroalgae can release organics, and cyano can consume organics, but there does not seem much correlation in other tanks that growing chaeto induces a cyano problem.

 

[Dom]

IMO, it is not accurate that nutrient "imbalances" (whatever that means) cause cyano problems.

All macroalgae can release organics, and cyano can consume organics, but there does not seem much correlation in other tanks that growing chaeto induces a cyano problem.

Frankly, I'm not quite sure what is meant when people speak of "imbalance". I was hoping it might be clarified in this thread.

 

[Cthulukelele]

So I'm not sure on the specific science behind it, but I have heard that growing a lot of macroalgae releases a lot of dissolved organic carbon into the water column that can sort of double as a form of carbon dosing (which would fuel cyano growth), but that's all secondhand osmosis knowledge. Anecdotally, when I started growing chaeto I had a small cyano boom before the chaeto essentially fully outcompeted it

 

[Randy Holmes-Farley Verified Community Expert]

Frankly, I'm not quite sure what is meant when people speak of "imbalance". I was hoping it might be clarified in this thread.

lol

They generally mean a lot of nitrate and little to no phosphate, or the reverse.

IMO, such potentially misleading ideas are caused by a number of things that I do not believe are being correctly interpreted.

1,. Cyano is capable of attaining N from the N2 in the air, unlike nearly any other organism we keep. That makes some people suggest cyano may thrive when N is very, very low.

2. Some people post some crazy chart developed by some random person in the freshwater world that shows N/P ratios and where pests thrive and where they do not. IMO, it's a ridiculous thing for any context, and definitely does not apply to seawater pests. I don't even want to post it since NO ONE should believe it, but here's a link to know what I am talking about:

https://buddendo.home.xs4all.nl/aquarium/redfield_eng.htm
In general, pests like algae and cyano need N and P (and many trace elements). If there is enough of that element to not be a limiting factor, then having more does not make it grow faster, or slower.

Cyano (and maybe dinos) are different than algae in that they readily consume organics. That can provide them with energy, and N and P. Lowering organics and increasing flow is often a good way to help deal with cyano.

 

[Garf]

So I'm not sure on the specific science behind it, but I have heard that growing a lot of macroalgae releases a lot of dissolved organic carbon into the water column that can sort of double as a form of carbon dosing (which would fuel cyano growth), but that's all secondhand osmosis knowledge. Anecdotally, when I started growing chaeto I had a small cyano boom before the chaeto essentially fully outcompeted it

Yes algae release sugars and other things when they are growing. They release a whole lot more when they are dying, which looks to be the case here.

 

[Dom]

lol

They generally mean a lot of nitrate and little to no phosphate, or the reverse.

IMO, such potentially misleading ideas are caused by a number of things that I do not believe are being correctly interpreted.

1,. Cyano is capable of attaining N from the N2 in the air, unlike nearly any other organism we keep. That makes some people suggest cyano may thrive when N is very, very low.

2. Some people post some crazy chart developed by some random person in the freshwater world that shows N/P ratios and where pests thrive and where they do not. IMO, it's a ridiculous thing for any context, and definitely does not apply to seawater pests. I don't even want to post it since NO ONE should believe it, but here's a link to know what I am talking about:

https://buddendo.home.xs4all.nl/aquarium/redfield_eng.htm
In general, pests like algae and cyano need N and P (and many trace elements). If there is enough of that element to not be a limiting factor, then having more does not make it grow faster, or slower.

Cyano (and maybe dinos) are different than algae in that they readily consume organics. That can provide them with energy, and N and P. Lowering organics and increasing flow is often a good way to help deal with cyano.

Okay... so "imbalance" in this case is the ratio of N and P. Got it.

 

[Randy Holmes-Farley Verified Community Expert]

Okay... so "imbalance" in this case is the ratio of N and P. Got it.

Yes.

 

[Dom]

Is any decaying raising your no3 and po4 level. Or did it lower and its dino you are seeing?
Can you post pics under white lighting ?

My N03 and P04 have been stable, but with weekly testing, I can't be sure what was going on between tests.

The Cyano has all but vanished, and so has all the Chaeto.

I tried snapping a picture of the Cyano sample I placed under the microscope through the eyepiece, but I can't get it clear. I've been looking at a lot more under the microscope these days. A camera for it may be a wise purchase.