Natural fix for cyanobacteria?

[gooicide]

Hello, I came here because I've got a little bit of a cyanobacteria problem as you can see. My tank has had livestock in it for about two months, and I've only recently added fish, which I have two 0f now. The cyanobacteria is spreading across the sand bed, and there's little bits of it on the rocks.
I've tried larger water changes, shortening the photoperiod of the T5 lights, however, I do not have a protein skimmer. I can't afford one at the moment, and there isn't room for a HOB skimmer on my tank due to the lights. Setting up a sump seems too advanced for me, and I don't know much about how sumps work. My water quality is good, nitrate, nitrite, and phosphate are all 0, pH is 8.1. Cyanobacteria feeds off nitrogen right? Because otherwise I don't understand why it's here. I have thought about using ChemiClean or something like that but I'm a little iffy about using those types of things, and I would only ever do it as a last resort. How else can you treat CB?

Also, another thing worth noting is that the front left corner of the tank used to be infested with CB a few weeks ago, but it just kind of vanished and more sprouted up in the right side of the tank. Any explanations?

 

[Paul B]

On such a new tank like that it is very normal to have CB. It is also normal to have hair algae. Don't worry about it. You can siphon it out if you like. It will re grow but may make you feel better for a little while. It is not harmful and will disappear eventually

 

[saltyfilmfolks]

Cyano bacteria feeds off of everything. Its just the ugly phase. It will pass.
With a new tank the bio filter doesnt process waste and nutrients very well yet. that leaves alot for other organisms to feed off of. As the bio filter matures it will compete with the cyano.
the stuff your doing is correct. The other things you can do are check your foods, some have stuff in it that bacteria love, In my tank the Little fishies makes me break out in red fast.
In a non sumped tank, the best thing you can do is make sure you have VERY good flow so nothing settles, and is pulled out by the mech filter. A dirty Aquaclear is a working aqua claer. change it regularly so the poo and food dont have to rot in the tank. thats actually how a skimmer works. food rots the bacteria eat it and die and get skimmed out. with no skimmer, get the food out. the bio filter will help clean up the rest.

the only mistake I can see that you may have made is using a very fine sand. Dont sweat it, I did that too. Imo IME it takes longer to get the sand bio filter up to speed w oolite sand. once it goes(matures) its great though.
In a sumpless now if i were to set one up id use coarse sand and very little sand and stir the heck out of it or vaccume it. at every water change..
Or, like I did, consider using a Deep Sand Bed method.

FWIW in my old sumpless I alternated my cleaning. clean filter the next week do water change. and really consider a hob refugium.

Thats Paul B btw. I learned the value of bacteria from him AND cleaning......
https://www.reef2reef.com/threads/i...rs-old-this-month.194963/page-29#post-3197715

from Ron SHimek, I learned DSB and Bacteria
http://www.ronshimek.com/deep_sand_beds.html

From Randy Farley I learned bacteria an nutrient export.
http://reefkeeping.com/issues/2006-09/rhf/

Also, another thing worth noting is that the front left corner of the tank used to be infested with CB a few weeks ago, but it just kind of vanished and more sprouted up in the right side of the tank. Any explanations?

it ate the stuff in the corner.

 

[gooicide]

Cyano bacteria feeds off of everything. Its just the ugly phase. It will pass.
With a new tank the bio filter doesnt process waste and nutrients very well yet. that leaves alot for other organisms to feed off of. As the bio filter matures it will compete with the cyano.
the stuff your doing is correct. The other things you can do are check your foods, some have stuff in it that bacteria love, In my tank the Little fishies makes me break out in red fast.
In a non sumped tank, the best thing you can do is make sure you have VERY good flow so nothing settles, and is pulled out by the mech filter. A dirty Aquaclear is a working aqua claer. change it regularly so the poo and food dont have to rot in the tank. thats actually how a skimmer works. food rots the bacteria eat it and die and get skimmed out. with no skimmer, get the food out. the bio filter will help clean up the rest.

the only mistake I can see that you may have made is using a very fine sand. Dont sweat it, I did that too. Imo IME it takes longer to get the sand bio filter up to speed w oolite sand. once it goes(matures) its great though.
In a sumpless now if i were to set one up id use coarse sand and very little sand and stir the heck out of it or vaccume it. at every water change..
Or, like I did, consider using a Deep Sand Bed method.

FWIW in my old sumpless I alternated my cleaning. clean filter the next week do water change. and really consider a hob refugium.

Thats Paul B btw. I learned the value of bacteria from him AND cleaning......
https://www.reef2reef.com/threads/i...rs-old-this-month.194963/page-29#post-3197715

from Ron SHimek, I learned DSB and Bacteria
http://www.ronshimek.com/deep_sand_beds.html

From Randy Farley I learned bacteria an nutrient export.
http://reefkeeping.com/issues/2006-09/rhf/


it ate the stuff in the corner.

I do have pretty good flow, I've got two powerheads running, 850 gph total. Plus the output tube from my canister filter adds a little bit too.

 

[saltyfilmfolks]

I do have pretty good flow, I've got two powerheads running, 850 gph total. Plus the output tube from my canister filter adds a little bit too.

excellent! itll keep the junk from settling....
keep that canister clean btw. it can be used as a bio filter carefully, but most use it for mechanical filter. Unlike freshwater where its a bio filter..

 

[ahiggins]

I've tried two ways:
1) turn off all source of flow. Blow off cyano from rocks and let it settle on sand. Siphon up (with a wide hose) the top layer of sand. You want sand and cyano in the bucket. You can use your thumb on the end of the hose (the end in your bucket) to slow flow so you don't have to work as fast. After, dump all yucky water out. Once you have only sand in your bucket, dump in enough 3% hydrogen peroxide to cover all the sand. It may smell while it's working. Leave it alone for 24 hours. Once that's done, dump peroxide out and wash 2x with tap water and one time with di water. Now it's ready to go back into your tank.
2) use chemiclean per instructions with air agitation.

Both of these are a bandaid. It will get rid of the initial outbreak but you have to take out the source for it to go away completely and not return.
I like chemiclean. Like you, I was super hesitant but it worked so well. The siphoning was more of a cure for a patch or two...not a whole tank.
I'm still trying to figure out where it's coming from. I've heard it's an introduced thing-it's not naturally present.