Hello All,
So I've read the cyano threads, and honestly am more confused as to what a good path forward is. So please excuse my newbie questions and perhaps some are repetitive.
Background: I have a 120G mixed reef tank that's been up and running around 14 months. Nice mix of fish along with BTA, shrimp, urchin, snails, and crab. And I'm just starting to add corals -- although I have a really nice patch of Green Star Polyp and a softball sized Frogspawn. Interestingly, my kenya tree has pulled back a bit over the past month or so. Skimmer, no refugium, but I also added Seachem Matrix media six months ago to help manage nitrates. I also dose ESV B-Ionic. Current parameters are:
Salinity: 1.025
NO3: 8
Alk: 8.5
Ca: 470
Mg: 1380
Phosphates: 0.03-0.1 (averaging 0.1 over past 30 days)
A couple of months ago, I noticed Cyano starting when I was dosing RedSea Coral AB+ (50% dosage) so now only dose 25% once a week. Around the same time, my phosphate levels started increasing so I started to dose NoPox (25% recommended). It's not making any visual impact but phosphates are starting to decline but nitrates staying level. I do 15% weekly water changes and brush / siphon the cyano off about 1/3 of the rock each time.
The threads have so many different suggestions and advice, I'm having a hard time organizing my thoughts. So here are my questions -- and open to all suggestions.
1. Is NoPox helping or hurting the situation (and why?)
2. Should I replace NoPox with GFO?
3. When people turn "off" their lighting what happens to the coral? Or is this just turning down (or off) the "white" light. I have AI Primes so I can turn down / off the white channel
4. I'd really like to avoid chemicals like Chemi-Clean or Vibrant as it seems that it can stress / kill marine life.
5. What should my plan be for reducing cyano and then keeping it out?
Thanks in advance, and I know this is a huge ask for help.
So I've read the cyano threads, and honestly am more confused as to what a good path forward is. So please excuse my newbie questions and perhaps some are repetitive.
Background: I have a 120G mixed reef tank that's been up and running around 14 months. Nice mix of fish along with BTA, shrimp, urchin, snails, and crab. And I'm just starting to add corals -- although I have a really nice patch of Green Star Polyp and a softball sized Frogspawn. Interestingly, my kenya tree has pulled back a bit over the past month or so. Skimmer, no refugium, but I also added Seachem Matrix media six months ago to help manage nitrates. I also dose ESV B-Ionic. Current parameters are:
Salinity: 1.025
NO3: 8
Alk: 8.5
Ca: 470
Mg: 1380
Phosphates: 0.03-0.1 (averaging 0.1 over past 30 days)
A couple of months ago, I noticed Cyano starting when I was dosing RedSea Coral AB+ (50% dosage) so now only dose 25% once a week. Around the same time, my phosphate levels started increasing so I started to dose NoPox (25% recommended). It's not making any visual impact but phosphates are starting to decline but nitrates staying level. I do 15% weekly water changes and brush / siphon the cyano off about 1/3 of the rock each time.
The threads have so many different suggestions and advice, I'm having a hard time organizing my thoughts. So here are my questions -- and open to all suggestions.
1. Is NoPox helping or hurting the situation (and why?)
2. Should I replace NoPox with GFO?
3. When people turn "off" their lighting what happens to the coral? Or is this just turning down (or off) the "white" light. I have AI Primes so I can turn down / off the white channel
4. I'd really like to avoid chemicals like Chemi-Clean or Vibrant as it seems that it can stress / kill marine life.
5. What should my plan be for reducing cyano and then keeping it out?
Thanks in advance, and I know this is a huge ask for help.