Still dealing with cyano

[Sophie"s mom]

Hey everyone! Happy Sunday! So as the title says, I am still dealing with cyano. I know patience is the key, and I am good with that. It is getting better. But my question is, when siphoning it off the sand, it doesn’t siphon well, so I always revert to getting it all into a pile, and netting that pile out. But in doing so, I am also getting quite a lot of sand. Is there a way to just get the cyano? I don’t like losing a lot of sand.

 

[Mr. Mojo Rising]

My mature tank got cyano in one corner, I tried to wait it out a few months but it stayed but didn't get better or worse. One day I siphoned the sand, I stuck the siphon in the sand, suck it up and pinch the hose for the sand to fall then siphon the black cloud, I did this twice and the cyano went away. I don't know how or why it worked but it did.

I know you said you didn't want to lose sand, but just putting the idea out there. My sand is 3"-4" deep so I don't mind losing a little

 

[ya_boii]

How much flow do you have in your tank? Cyano is one of those that took me a while to handle because I didn't have a good power head/gyre. Never seen it since I upgraded. Just a thought

 

[Sophie"s mom]

My mature tank got cyano in one corner, I tried to wait it out a few months but it stayed but didn't get better or worse. One day I siphoned the sand, I stuck the siphon in the sand, suck it up and pinch the hose for the sand to fall then siphon the black cloud, I did this twice and the cyano went away. I don't know how or why it worked but it did.

I know you said you didn't want to lose sand, but just putting the idea out there. My sand is 3"-4" deep so I don't mind losing a little

Thank you. Sounds like an idea for sure. I probably have about 2 to 2.5 inches of sand. I am using Microbacter clean and it says 8 to 10 weeks. It’s been about 3 so far. I just really don’t want to go the route of chemi-clean. I know people swear by it, but I would rather try a semi natural means.

 

[Sophie"s mom]

How much flow do you have in your tank? Cyano is one of those that took me a while to handle because I didn't have a good power head/gyre. Never seen it since I upgraded. Just a thought

I have a 90 gallon tank with a gyre and 2 power heads. Lots of flow. But the corner where it is is persistent is in a difficult spot to get good flow in due to rock formation

 

[ya_boii]

How much flow do you have in your tank? Cyano is one of those that took me a while to handle because I didn't have a good power head/gyre. Never seen it since I upgraded. Just a thought

I have a 90 gallon tank with a gyre and 2 power heads. Lots of flow. But the corner where it is is persistent is in a difficult spot to get good flow in due to rock formation

Gotcha. That makes sense. Honestly, I like something like naussarius snails or conchs to turn over the sand bed in the lower flow areas. Find that helps without chemicals. This is assuming that you phosphates and nitrates are balanced/within a reasonable range

 

[fish_collector]

Siphon it out into a bucket, sand and all. Clean the sand in the bucket and return it to the tank.

Why so deep of a sand bed? I have maybe 1/2" in my tank, and there's only that much to let the wrasse bury himself at night. There's no benefit for it to be deeper. Are you regularly vacuuming the sand to remove detritus? If not, you'd be surprised what comes out of it, and may be the reason for your cyano.

 

[Sophie"s mom]

Gotcha. That makes sense. Honestly, I like something like naussarius snails or conchs to turn over the sand bed in the lower flow areas. Find that helps without chemicals. This is assuming that you phosphates and nitrates are balanced/within a reasonable range

Yep! I have 2 strawberry conchs, and several nassarius as well. Yes, my nitrates stay between 18 and 30 ppm, and phosphates between .003 and .1. Honestly I think it started when my diamond goby passed he was a serious sand stirrer!

 

[Sophie"s mom]

Siphon it out into a bucket, sand and all. Clean the sand in the bucket and return it to the tank.

Why so deep of a sand bed? I have maybe 1/2" in my tank, and there's only that much to let the wrasse bury himself at night. There's no benefit for it to be deeper. Are you regularly vacuuming the sand to remove detritus? If not, you'd be surprised what comes out of it, and may be the reason for your cyano.

Because I had a diamond goby who is a serious sand stirrer! So I wanted him to have plenty of sand! And I like to look of a solid sand bed

 

[ya_boii]

Gotcha. That makes sense. Honestly, I like something like naussarius snails or conchs to turn over the sand bed in the lower flow areas. Find that helps without chemicals. This is assuming that you phosphates and nitrates are balanced/within a reasonable range

Yep! I have 2 strawberry conchs, and several nassarius as well. Yes, my nitrates stay between 18 and 30 ppm, and phosphates between .003 and .1. Honestly I think it started when my diamond goby passed he was a serious sand stirrer!

Aww. Yeah, my golden head sleeper goby is a freaking bulldozer. But, yeah, it sounds like you have a good handle on things. I wonder if the nutrient swings are why cyano is able to exist in mats in your tank? Like, that's a pretty big range. Maybe some macro to help even things out?

 

[fish_collector]

Because I had a diamond goby who is a serious sand stirrer! So I wanted him to have plenty of sand! And I like to look of a solid sand bed

Ok fair enough, as long as there was a reason for it to be that deep. It just takes up space imo. I'm looking at adding a diamond goby to keep my sand stirred up as well

 

[Sophie"s mom]

Aww. Yeah, my golden head sleeper goby is a freaking bulldozer. But, yeah, it sounds like you have a good handle on things. I wonder if the nutrient swings are why cyano is able to exist in mats in your tank? Like, that's a pretty big range. Maybe some macro to help even things out?

I have tried macro many times. My tang and foxface Love it when I put that in the tank I do not have a sump or refugium, so the only way is in the tank! And those 2 eat it up every time!

 

[Sophie"s mom]

Ok fair enough, as long as there was a reason for it to be that deep. It just takes up space imo. I'm looking at adding a diamond goby to keep my sand stirred up as well

They are fun fish! I loved watching mine! Full of character

 

[ya_boii]

Aww. Yeah, my golden head sleeper goby is a freaking bulldozer. But, yeah, it sounds like you have a good handle on things. I wonder if the nutrient swings are why cyano is able to exist in mats in your tank? Like, that's a pretty big range. Maybe some macro to help even things out?

I have tried macro many times. My tang and foxface Love it when I put that in the tank I do not have a sump or refugium, so the only way is in the tank! And those 2 eat it up every time!

Ah, that tracks. Macros are great for a sump, but the best ones are too tasty for tangs/foxface. Honestly, yeah, it might just be waiting for the nutrients to find their balance. How often and what do you feed the tank? That could help with nutrient swings. Also, not sure how old the tank is, but that's also a factor. If it's been established and cyano is popping up, I'd be concerned, but if it's a newer (<1 year), then the nutrient swing, cyano and things make sense

 

[Sophie"s mom]

Ah, that tracks. Macros are great for a sump, but the best ones are too tasty for tangs/foxface. Honestly, yeah, it might just be waiting for the nutrients to find their balance. How often and what do you feed the tank? That could help with nutrient swings. Also, not sure how old the tank is, but that's also a factor. If it's been established and cyano is popping up, I'd be concerned, but if it's a newer (<1 year), then the nutrient swing, cyano and things make sense

My tank is almost 3 years old. I feed a couple pinches of Ocean Nutrition formula 2 in the morning, and a cube of frozen ( various) in the evening. Tank inhabitants are a watchman goby, the tang and foxface, a pair of ocelleris clowns, a coral beauty angel and a six line wrasse. With tons of bubble tip anemones, and several corals of varying types.

 

[ya_boii]

Ah, that tracks. Macros are great for a sump, but the best ones are too tasty for tangs/foxface. Honestly, yeah, it might just be waiting for the nutrients to find their balance. How often and what do you feed the tank? That could help with nutrient swings. Also, not sure how old the tank is, but that's also a factor. If it's been established and cyano is popping up, I'd be concerned, but if it's a newer (<1 year), then the nutrient swing, cyano and things make sense

My tank is almost 3 years old. I feed a couple pinches of Ocean Nutrition formula 2 in the morning, and a cube of frozen ( various) in the evening. Tank inhabitants are a watchman goby, the tang and foxface, a pair of ocelleris clowns, a coral beauty angel and a six line wrasse. With tons of bubble tip anemones, and several corals of varying types.

I mean, if the corals are well, the fish aren't stressed and the nems are good, I honestly wouldn't worry about the cyano. Just wanted to see if I could help figure out what's causing it. My tank of indeterminate age still gets cyano in the sump in the lower flow areas. Might be worth cranking up flow, adding another source of water movement, or just letting it be. Cyano doesn't exactly hurt anything. It more just a sign of imbalance of some sort

 

[Sophie"s mom]

Picture tanker just now

 

[saltyfins]

have you tried coral snow with some microbacter in it yet? works amazing

 

[2Wheelsonly]

have you tried coral snow with some microbacter in it yet? works amazing

How often do you dose that?

 

[vlangel]

have you tried coral snow with some microbacter in it yet? works amazing

Do you put the microbacter in the same container as the coral snow and pour in the tank together? I am also dealing with something on my sandbed.