Your lygbya experiences

Spare time · Jun 11, 2021

A tank at work is struggling with lyngbya. We are slowly but surely raising nitrate (now between 2-5ppm but was at 0 for the longest time which is likely the main issue; phosphate had the same issue and is still undetectable). Hydrogen peroxide does not work so please don't suggest that. Chemiclean doesn't affect it.

I want to know how it went away in your tank or if you know of a products to get rid of it. I was looking at ultra life blue green stain remover but it says freshwater (though the box says reef products). My hope is that it will slowly dissapear as the nitrates go up (which is quite a struggle)

Reefing_addiction · Jun 12, 2021

Do you run a skimmer?
There are things you can dose to raise nitrates and phosphates

it’s early and I’m not really awake but hopefully either someone can chime in or maybe try google

How are you trying to raise nutrients

Do you have pictures?

do you have a refugium on this tank?

what’s it stocked with?

Mia it Fowler or a reef tank?

Reefing_addiction · Jun 12, 2021

Have you checked your silicate levels?

Spare time · Jun 12, 2021

Reefing_addiction said:
Do you run a skimmer?
There are things you can dose to raise nitrates and phosphates

it’s early and I’m not really awake but hopefully either someone can chime in or maybe try google

How are you trying to raise nutrients

Do you have pictures?

do you have a refugium on this tank?

what’s it stocked with?

Mia it Fowler or a reef tank?

There is no current filtration running on the tank except a filter pad and some carbon (and a little phosphate remover pad to bring the phosphates back under 0.1 on hte phosphorus ulr checker). The tank is 800 gallons. The refugium was shut down as there wasn't enough nitrate or phosphate in the tank and we couldn't get it up from pellets. Phosphates are finally up but nitrates are still between 2-5ppm (again this is the first time it has been above 0.5ish in a while. This tank is barely stocked (a few small tangs). After 4 or 5 cups of pellets dumped in we have arrived at the current numbers (nitrate a little under 5 ppm and phosphate at 0.12 ppm). I don't have any pictures but I might be able to get some if I can remember. For a couple of reasons, this tank has gone through a variety of microbes that arise with 0 waste. Dinos, red cyano, this stuff, chrysophytes, etc.

I am really just looking to see if there are any products that could help remove it faster as this is a pretty uncommon cyano and I can't find anything that works on it.

Spare time · Jun 12, 2021

Reefing_addiction said:
Have you checked your silicate levels?

I don't have access to a test kit for it and I won't be able to get one (I could but this is a part time job for me and so I obviously am not going to spend my money on the store lol). I wouldn't think cyano would use silicate?

Reefing_addiction · Jun 12, 2021

There was an article somewhere about how to tell if it’s really cyano or something else. Man if I can remember where I’ll link you.

does it come and go with the lights?

have you tried dosing phytoplankton to help outcompete the bad stuff? (It’s what I do)

Spare time · Jun 12, 2021

Reefing_addiction said:
There was an article somewhere about how to tell if it’s really cyano or something else. Man if I can remember where I’ll link you.

does it come and go with the lights?

have you tried dosing phytoplankton to help outcompete the bad stuff? (It’s what I do)

It does not disappear with the lights off. I used my microscope. Phyto is not an option for this.

Spare time · Jun 12, 2021

I am very confident in it being lyngbya (if not that then callothrix. Here is a pic below. It is definitely 0 waste levels that caused the issues as there are a variety of things such as dinos also decently present under a microscope. This stuff comes back in full force within a day of it being scrapped off or killed with peroxide.