Help, Cyano Problem

[wbholwell]

I've got a cyanobacteria outbreak (brown stringy slime with bubbles) and I don't know why. Nitrates-0, Phosphates-0. I added Chemi-clean 48 hours ago and the problem has still gotten worse. I'm about to do a 20% water change- when I do I'll scrub all rocks and powerheads that I can in the old water. I'll also add a polyfilter after the waterchange. Could it be silicates in the water (I thought that was for diatoms)? How do I beat this stuff?????????????????????????????????????????????????

My zoas are retracted, my anemones look horrible- please help

 

[siege]

You could always try that 3-days lights out thing. It helped my tank a little, but not perhaps as much as I'd hoped it might. If your outbreak is still new, this may turn the trick.

Otherwise, I'd recommend maybe a pound of http://garf.org/algae2/janitor.html#grunge">garf grunge</a> and one of their janitor packs of an appropriate size for your tank.

Also, IIRC, I read something that mentioned a beneficial relationship between anemone's and cyanobacteria. I can't find it just this moment, but I'll keep looking.

Hopefully someone else will have better advice for you.

 

[cameron]

Keep in mind tanks overrun with algae often read zero on all the main params because the algae is "doing its job" consuming those things. Double check your RO water and make sure your TDS isn't fibbing as water changes could only be doing more harm. Also, check skimmer, flow and kill the lights for a while. Ohh and look for something dead.

 

[FutureInterest]

It's not cyano... If it was then the chemi-clean would have at least made a dent in it. It sounds like you might have dinoflagellates which get worse if you try chemi-clean. They appear to be treatable by raising your alk a ton... unfortunately, they are known to cause some people to quit the hobby or nuke their tank. That's the worst case scenario... hopefully its just diatoms or something a lil less malignant than dinos. A picture would help us determine what it is for certain.

 

[wolfie]

I had cayno outbreak and beat it after 2 weeks of 20-30% WC every other day.
Can you tell me a bit about your tank? Like tank size, fishs, sump/no sump and skimmer?

 

[wbholwell]

Well I just siphoned off most of it, but I'll try to take some pictures soon. It's very stringy- some strings up to 2 inches long- but it other places it just covers. It seems to grow on the highest part of the rock or whatever it's growing on and the larger pieces of it have bubbles trapped in it.

TDS meter is reading between 0 and 1 on my RO/DI water.

Seige, a beneficial</em> relationship between cyano and anemones?

FutureInterest, my Alk <u>was</u> low- as I raised it with buffer the cyano suddenly appeared/ got worse.

 

[vettesarebest]

What I did was changed the water everyday for a week and added circulation. Then I added Chemi-Clean and waited 48 hours and then changed the water again. Good luck with it Bryan. Its hard stuff to get rid of. I have a silicate test kit if you want to borrow it. I bought it for the same reason. You can get it tomorrow when you come over if you want.

 

[wbholwell]

Tank is a 72 gallon bowfront with about a 14 gallon sump and a 6 gallon refugium w/ lots of cheato. I have probably 130 lbs total liverock, SSB and DSB in the 'fuge. 7 fish: a tomato clown, a bicolor angel, a potters angel, a watchman goby, a percula clown, a dottyback, and a yellowtail damsel. Maybe 2 dozen hermits and 2 dozen astreas. A sand star and conch keep the sand clean. Skimmer is a Coralife SS- a little on the small side, but I do 10% water changes weekly.

 

[wbholwell]

Bryan, I'd love to borrow your silicate test, but I would like to hold off on picking up the frag. Could you hold onto it for another week for me?

 

[vettesarebest]

No problem man, So your still coming over to pick up the Silicate Test Kit?

 

[wolfie]

Sound like everything as it should be.

How old are your bulds?

The only thing I can think off are your buld. they need to be change.

Right now I would do 20%-30% WC every other day and blow off those cyano with a power head. Maxi jet work great for that.
would also help if you cut back on feeding.

Hope this will help

 

[vettesarebest]

Good call on the Lights Wayne.

 

[wbholwell]

WOLFIE;37626 wrote: Sound like everything as it should be.

How old are your bulds?

That's a good question. I got my T5's used and was told there was maybe 8 or 10 months on the bulbs. I replaced some, but right now I'm only running 4 bulbs, 2 of which are used. Someone told me that lights don't affect cyano, but I'm not that sure that I believe that b/c there's no cyano growing in my sump or fuge. Maybe I'll go see Sam again (he must love me!)

 

[wolfie]

Cameron;37597 wrote: Keep in mind tanks overrun with algae often read zero on all the main params because the algae is "doing its job" consuming those things. Double check your RO water and make sure your TDS isn't fibbing as water changes could only be doing more harm. Also, check skimmer, flow and kill the lights for a while. Ohh and look for something dead.

If lights does not affect cyano trhen people would not ask you to turn them down.

I'll still think it the lights. I had to change mine T-5 after 7 months. Some bulds does not run like they should.

 

[vettesarebest]

Yep I say its the Lights. Good call!

 

[wbholwell]

WOLFIE;37633 wrote:
I'll still think it the lights. I had to change mine T-5 after 7 months. Some bulds does not run like they should.

Do you run your bulbs over-powered (like with an Icecap ballast)? I've heard that T5 bulbs typically last 18 months.

 

[wolfie]

I don't think I over-powered it. I brought the whole setup as 4 T-5 and 2 150 mh.

Somehow 1 of mine T-5 buld just burn out right when we have a PB on T-5 and MH bulds. I could not get get into the PB becasue I needed to get my bulds replace asap

 

[jmaneyapanda]

Being photosynthetic, cyanobacteria needs light, nutrient, and gas. For most of our tanks limiting the light and gasses is problematic (especially for something as stubborn and "pioneering" as cyano), so I would suggest aiming for limiting nutrients. Make sure you skimmer is running 110%, and keep up on the water changes. It will resolve the issue over time. Nothing in this hobby is quick except the things you dont want.

 

[wbholwell]

jmaneyapanda;37697 wrote: Being photosynthetic, cyanobacteria needs light, nutrient, and gas.

Thanks. Most of what I've read online says the same thing. Right now I'm thinking that the initial cause was excess nutrients. I still might replace my older bulbs, but for now I'm doing frequent water changes, no feeding, and keeping the lights off. My anemones are not loving life at the moment.

 

[siege]

wbholwell;37617 wrote: Seige, a beneficial</em> relationship between cyano and anemones?

Well, ****it, now I can't find the mention of it again. I seem to recall that it was (maybe a very specific kind of anemone) had a type of symbiotic relationship with (perhaps a certain type) of cyanobacteria lived in and around the anemone itself. However, since I cannot now find anything to verify this after much looking, I must now concede I was either imagining things, or had something mixed up.