Suggestions for my cyanobacteria battle

[00Dan]

I’ve been fighting what I think is Cyanobacteria in my tank (red slime growing on the sand). I have some macroalgae in the rear chambers that isn’t growing very well and a well stocked CUC.
Phosphate is undetectable on the API kit.

My efforts so far have mainly been to skim a little bit wetter and I’ve decreased feeding to every other day. I change the water once a week (approx. 20-30% each time). I haven’t touched photoperiod, and all I’m dosing is alk 1-part currently. I’ve attempted manual removal by siphon but it’s a bit too dense to get sucked up, and doesn’t hold together well enough for me to do it by hand.

Before I resort to chemiclean or other chemical remedies, any suggestions for further husbandry changes to attempt first?

 

[sharis100]

First make sure to diagnose that it is cyano.
Changing water too often will only make cyano worse- cyano increases when phosphate and nitrate are zero. Counterintuitive. KZ cyanoclean bacteria strain with Zeofood works to outcompete cyano. Also, you can use other manufacturers bacteria instead as KZ overpriced. Locally, Aquavitro by Seachem seed and remediate work against cyano and I think they have another strain as well. Adding clean up crew that eats cyano and algae. Adjust your lighting schedule. Siphoning off when you can the cyano on sand bed and corals.

These are the more natural methods, although nothing is a quick fix. KZ method takes weeks and weeks to work.

Many people use cyano slime remover products with no ill effect.

Just depends how patient you are and how much work you are willing to do.

 

[bg2311]

We had cyano after dosing Vibrant to remove hair algae. Traded one for the other. A few rounds of chemiclean all but eliminated it. Just be sure to increase gas exchange and follow the directions if you go that route. We left the skimmer running without the collection cup (can plastic wrap over the top of the skimmer neck or put a bowl on it to prevent salt spray). All the extra air helps and you don't end up skimming out the medicine. If you don't have a skimmer you can point a powerhead at the surface to churn the water.

 

[joeyprice]

I made an ill-fated effort at a nanocube before my current tank and chemi-clean worked on mine.

 

[SaltwaterGardening]

From Dr Tim and Saltwater Aquarium video conference.

I reference these all the time when I’m not sure what I have. I keep a bottle of Dr Tim’s All in One bacteria to spike the tank once in a while after water changes. I also tend to blackout for three days at first sign of explosion of issues.

I’m no expert and dealing with my own issue now, but I try not to resort to chemicals, because they have side effects too. Good luck!

 

[00Dan]

From Dr Tim and Saltwater Aquarium video conference.

I reference these all the time when I’m not sure what I have. I keep a bottle of Dr Tim’s All in One bacteria to spike the tank once in a while after water changes. I also tend to blackout for three days at first sign of explosion of issues.

I’m no expert and dealing with my own issue now, but I try not to resort to chemicals, because they have side effects too. Good luck!

These slides are interesting. Historically my nitrates have been between 10-20 PPM and my phosphates have been undetectable. Even adding in the API fudge factor I’m not sure which is which. Maybe some better diagnosis is appropriate here.

My AIO refugium has two chambers, one with ulva and one with red ogo. The ulva grows very slow so not sure how much of an effect it has on nutrients. The ogo however, goes through spurts of moderate growth and then melting cycles - I’ve never had to harvest it due to this. It could be something as simple as an iron deficiency, or I’m seeing something seriously out of whack with my nutrients manifesting in that growth cycle.

 

[sharis100]

These slides are interesting. Historically my nitrates have been between 10-20 PPM and my phosphates have been undetectable. Even adding in the API fudge factor I’m not sure which is which. Maybe some better diagnosis is appropriate here.
My AIO refugium has two chambers, one with ulva and one with red ogo. The ulva grows very slow so not sure how much of an effect it has on nutrients. The ogo however, goes through spurts of moderate growth and then melting cycles - I’ve never had to harvest it due to this. It could be something as simple as an iron deficiency, or I’m seeing something seriously out of whack with my nutrients manifesting in that growth cycle.

If you start to dose bacteria, dosing some phyto to increase your phosphates might help with cyano. When your nitrates and phosphates are not in sync that is when cyano can become an issue. If you get them in balance, the cyano should start to clear.

 

[Adam]

How many fish to you have.

What type of food do you feed, how much and how often?

 

[00Dan]

How many fish to you have.

What type of food do you feed, how much and how often?

Three fish - two clowns and a flametail blenny.

Ive been feeding a moderate amount of frozen every other day (by moderate I mean an amount that they take about 2-3 minutes to clear). They’ll be fed a small amount of pellets (maybe 1/8 tsp) occasionally on days I have someone else in the house feed for me.

 

[Adam]

Three fish - two clowns and a flametail blenny.

Ive been feeding a moderate amount of frozen every other day (by moderate I mean an amount that they take about 2-3 minutes to clear). They’ll be fed a small amount of pellets (maybe 1/8 tsp) occasionally on days I have someone else in the house feed for me.

I would take the fuge off line, or just keep the Uvla. The growth spurts of the Ogo are related to the availability of phosphate, the melt away is when there are none. Cyano is thriving in the low phosphate environment. You're not feeding enough to support the fuge while keeping the system stabile.

 

[00Dan]

I’ve been feeding heavier and the ogo took itself offline by melting all away. Regardless, my phosphate and nitrate have both dropped to undetectable and the cyano doesn’t appear to be going anywhere.

At this point I’m worried that using chemiclean may invite dinos without fixing my nutrients first.

Any further suggestions?

 

[civics14]

I’ve been feeding heavier and the ogo took itself offline by melting all away. Regardless, my phosphate and nitrate have both dropped to undetectable and the cyano doesn’t appear to be going anywhere.

At this point I’m worried that using chemiclean may invite dinos without fixing my nutrients first.

Any further suggestions?

My personal experience with cyano was vacuuming it out every week until it was practically gone. It took a few months but eventually it became unnoticeable. It wasn't gone, but barely anything left that didn't bother me anymore.

 

[Adam]

I’ve been feeding heavier and the ogo took itself offline by melting all away. Regardless, my phosphate and nitrate have both dropped to undetectable and the cyano doesn’t appear to be going anywhere.

At this point I’m worried that using chemiclean may invite dinos without fixing my nutrients first.

Any further suggestions?

Have you thought about adding another fish or two, appropriately sized for the display?

 

[00Dan]

Have you thought about adding another fish or two, appropriately sized for the display?

I‘m open to it. I haven’t recently for lack of time to adequately quarantine.

It would be amazing if anyone local sold fish that were known to be clean.