update on cryano problem (lots of PIC)

[wolfie]

AS some of you know I been having cryano problem in my tank.
Well as of totay I had rreplace all the buld in my light and also replace the RO/DI unite.

3 days ago I did a 10% WC and clearn the sump out as best as I could. TOOK a lots of junk out of it like you would never belive. I also use my Magnum to clearn out the cryano in my displace tank and clearn the filter.

Today I did 30% WC and this time I clearn out my displace as best as I can. I did not use my Magnum to take out anything in the tank, so I did not clearn it filter. I plan on doing this in 3 days.

Here pic of my tank.

This is what it look like with out anything in it. Note the spaybar I have for the CL and return. The bottom 3 are use as leg and are seal off so there will be no dead die off in it.

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The skimmer setting are at wet and this is how it look after 1 day. I been clearnning it every day

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full tank pick

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IMG]http://i3.photobucket.com/albums/y81/sloman/100_0719.jpg[/IMG]

IMG]http://i3.photobucket.com/albums/y81/sloman/100_0717.jpg[/IMG]

IMG]http://i3.photobucket.com/albums/y81/sloman/100_0759.jpg[/IMG]

some pic of the sand bed. It is over 6IN.

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[wolfie]

As you can see I like my sand bed clearn and I clearn it often.

I can not see why I am having cryano problem when the tank this clearn. in about 3 days this nice clearn tank going to be full of cryano again

 

[wolfie]

oops 3 did not show up right and no edit button

full tank pick

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some pic of the sand bed. It is over 6IN.

 

[FutureInterest]

Everything looks very nice. Nice setup! Can you post some pics with the cyano?

 

[wolfie]

I clearn them out already, but new 1 will show up in the tank in 3 days

 

[wolfie]

what do you know? it day 4 and Crayno are back.

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I did not feed my tank for the last 4 days either

 

[glxtrix]

you speak that you "clean" your sandbed, how in depth do you clean it? Like are you mixing it up a lot? If so I'ld stop that because youre prolly kicking up bacteria and that might aid in the cayno.

 

[fishybusiness]

glxtrix;34753 wrote: you speak that you "clean" your sandbed, how in depth do you clean it? Like are you mixing it up a lot? If so I'ld stop that because youre prolly kicking up bacteria and that might aid in the cayno.

Cleaning a sand bed of 6" is going to be hard to do without messing it up. I clean mine all the time but its only 2". But that is one kickin tank right there!

 

[wolfie]

FishyBusiness;34764 wrote: that is one kickin tank right there!

Thanks. too bad it having cyano problem


I only clearn the outside part of the tank where the LR does not sit on. And I does it every time I do WC so it not really messing with a lots of sands. I do not mess with the middle and the back of the tank since I do not want to move the RL.

 

[dbm5557]

normally, cyano will tend to form in low flow areas. i would try pointing one of those power heads down a little instead of directing their flow upward. I saw the picture that showed you had the PVC behind the live rock but I am wondering if it is stirring things enough.

How often do you feed? The cyano has to have nutrients in the water and alot of time that is provided by over feeding the tank.

How often do you change your water? I would change it frequently right now while you are trying to get the cyano under control and then change it regularly to keep it in check.

This is a great reference also. You might want to read through this and see if there is any other info that might help...
http://www.wetwebmedia.com/cyanocontrolfaqs.htm">http://www.wetwebmedia.com/cyanocontrolfaqs.htm</a>

good luck.

 

[FutureInterest]

This morning I feel like writing...

Cyano is more a result of phosphates in the water than nitrates. Everyone has nitrates in the tank, but not everyone is going to have a phosphate issues and thus have cyano problems. Too be more specific, its more of an inorganic phosphate issue. Your skimmer will do an excellent job of removing organic phosphates from the water, but the inorganic PO4 will remain in suspension... Inorganic phosphates are the end result of decomposition of organic matter in your tank. Not much you can do about it... food or waste gets stuck in crevices in rock and what the pods and worms don't get or their excrement will eventually be converted to inorganic phosphates...

The crappy part here is that inorganic phosphates will also get absorbed by your live rock and sand. Calcium carbonate based sand and rocks act as sponges to some degree for these phosphates... So way after you remove all phosphate sources you'll still have inorganic phosphates in the water due to leeching from the rock and sand... Changing the water will help reduce phosphates in the water and is an effective treatment for nitrates since they are simply in suspension at all times... but with a compound that is readily absorbed by your rocks and sand its simply not as effective.

So what's the solution here? A lot of people recommend using flow to combat cyano... and yah there's no doubt that this will help prevent its growth... but its more of a bandaid since you're bound to have deadspots in your tank. The thing you should really concentrate on though is the cause of the cyano not some quick chemical treatment or adjusting the area cyano grows in. Sometimes the leeching of phosphates is so bad... that people will replace their sand beds entirely. If that doesn't relieve the leeching in their tanks some people will "cook" their live rock. "Cooking" live rock entails putting them in containers with saltwater in the dark, increasing temperature and changing the water out every week for a few months. Supposedly this helps remove phosphates from the rock... It's an act of desperation though, from people who are constantly battling nuisance algae and decide to up the ante. I think its like using a nuke where a well placed tomahawk missile would work since I think "cooking" can be avoided if you plan accordingly.

The better solution is to attack it with multiple methods... Continue as you have been doing by removing the cyano by hand. You are effectively removing some of your phosphates from the tank every time you take a bit of cyano out... So rejoice . Feeding less at this point is also a good idea, but its not a cure-all in itself. The thing that really is going to do you wonders is having a robust refugium. If you already have one, great! However, its not currently beefy enough. As such, you should increase the lighting and possibly the variety of vegetation. If you don't have a refugium... why not? They're very easy to plumb in and can be done very cheaply. You should also add granulated ferric oxide, GFO, to your tank at this point... It will effectively absorb inorganic phosphates as well. Of course adding GFO will increase the iron in your system, which can lead to other algae issues in itself... however if you have a refugium then the excess won't be an issue since the algae in there will readily use up the iron.

Give these methods some time to work... its not clear how much phosphates will leech from your rock and sand. Rest assured though that once you remove the inorganic phosphates from your system, your nuisance algae problems will be a thing of the past. They can't grow without phosphates... so you will effectively starve them to death.

Good luck and if you find this useful, give me a rep point!

 

[wolfie]

man you are as bad as brandon. "will post for rep point" Hahah. hpow do you add reppoint?

I think I knew what my problem are now.

think start to get out of hand after I add the brown tang. It poop a lots. Yesterday I use a powerhead and blowing stuff out where thhis tank stay most of the time and I found a lots of waste.

The second thing are those little tupworm. they releast a something like a spiderweb and it was all over the tank right after the water change.

the tank going back to Nemo today or tomorrow. Depend on how easy it want to come out, but I thinking I have to remove most of my RL to get it out.

Second I am looking to get some clearner shirmp to kill off those tupworm. {I rather not have any shirmp in the tank since I knew they can mess with LPS} no choice here. Either tanking a chance with the shirmp or let those tupworm messing up my tank.


I do have a sump and are using a 75W flood light to light it. as for feeding I feed my tank 1 ever 2-3 days and some time it 4 days before I feed.

 

[wolfie]

It been 4 days since I remove the powder brown tang and got 2 sleeper dragon = to the tang side. I have not seen cyano back in the tank. So far so good. I also pickup 4 clearner shrimp to see if they will kill those tupworm from my tank.