Best way to battle cyanobacteria?
- Thread starter andyaz
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andyaz
Member
I had tried that in my old tank, I would even go a day without feeding the tank at all or turning on the lights. Hard to keep the lights off with BTAs in the tank, if it was just the fishies I wouldn't feel so bad about not turning them on. Nothing seemed to stem the cyano, though. The cyano certainly seems worse with the new MH/T5 lights on my newer tank than with the PCs on the old tank. My 10,000k MH lights are only on for about 7 hours (noon to 7pm) and the actinic blue T5s are on from about 11am to 8pm - too long?
chipmaker
Active Member
Lighting has no effect on cyano algae. What has the greatest inpact on its suyrvival is eliminating its source of nutrients, and also proviing better flow in the area its growing in. Its usually caused by phosphates. Look at the food your feeding. Flake food has a large percentage of phosphate in it, and its been known to contribute to problems. Reduce the amount of food being fed, increase water flow in the area its growing andif feeding flake try some pellets or frozen foods. Your best bet is to use a turkey bster or syphonit off the sand etc with a piece of air line tube or such. A partial water change would also help once source of nutrients is removed or reduced and the visible slimey red stuff removed.
andyaz
Member
Originally Posted by daninct
You say a running battle but is this a new problem or has it been there since day one? If it came up months or years after you had the tank try going back to see what changed. Something had to affect the tank - lights, circulation, something.
It has been a long running battle in all three tanks that I've had in the last year. My first tank, a 29g, I had a massive floating algae breakout that nearly killed off my anemone, had to get a UV sterilizer to fix that one. Once that cleared, the cyano started and it has followed through the 40g tank and now the 55g that I moved into last month. It got worse in the new tank, I assumed with the change from PC to MH/T5 lighting.
Originally Posted by saltn00b
what is your GPH turnover in your tank? 95% of the time its a bunch of factors that have been stated but flow (lack of) is often the main contributor that is often overlooked.
I'll have to check the return pump in my sump. I'm not sure off the top of my head, but it's a pretty good flow rate. I also have two smaller powerheads, one on each side of the tank.
Originally Posted by chipmaker
Lighting has no effect on cyano algae. What has the greatest inpact on its suyrvival is eliminating its source of nutrients, and also proviing better flow in the area its growing in. Its usually caused by phosphates. Look at the food your feeding. Flake food has a large percentage of phosphate in it, and its been known to contribute to problems. Reduce the amount of food being fed, increase water flow in the area its growing andif feeding flake try some pellets or frozen foods. Your best bet is to use a turkey bster or syphonit off the sand etc with a piece of air line tube or such. A partial water change would also help once source of nutrients is removed or reduced and the visible slimey red stuff removed.
I noticed the cyano got worse through the day when the lights are on, so I thought they were connected. I think you might be on to something, though, as I've used Prime Reef flake food for quite a long time, and I've had problems with cyano for just as long. Once a day feeding, never more than they can eat. I also use ZoPlan plankton for the anemones and zoo polyps (though the polyps are unfortunately no longer with me). What would be some good foods for two clowns, hippo tang, coral beauty angel, porcupine puffer, and two BTAs? I've never used frozen foods, what would be good to use and how would I use it?
You say a running battle but is this a new problem or has it been there since day one? If it came up months or years after you had the tank try going back to see what changed. Something had to affect the tank - lights, circulation, something.
It has been a long running battle in all three tanks that I've had in the last year. My first tank, a 29g, I had a massive floating algae breakout that nearly killed off my anemone, had to get a UV sterilizer to fix that one. Once that cleared, the cyano started and it has followed through the 40g tank and now the 55g that I moved into last month. It got worse in the new tank, I assumed with the change from PC to MH/T5 lighting.
Originally Posted by saltn00b
what is your GPH turnover in your tank? 95% of the time its a bunch of factors that have been stated but flow (lack of) is often the main contributor that is often overlooked.
I'll have to check the return pump in my sump. I'm not sure off the top of my head, but it's a pretty good flow rate. I also have two smaller powerheads, one on each side of the tank.
Originally Posted by chipmaker
Lighting has no effect on cyano algae. What has the greatest inpact on its suyrvival is eliminating its source of nutrients, and also proviing better flow in the area its growing in. Its usually caused by phosphates. Look at the food your feeding. Flake food has a large percentage of phosphate in it, and its been known to contribute to problems. Reduce the amount of food being fed, increase water flow in the area its growing andif feeding flake try some pellets or frozen foods. Your best bet is to use a turkey bster or syphonit off the sand etc with a piece of air line tube or such. A partial water change would also help once source of nutrients is removed or reduced and the visible slimey red stuff removed.
I noticed the cyano got worse through the day when the lights are on, so I thought they were connected. I think you might be on to something, though, as I've used Prime Reef flake food for quite a long time, and I've had problems with cyano for just as long. Once a day feeding, never more than they can eat. I also use ZoPlan plankton for the anemones and zoo polyps (though the polyps are unfortunately no longer with me). What would be some good foods for two clowns, hippo tang, coral beauty angel, porcupine puffer, and two BTAs? I've never used frozen foods, what would be good to use and how would I use it?
andyaz
Member
Originally Posted by Vanos
I have some of that in my tank but it was worse a year ago. I feed 2-3x/day and I have 5 fish in a 55G. I did reduce the lighting by 2 hours/day and do 10 gallon water changes every 1-2 weeks-seems to help. I wonder if yellow tanks eat that crap...
I haven't found anything that eats it, or at least enough of it to do any good. Mexican turbo snails will eat it somewhat, but when you've got a tank 20in tall and 48in long, that little trail they leave doesn't do a whole lot good
I have some of that in my tank but it was worse a year ago. I feed 2-3x/day and I have 5 fish in a 55G. I did reduce the lighting by 2 hours/day and do 10 gallon water changes every 1-2 weeks-seems to help. I wonder if yellow tanks eat that crap...
I haven't found anything that eats it, or at least enough of it to do any good. Mexican turbo snails will eat it somewhat, but when you've got a tank 20in tall and 48in long, that little trail they leave doesn't do a whole lot good