cyano alge

[bristopher]

Its back, actually it never went away. I have tried chemi-clean...did not clear very much up. I have cut my lights down to being on for 9-10 hours instead of 12. LAst water test DINHOUSE did was good. The cyano is growing on sandbed, back of glass near the heater and on some rocks even saw some on a colony polp. IS there any type of fish or clean up crew that will eat this stuff.. None of my current clean up crew will touch it. I have snails, fighting conchs, brittle starfish, a couple hermit craps, pepperment shrimp and 2 cleaner shrimp. Any idea what will eat this, please let me know and i will go and get it. I have been told that Rainford goby will eat it, is this true............... last question how will goby or any other fish that may eat the cyano do in a tank with 1 clarkii clown, 3 blue damsels, royla gramma, and sixline wrass.
Please help.
Bristopher

 

[koiman6]

for clarification it is cyano bacteria not algae. (right?) and that causes many inverts to leave it alone because they are interested in eating algae not bacteria.

 

[bristopher]

Thanks for the clarification. I was told that it was algae. Now that I know its bacteria do you have any ideas what i should do.
Bristopher

 

[ekclark]

The only creature I have seen eat mine were the mexican turbo snails. They are big snails...about walnut size. I see them munching it in the sand bed after the lights go out. They will not get rid of all of it, but they help. How old are your bulbs? Sometimes older bulbs can cause cyno. This stuff sucks, a Nobel Prize for the scientists that genetically alters blue legs to eat this stuff.

 

[searcher]

I thought I saw my red foot moon snail eat the stuff but I'm not positive.

 

[krishj39]

I've tried many things to get rid of it, and, assuming your water quality is good, I'd suggest getting more water flow. In my refugium, I had cyano covering everything. It was up to a quarter inch thick in places. I tried many many things to get rid of it, but what finally cured it was adding a powerhead to the refugium. I still have a very small amount, since the flow is still fairly light, but it is certainly not a problem any more. Also, in my main tank I got some patches of it from time to time, but I haven't had any since I added two powerheads to the tank. Because it is really just strings of bacteria, it can't hold together if it has water flowing over it. So, while changing your lights, adding clean up crew, removing phosphates, etc may help, it has been my experience that increased water flow is the single most effective way at getting rid of it. HTH
Kris