Cyano outbreak from?

[reef_dart21]

Well ill admit that i havnt been proparly taking care of my tank for awhile (college) but now since im done for the year im trying to get the tank back to tip top shape but i need a way to remove this algea that keeps suffocating my coral.
im pretty sure its red cyano algea because it covers some hair algea and engulfs everything on rocks/sand.
is their a way i can correct this with or without medicines?

 

[reef_dart21]

bump

 

[drakken]

I've used Chemiclean and Red Slime Remover with great success. It will kill the cyano but not fix the problem. Most likely you have high nitrates and/or phosphates.
I suggest using one of those products as directed then do a series of water changes to correct the water parameters.

 

[reef_dart21]

here are param:
0 ppm Ammonia
8.4 pH
0 ppm Nitrate
0 ppm Nitrite
450 calcium
1.025 salinity

 

[reef_dart21]

bump

 

[pbnj]

Test for phosphates...that's what Cyano lives on. Probably excessive feeding (or too much of the wrong food -- excessive flake foods can increase phosphate levels).
To decrease phosphates, perform water changes (judging from your other levels, you already do that), cut back on feeding, add a phosphate removal media (e.g., a phosphate pad), and perhaps best of all, add chaeto algae to your system somehow (in a sump/refugium).
They say a lack of waterflow is also a source of cyano, but I've always found that to be a lot of bunk, at least in my case. I think that it may contribute to the spreading, but it's not the source.

 

[cedarreef]

+1 on the phosphates. DO NOT use red slime remover... one member here nuked their whole system from using that plus it wont solve the problem... water changes and decreased feeding will help greatly

 

[pbnj]

I've used Chemiclean on two occasions (before I eliminated the source of the Cyano) with no problems. Just don't exceed the dosing in the instructions. If anything, under-dose, as it goes a long way....and it did work each time.

 

[reef_dart21]

ok thank u my ammonia keeps reading at eithier 0 or .50 i did 10 tests and 6 said 0 and 4 said .50.......and my phosphate is 8.3

 

[gmann1139]

Phosphate is 8.3? You sure that's not pH?
Three things you need to do to kill cyano, without resorting to additives:
1. Lighting - If you don't have photosynthetic organisms, kill your lights for a week. You can turn them on to feed, but that's it.
2. Phosphate - As been said, you have to get rid of it. Search around here for "phosphate remover", there's a lot of options, depending on your setup.
3. Flow - Cyano prefers low flow areas. Adjust your PowerHeads, and add another if necessary. Make sure you have 10x flow and no dead spots.

 

[domsbuddy]

I'll give you my 2 cents on cyno. I have just hopefully beat the beast after a 2 month battle. Like you I was too busy to maintain the tank the way I would have liked to. Ironically cyno appeared with a vengence after I decided to bring it back. Anyway, I had it real bad. Real Bad! Talking thick mat with streamers. I was advised to use chem clean and did so, following the directions to a T, even maybe adding some extra, for extra time and adding more O2 with airstones as recommended.
It broke it up, seperated it from the rock and got rid of some of it. As many have said treat the source - high nitrates, phosphates, feeding, lighting etc. I did all of that. Got the nitrates lower than they have ever been, below 2.5, this after doing at least 50 gallon water changes weekly for two months (I have a 180 w/ a 55 sump). With each water change I would suck out the cyno with a siphon and believe it or not a turkey baster to suck it off the rock. I would even suck out the cyno a couple of times between water changes. With what I would say was very good water quality the cyno would still come back within a day or two. This got very old.
Here's what got rid of it.
With decent water quality, I did a big water change and sucked out every bit of the cyno that I could find. I then immediatly treated with the chem clean, and it hasn't come back. So that would be my advice. Get the water quality up to par with water changes and suck out all the cyno and treat with chem clean. Also put in a poly pad and chem pure charcoal.
In my experience, once you have the cyno bacteria at least to the level that I had it, it will not go away with simply improving water quality. You have to kill the bacteria. And I agree with a previous poster that said that the low flow theory was bunk. I had it where I had power heads aimed. I never did the lights out, so that might help, but I like to look at the tank.

 

[ilovemytank]

Cyno can be beaten easily with red slime remover or chemiclean without hurting anything in your tank as long as you follow the directions. I know lots of people who have used both successfully and I have used each one before too. My experience is was great.
Knowing why you got it is the most important issue though to make sure you correct the problem. Once you have it the smallest amount of phosphates can feed a massive colony of bacteria and it multiplies qiuck.
This is the only thing that I would ever recommend using medicine in a tank though. Good luck.

 

[iyachtuxivm]

I have been fighting cyano for over two months now. It was lite at first but after I have made many changes for the "better" it just got worse. I was trying not to use any chemicals but finally gave in yesterday I used chemiclean. Within a few hours the cyano started peeling off the rocks in the improved flow areas that cyano isnt susposed to like. Today I came home and more then half of my corals look like crap, the water is cloudy, fish seem fine. I followed the directions even using less then recomended. Its killing the cyano its all light brown but if it kills my corals too.... I should have just lived with cyano. I know what are my params? They are great nitrate 0, phos 0,ammonia 0, nitirite 0, Ph 8.1, temp 79, sg 1.025. I dont know. Ill report back after my water change tomorrow.

 

[meowzer]

try water changes using ro/di water, add a phospure pad to your filter, add some flow, less en the amount of food you are feeding...do all you can before you add chemicals

 

[stevot123]

I have also been battling a cyano problem . . . I was told by another forum that it was black cyano. Has anyone heard anything about this? Does it still work the same as the other types of cyano/respond to these changes? I have been doing water changes my parameters are great like everyone else and I have tons of cheato and grape algae . . . even phosguard. I have been doing this for months, I siphon it out and then turn off the lights for a couple of days and i also have been feeding small amounts. Any comments on black cyano . . . general knowledge and would chemiclean work/future suggestions?
Thx

 

[stevot123]

Also forgot to mention RO water as well

 

[aquaguy24]

i've used red slime remover with no problems..it hasn't returned and its been about 6 months cyano free...i increased surface aggitation and reduced feeding to once a day..i think i overfeed before..make sure u follow instructions carefully and have some fresh saltwater ready to do series of small water changes..also ur protein skimmer might go crazy for a month or so..mine did..but its all back to normal now..good luck..

 

[ilovemytank]

Originally Posted by iyachtuxivm
http:///forum/post/2923766
I have been fighting cyano for over two months now. It was lite at first but after I have made many changes for the "better" it just got worse. I was trying not to use any chemicals but finally gave in yesterday I used chemiclean. Within a few hours the cyano started peeling off the rocks in the improved flow areas that cyano isnt susposed to like. Today I came home and more then half of my corals look like crap, the water is cloudy, fish seem fine. I followed the directions even using less then recomended. Its killing the cyano its all light brown but if it kills my corals too.... I should have just lived with cyano. I know what are my params? They are great nitrate 0, phos 0,ammonia 0, nitirite 0, Ph 8.1, temp 79, sg 1.025. I dont know. Ill report back after my water change tomorrow.
Its not killing your corals they are shutting up during this period. Make sure you do the water change after 48 hours. The chemiclean and red slime remover reduce the amount of oxygen in the water. If you aren't operating your skimmer ( even though they go nuts during this ) then turn it on. It helps oxgenate the water. Your corals will be OK.

 

[gmann1139]

Originally Posted by iyachtuxivm
http:///forum/post/2923766
I have been fighting cyano for over two months now. It was lite at first but after I have made many changes for the "better" it just got worse. I was trying not to use any chemicals but finally gave in yesterday I used chemiclean. Within a few hours the cyano started peeling off the rocks in the improved flow areas that cyano isnt susposed to like. Today I came home and more then half of my corals look like crap, the water is cloudy, fish seem fine. I followed the directions even using less then recomended. Its killing the cyano its all light brown but if it kills my corals too.... I should have just lived with cyano. I know what are my params? They are great nitrate 0, phos 0,ammonia 0, nitirite 0, Ph 8.1, temp 79, sg 1.025. I dont know. Ill report back after my water change tomorrow.

I would not have used RSR in a reef, that's what happened to Renogaw.
Start doing water changes now.

 

[iyachtuxivm]

Originally Posted by Stevot123
http:///forum/post/2923814
I have also been battling a cyano problem . . . I was told by another forum that it was black cyano. Has anyone heard anything about this? Does it still work the same as the other types of cyano/respond to these changes? I have been doing water changes my parameters are great like everyone else and I have tons of cheato and grape algae . . . even phosguard. I have been doing this for months, I siphon it out and then turn off the lights for a couple of days and i also have been feeding small amounts. Any comments on black cyano . . . general knowledge and would chemiclean work/future suggestions?
Thx
There are many colors of "cyano". Well not really cyano means red but we group the "algea" under that same heading. There's green, black, purple, red, brown. Its actully a ancient form of bacteria/ algea its kinda like a link between two different species in the evolutionary chain. It can all be treated the same. I had no luck with reducing feeding frequancy or amount, adding more flow, changing the photo period, changing flow directions, or increasing water change intervals( i change 20% weekly and went to 20% twice / week for 4 weeks). I also have been fighting this for longer then I first thought it started in august. Lights on a 3pm Water change right after we will see how it goes keep your fingers crossed. Oh yea I use rodi too and I changed all the filters the unit is only like 8 months old. My water comes out at 1-3ppm.