Done everything I think I can....I think!

islandgirl

islandgirl

Member
Hello all. It's been quite a long time since I've visited this thread. I've got a question that I know someone knows the answer to.
I have a mild case of cynobacteria in my 39-gallon saltwater tank. I've changed my bulbs (both) to new ones. Didn't work. Cut back on the food even though I feed every 3 days. Didn't work. Cut back on my lights being from 9 hours to 6. Didn't work (so I took them back up to 9 since I have corals). I do bi-weekly water changes of 5-10% with store bought saltwater. Don't work (just did a water change this past weekend). I have 2 water pumps (900 mag I believe) and they are positioned one on the left wall and the other on the right wall of the tank with the water flow positioned to each other. I'm wondering if maybe I have dead spots because the cynobacteria is only in certain spots. I've tried to re-position the jets to different areas. Didn't work. My nitrates are low - 20. I've even gone the drastic route of adding red slime remover and it worked for a little while. Any other suggestions that you think could/would help? My tank seems to be happy other than that - mushrooms are starting to split off although my polyps are tempermental. I moved them and they didn't like where they were so I had to move them back. Hopefully they will co-operate. So....what to do now...
 
islandgirl

islandgirl

Member
I've read that whole link but it still doesn't tell me what else I could do. I'm thinking I have my water pumps positioned wrong.
 
meadbhb

meadbhb

Member
Hiya,
I think I have the same tank that you do, a 39 eclipse? I also had a slight problem with cyno. This is what I did. I took out the carbon filter and replaced it with a phospate pad. Its the kind you can cut to fit your filter. I also replaced my biowheel so it would increase the oxygen in my water. I had removed mine shortly after my tank cycled so it wouldn't cause a bunch of nitrates. I only have one power head and I put this up at the top on the right and angled the head down to where the cyno was, so the oxygenated water would be pushed down there. My cyno has all but disappeared. I believe if I add one more power head, it would take care of it period.
My tank's lights were upgraded to compacts and they're on for 11 hours. Last time I checked I had 0, ammonia, trates, trites, PH of 8.2 calcium of 430 and Alk of 3. Oh, temp runs between 79-82.5. I'm having a horrible time keeping it constant.
Corals and invertibrates look great...can't keep fish alive though. Lost a six-line wrasse, clown gobie and clown fish, all at different times. Silly scooter and damsel are still alive though! Going to talk to my LFS about this tonight.
Meadbhb
 
islandgirl

islandgirl

Member
Meadbhb, actually yes...I do have an eclipse tank. Are those pads blue like the carbon filter pad? And what did you replace your biowheel with? Maybe I should consider switching the directions of my water flow to the opposite corners to see if that will help. Did you have to do numerous water changes to get rid of the cyno or did what you did with changing the filter and biowheel do it for you. I think your suggestions could possibly help my situation (hopefully) if I try those 2 things. What type of compacts did you get to upgrade? Fortunately for me (knock on wood) my fish are doing quite well. Polyps look a bit sad but hopefully after moving them to higher ground they should bounce back.
 
meadbhb

meadbhb

Member
Hiya,
I removed the carbon filter, which is blue and comes with the system, shortly after I cycled my tank. The carbon wears out and it is eventually ineffective. I go to my LFS and by the Phospate filter pad that can be cut to fit any type of filter. It's a light green and comes in two sheets. Kinda looks like a filter you'd put in your furnace. I change this every week.
I also removed my bio wheel since I'd heard that it could cause to many nitrates. I've got 30lbs of live rock and 40lbs base rock so I figured that and a skimmer would be plenty of filtration for the tank. However, I started to get cyno, so I read that thread. I decided to add more oxygen to the tank so put the bio wheel back into the tank. I also cut my hours back to 11 instead of 12. The power head is near the top where the water comes out of the two filter outlets. That pump is is aimed downwards, driving the oxygenated water to the bottom of the tank. I also vacumed up some of the cyno to help get rid of it. So far, I've seen little to no cyno. This has been about 2-3 weeks.
A few things I also do, is move the two filter flow director's to different directions once a week so the currents change. This week, I did move my main power head directional flow to the back part of the tank to add oxygen to the back. I'm going to see if the cyno comes back. I do 10% water changes once a month. I don't add any chemicals to the tank except for calcium every once in a while. Tanks been up since 8/3 (my birthday gift to myself) and seems to be stable. I haven't lost any inverts just fish, and after talking to the LFS last night, it just might be from stress and starvation. I'm going to fix this when I get back from my cruise. Corals look good, my candy can is probably going to split here soon, the polyps look good, my rabbit ear is unhappy, but I can't find a place he'll be happy in. Plus, the tourch tagged him. My peppermint shrimp and emerald have moulted several times, so I must be doing something right.
I'd suggest aiming your power heads towards your cyno and place them towards the top of the water to see if you can get more oxygen to the bottom. Changing the water flow every couple days to a week, should help keep any dead spots from building up.
Hope this helped!
Meadbhb
 
meadbhb

meadbhb

Member
Hiya,
Forgot to answer the lighting system question.
There is a retro fit kit that can bought that will allow you to put a 65W and a actina light in there. You'll be able to keep the lower light corals really well.
Meadbhb
 
islandgirl

islandgirl

Member
Thanks man! I think you've definately given me a lot of options to try. I'm going to try changing the directions of the pump and the filter flow's tonight!
I used to have 2 peppermint shrimp till one day my fish ganged up on them and had them for a snack! I'm still thinking about putting some more in there though cause it happened when I bought my blenny home so I think he instigated it!
Tell me one more thing....where do you have your polyps in your tank - towards the top on some rock or towards the bottom and with medium or little water flow?
 
meadbhb

meadbhb

Member
Hiya,
Peppermint shrimp won't do anything for cyno or hair algea. AT least they haven't for me. It did take care of my glass anenomies though. I only have one, but you can have more then one in a tank and not worry about them fighting. I just added a fire shrimp to my tank and I'm going to see how that does before I add anymore shrimp.
I've got my polyps in two places in my tank. Up top in mediam to high flow to mid tank, and kinda shaded, mediam to low flow and they're happy in both places. Yours just might be adjusting to thier new place.
What I'm having problems with is my rabbit ear leather. It was doing really well and was in med-high flow up top to the side and was puffed up 4 times it's size. Now, it's shrunk down and wilty. No tissue loss though. I put him on the floor of the tank to see if he'll be happy there.
Don't expect the cyno to disappear overnight with the change in flow. It took mine a few days before I saw a significant change.
Meadbhb
 
islandgirl

islandgirl

Member
I know the shrimp won't cure my cyno, I just like having them...they have a personality to them.
Well I went ahead and adjusted the air flows to different directions. Now though, cyno has some what cleared in the old spaces but grew in the new spaces. I also have some growing on rocks in the same areas. Haven't switched out the carbon filter yet though. I'm waiting to do that with my next water change this weekend. I'm also wondering if my flake food has gone bad. Someone at my lfs said that flake food only lasts a few months. Is that true? Guess I need to be a bit more patient and trouble shoot more :mad:
 
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