Filtration

[biohazard]

I have a serious problem with cyano. Its a 29gal with about 20lbs of LR. I have a live sand bed with assorted corrals. I also have a clown fish, a falco hawkfish, severl hermits and snails. I have a Dual Satellite light from Current. I have an Aqua C Remora skimmer. And a crappy hob filter from wal-mart. From the time I have started the tank about a year now I have had a algae or cyano problem. Everytime I check my water everything is perfect. Not to mention my water is crystal clear. I had a phosphate reactor for awhile to battle diatom algae and now its gone and cyano has replaced it. Its everywhere. It even grows in my phosphate reactor. I have removed the reactor and it smelled horrible. I figured that it was a nitrate trap. I figure nitrates are not showing up in the test because the cyano is consumming it. Could it possibly be poor filtration? What kind of filter should I get if thats the problem? I would like a canister filter of some type. Any help would be appreciated.

 

[memphis]

I would think that zero NO3 would = zero algae (eventually it starves...). Have you tried going shorter on the light cycle for a while to see if this cuts down on the growth? I would also try a HOB fuge and pack it full of chaeto instead of filter. You can put some carbon infront of the return.
Good luck.

 

[memphis]

Ohhhh... and I would add more rock.

 

[biohazard]

I`ve tried to lower my light cycle. I have also tried different water change times and amounts. Do you think a HOB fuge would be better than investing in a good filter? The filter I have now is a cheap walmart filter it uses a carbon filled cartridge. Would it be ok to add more LR while I am having this HUGE cyano problem. I know it will start a mini cycle if I add too much new LR at once. I am really at a loss as is my LFS. I mean I can go in there with a turkey baster and remove 95% of the cyano and two days later its all back in full force.

 

[fbm]

What I had to do to finally get rid of mine was drastically increase flow. I was trying to increase flow using maxi jets and that didn't work. Too much concentrated flow. So I went with wide flow pumps and now my flow is about 35 times turnover and I have yet to have a problem. And I am going to add another 12 to 15 times turnover for a total of about 50. I don't believe this will affect my softies at all because of how the flow is distrubited.

 

[mbowker]

sounds like nutrients in the sand bed, will not read in the water column. Just went through this, red algae and brown diatom everywhere after a year and half. Checked the sand bed smelled like rotten eggs, Hydrogen Sulfate build up. My tank is bare bottom now