If you use tap water...

[900dublr]

CHECK IT. I've been using tap water and I just checked it for phosphate. It is 2.0ppm or higher!:scared: I've an awful outbreak in brown algae I think thats what it is. Its brown algae thats a little hairy with bubbles. I talked to someone else and they said its cyano. It looks like my tank is about to go under. I had to order a phosphate test and I just got it today and tested. I switched to ro water from wal-mart a few days ago and ive done 2 water changes. I tested the water from wal-mart and it test 0-0.1ppm. My tank tested about 1.0. The tanks is 4 months old. I guess ill keep doing water changes hopefully it will clear up.

 

[cbort]

recently fought cyno, and am on the verge of winning. Has almost completely vanished! do you have any fish/inverts yet? What i did:
Day 1
1. Completely clean tank get every last piece of the cyno bacteria out. Only use lights for about 4-5 hours a day untill completely cleared up
2.Go and buy Maracyn tablets and phosphate guard (seachem is what i used)
3. Put 3 tablets in direct water flow(i put them in a net and positioned it infront of my filter outlet)
4. put seachem phosphate guard in direct waterflow (i put the stuff in a nylon bag and positioned it infront of a powerhead)
5. Turn on skimmer
Day 2
1. only use lights for 4-5 hours, if you don't have any inverts, i would just keep lights off.
2. clean out skimmer cup
3. Wait
Day 3
1. Again put 3 more tablets in the net and position infront of power head.
2. Clean skimmer cup
3. Wait
Day 4
1. check and see if any new growth of the cyno has appeared?
By this time you should be pretty well cleared up.
Watch feeding make sure every last bit is eaten
keep tabs on ammonia and ph
and never use tap again
This is what i have done, and so far so good!!

 

[promisetbg]

I would'nt recommend any of those chemicals..do it naturally..especially if this is a reef..you don't want to be adding an antibiotic to your reef..it will kill the good bacteria.Aluminum based phosphate removing material is also supposed to be bad for reefs.
Alternatives...besides the fact that your tank is only 4 months old..is still going through it's maturing stages..and the fact that you started w/ tapwater...continue with the W/C's..back way off on feeding,cut the light schedule some...and if at all possible,consider the addition of a refugium.

 

[coolbuddie]

I had the same problem when I Started my tank but i bought a couple of turbo snails an they eat it all up they had the tank totaly clean in 5 days

 

[clown52]

I recently defeated cyno (for the most part).
I cut back the lighting 2 hours a day for about a week and I started doing a 10% water change every week with RO/salt water. I also only use RO water now to top off the evaporation.
I have beaten all the cyno except for a small amount that seems to stay on my equiptment. HOB protien skimmer return and HOB filter returns. I am guessing that it's because of how much closer to the light they are. (Can't wait to get my sump built!)
I have never had any luck with anything eating actual cyno though.