New approach to cyano.

[pezenfuego]

A few days ago I had an idea for cyano removal. I'm not sure if it is going to work, but lucky for you I will find out as early as tomorrow... So here's what it is. I have a fairly large sump for my dt. A 20 gallon sump for a 30 gallon dt. I have figured out that I have no phosphate or nitrate. I have made the assumption that this is due to the cyano consuming it. Every time I try to remove it, I just end up kicking it up and it remains in the water to feul more cyano. Here's my idea to try to remove it and it was quite simple actually. I decided to turn the light from the dt off for 4 days to get rid of the cyano in it and turn the refugium light on 24/7 to culture it in the sump. I also got rid of the powerheads in the refugium so it would grow better. So now I have a clean dt, a super duper cyano saturated sump, and good levels. My plan (as you may have figured out) is to disconnect the sump and do a complete water change in it. So my question to you is: Do you think it will work?

 

[oceansidefish]

Sounds like an intersting idea.... I would add more powerheads to you DT to really get things moving in there... Is there sand in your sump???

 

[culp]

if it does work it will probably only be a short term fix. to keep it from coming back you'll have to find what ever is fueling it and than remove it.

 

[pezenfuego]

Originally Posted by Culp
http:///forum/post/2929999
if it does work it will probably only be a short term fix. to keep it from coming back you'll have to find what ever is fueling it and than remove it.
Well what I am thinking is that it is from excess nutrients from live rock die off and that the skimmer and macroalgaes can't consume it as fast as the cyano.

 

[locoyo386]

Interesting idea, if cyano grows in the refugeum would you cultivate it there as to try to keep the nutrients down and keep the growth there and not in your DT?
I guess this could act as a filter media maybe?
So would you keep the lights on longer in the refugeum than in the DT?

 

[pezenfuego]

Originally Posted by locoyo386
http:///forum/post/2930034
Interesting idea, if cyano grows in the refugeum would you cultivate it there as to try to keep the nutrients down and keep the growth there and not in your DT?
I guess this could act as a filter media maybe?
So would you keep the lights on longer in the refugeum than in the DT?
Nah, I'm just planning on removing it. I assume it would spread if I just turned the light back on in the DT.

 

[geoj]

Are you assuming that you are not adding phosphate or nitrate? Best to know if you are or if this is the initial start-up level that will dissipate over time…

 

[gmann1139]

It is an interesting theory, I'll be watching to see if it works, and your logic is fairly sound:
If you break the cycle of it forming, and instead allow the macroalgae to consume it, it may permanently remove the cyano.
My only suggestion would be to go with a dose of phosphate removing media at the same time, to tilt the nutrients in favor of the macroalgae.

 

[pezenfuego]

Originally Posted by gmann1139
http:///forum/post/2930058
It is an interesting theory, I'll be watching to see if it works, and your logic is fairly sound:
If you break the cycle of it forming, and instead allow the macroalgae to consume it, it may permanently remove the cyano.
My only suggestion would be to go with a dose of phosphate removing media at the same time, to tilt the nutrients in favor of the macroalgae.
That's funny because I recently added a phosban reactor. We'll see. I won't be surprised if it has no effect on the cyano at all. I think that it will decrease it quite a bit though.

 

[tdog7879]

just keeping on sucking it out and do water changes and it will go away.. Do you have any marco alage in the sump? Also check your bulbs they could be old. Doing water changes and sucking it out will make it go away it just take time.. Cut back on feeding.

 

[renogaw]

i thought the same thing till one day all the cyano was out of my sump and back into my dt.

 

[pezenfuego]

Originally Posted by renogaw
http:///forum/post/2930200
i thought the same thing till one day all the cyano was out of my sump and back into my dt.
Again, I plan on trying to get ALL of the cyano into the sump and then removing it, thus removing all of the dissolved organic waste.

 

[gmann1139]

Originally Posted by PEZenfuego
http:///forum/post/2930168
That's funny because I recently added a phosban reactor. We'll see. I won't be surprised if it has no effect on the cyano at all. I think that it will decrease it quite a bit though.
That may be the tipping point, though.
The Phosban can only take out so much phosphate. If you have more than that, it becomes food for the cyano.
I had constant cyano, even with media. I took drastic measures (close your eyes Reno, I used RSR), changed to a stronger media, and since, I haven't seen a single spot.
Going theoretical, do you think we may underestimate the amount of feeding upon itself that cyano does? Meaning that having cyano in the tank begats more cyano, by feeding on the dead cells?

 

[pezenfuego]

Originally Posted by gmann1139
http:///forum/post/2930352
That may be the tipping point, though.
The Phosban can only take out so much phosphate. If you have more than that, it becomes food for the cyano.
I had constant cyano, even with media. I took drastic measures (close your eyes Reno, I used RSR), changed to a stronger media, and since, I haven't seen a single spot.
Going theoretical, do you think we may underestimate the amount of feeding upon itself that cyano does? Meaning that having cyano in the tank begats more cyano, by feeding on the dead cells?
I think I have underestimated that. I am hopeful and I am willing to bet that this will at least cut down the cyano.

 

[gmann1139]

Originally Posted by PEZenfuego
http:///forum/post/2930365
I think I have underestimated that. I am hopeful and I am willing to bet that this will at least cut down the cyano.
If you've underestimated the effect I described, removing a large portion of it from the tank should have a cascading effect that would lower the amount of cyano even more... And that, sir, would be a good thing.

 

[pezenfuego]

Time to throw in some pics. So for my own reference...here's the game plan
1. Finish up mixing saltwater.
2. Disconnect sump and turn off everything but powerheads for DT.
3. Remove and replace phosphate in phosphate reactor.
4. Remove sump water and scrub the crap out of the sump while cleaning cheato and sandbed.
5. Replace water to fill line
6. Turn on everything in the sump besides the return and allow the skimmer to do it's thing.
7. Turn on light for DT.
8. Wait until the temp in the sump is perfect, and fire it back up.
9. Cross fingers and see what happens.
Actually camera phones suck...let me get a real camera...

 

[pezenfuego]

Here is my tank without the light on

Here is my sump with cyano

Here it is growing on top of the water (no flow-on purpose).

Surprisingly, the pics don't do it justice. It's much much worse.

 

[pezenfuego]

I'm getting ready to clean the sump. It is so bad that the sump is casting a red light lol.

 

[pezenfuego]

Okay...so I'm now scrubbing the glass of the sumps and cleaning everything. I went ahead and removed and scrubbed all of the live rock in there (it was too small of an amount to matter and it was just recently added...so it isn't really live rock. Just have to clean some more and pour in the water. I removed A LOT of nasty water.

 

[pezenfuego]

A touch of cyano in a couple impossible to reach spots...but a VERY clean sump and tank. The temp isn't right in the sump, so I will wait to turn it back on. Tomorrow morning before I go to school I will fire it up. Here's a pic of the sump.
Attachment 218311