Cyano or Dino's?

[Lenny718]

My tanks been up for about 3 months and in the last week or two I've been getting this thick brownish green stuff on my sandbed. Fearing it was dinos I started dosing peroxide at 1ml per gallon and running a sun sun 9w UV sterilizer, the UV has only been running about 2 days so I haven't noticed a change yet. I cut the lights down and when the tank is dark the sand is spotless but the stuff returns as soon as the lights go back on. I had dinos before and it's usually a brown stringy snot looking stuff but this is more like brown chunky sand. Rocks apear to be fine which is why I'm stumped.

 

[Lenny718]

Anyone?

 

[theMeat]

Looks like cyano

Stop peroxide dosing. and cutting back on the lights will cut down on the problem and prolong it as well.
This is somewhat normal for a new tank. Cut back on feeding.
Do you run a sock?
Once or twice a week blow off rocks with a turkey baster, and mix up and/or siphon the sand bed. Followed immediately, while water is still cloudy, by a water change. Or at least run a siphon down throu a sock in your sump if you don't wanna change water. Then clean sock the next day

What size tank, sump, skimmer and fuge? What type lights?

 

[Lenny718]

Thanks man. It's a Red Sea Max 130D and I removed the stock lights and cover and replaced it with a 250w MH T5 combo. As far as a skimmer the first two months I wasn't running one and relying on water changed, last week I added a aquamaxx WS-1 in sump skimmer, things a beast.

 

[theMeat]

cool beans

things that may help...
make sure your t5 bulbs are not too old
increase flow over sand
keep nutrients low

 

[Lenny718]

Just to be clear, you said I shouldn't cut back my light schedule? Again thanks for the help

 

[theMeat]

How many hours a day are you running?

 

[Lenny718]

12hrs, 8 hours with the MH and 2 hrs before and after the mh with the actinic T5 bulbs.

 

[theMeat]

Would run 13 hours blue, 7-8 hours white. Being it's 250 mh, 7

The light is not the issue. Low flow in areas where dibris can accumulate, or too much dibris in general, or sand that's too coarse allowing debris to be on/ inside.

Have seen bulbs that are too old help cause a bloom, but usually replacing the bulbs doesn't fix the issue once it's established and growing

It's a vicious cycle. The cyano dies and turns back into nutrients that fuel more cyano to grow. That's why I say turning down the lights won't help. Either turn off the lights and cover the tank to block any light from getting in for 3 whole days so the cyano completely dies off. Or remove enough nutrients, cyano, and address low flow areas where dibris can collect and cyano get re-established, and it will die back

As your tank matures it will become better at removing nutrients on it's own

 

[Lenny718]

Thanks again. I was thinking of trying Chemi clean from Boyd just to get it under control. Thoughts?

 

[Reef Trends]

Looks more like detritus and or a mini cycle. If you don't need the lights on so long for your pleasure you can certainly cut back. Your lighting schedule is a bit long. Only need the MH on for 3 hours so try going down to 5 hours MH with the 2 hour before/after like you are doing. I would stop the hydrogen peroxide but you might add some purigen in the back. Also you can "clean" the sand bed by raking a small section at a time a few days apart in the same direction each time to help turn it over but avoid releasing too much waste at once.

 

[Lenny718]

Thanks but I don't think it's detritus , I know it's hard to tell from the pics but when you rake like I've been doing it's got a chunky consistency and comes back like an hour later. I will be cutting down my lights a bit though. I've been doing this hobby awhile and my biggest fear is that it was Dino's, A few tanks ago I got so fustrated with the Dino's I actually broke down my tank and took a year off lol. As far as cycle goes all levels are in check but my nitrates are about 15-20 ppm, I was avoiding water changes cause if it was Dino's it would just feed it more.

 

[theMeat]

Thanks again. I was thinking of trying Chemi clean from Boyd just to get it under control. Thoughts?

Chempure is good stuff but slow and steady wins the race. Would rather do water changes and remove as much cyano manually, so biological doesn't get shocked and continues to build. Marinepure is good stuff too, wherever you can fit some, would be a better long term solution imo

 

[BioMan]

Any time that's happened yo me in the past I do a lights out for 3 days BUT a i do a decent size water change first. In my mind that cuts off the lights and any extra organic a in the system. Plus I'm not feeding for the 3 days either. Too often I see people scared of the blackout phase but there are stormy and cloudy days in nature.

 

[vio]

If, i was you, i would blow off rocks with a turkey baster, every day, few min. before light go off, clean the Berlin socks every day (for few days) decrees the time lights, increase water flow, use good Active Carbon, NO food for few days, add some bacteria, watch for dead snails , use some GFO , stop dosing peroxide, stop running a sun sun 9w UV sterilizer, those just destroy the immunity of your tank ( in my opinion).

 

[rsinanan415]

I have the same problem going on right now, and my water has been cloudy for about 2 weeks and I'm doing water changes every other day. All my parameters are staying pretty consistent. But I'm running LEDs. Definitely keeping tabs on this thread. Also added some carbon pads in my wet dry to help clear up the water and added special blend dose also. Been there for over a day and no change yet. My tank has been up for about 4 months

 

[Lenny718]

Yanked the UV out today, since it's not Dino's it's not needed anyway. Also stopped dosing peroxide and limited my lights a few hours. Funny thing is there's nothing on my rocks, just my sandbed. I ordered Boyd's Chemi-Clean which is like a red slime remover but for all types of Cayno , I've read some good reviews on it, maybe it'll get it under control till my biological gets stronger. Thank you for the help everyone and I'll update the thread after I try the Chemi-Clean treatment.

 

[Odysi]

Chemi clean will take care of the cyano but it's not a fix all. I've used it with success but the cyano eventually made its way back. I could never truly figure out the root of the problem. I tired it all short light periods, less feedings, bacteria dosing etc. I ended up just dosing it once a month when I would see the cyano starting to come back but then had to break down 1 yr later cause of dinos they suck lmao. GL with it hope it helps you out.

 

[Lenny718]

Just did the treatment this morning, no changes yet but it says it usually takes about 48hrs then do a 20% WC. My skimmer is going nuts but the instructions said that's also normal .

 

[B.BASH]

Looks like diatoms to me have you changed your rodi filters?