Algae problem

[nymph]

I have 100g, 150lr, 100ls...and I have a cyno problem. How do I clear it? Right now all that's in there is a PJ Card. My prize Cowfish has died after 4 wonderful years. He grew to 8" from 1" when I bought him. So enough sadness, now is the time to clean up the tank. The tank was never overstocked. No corals. Lighting is not the best and I think that is what created the mess. So how do I get it cleaned up? Someone told me to dunk rock into fresh water, but then I'd kill the existing life on the rock. I don't want to do that...do I? I've got lots of life, many fans popping up, some even growing in the U. So....what kind of advise can you give me?

 

[Anonymous]

No, don't dunk the rock in FW, that would really set you back. It just has to be done the hard way- water change with RO, and do whatever you can to improve skimming, water movement and lighting.

 

[Unarce]

Sorry to hear about the cowfish. There's a product on the market called Chemi-clean that is about as safe as you can get in terms of medicinal treatment. It would clear up the cyano in a few days and you would only need to do about a 20% water change afterwards. It can even be used monthly as a preventative. It's even safe enough for clams and hard corals.

Right now, I'd expect your phosphates to be low because it's been absorbed by the cyano. Algae attacks can sometimes be attributed to unusually DSB's. Overtime, DSB's over 4" will generate a heavy buildup of phosphates and cause an algae bloom. My research shows that experts recommend 1 to 3 inches of sand (depending on the size of your system). Many feel they need an overly DSB to obtain a complete ecosystem, and their right. The phosphate buildup occurs to fertilize the algae naturally. The result is just what they don't expect.

Check if your lighting needs to be replaced (for the correct spectrum), and improve water movement. If you insist on the DSB, than you must have the necessary janitors that can deal with the algae before they get out of hand.