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Anonymous

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Am not planning on stocking until it is stable and has been set up for 6 months. I guess I will just wait and see if this batch disappears on its own. The vacuuming didn't work, It came back worse than before.

Bryan
 

ChrisRD

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It's fairly normal to see cyano at this stage. It eventually dies off if you keep up your water quality. As others have mentioned, the old lamps (if I read that right) and the canister probably aren't helping things.
 
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Anonymous

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I agree with Chris and Matt, the cyano is fairly normal.

However, I'd like to address the canister filter. A canister filter, in and of itself can certainly be used to filter a marine aquarium, even undergravel filters are fine for a simple setup. However, you have been using the Magnum with the polishing (diatomaceous earth, yes) cartridge full time. That filter setup is never meant to be used full time. When one polishes tank water, it's to be run for two, four hours at most. So, you can still use it, just prime it and run it for a couple of hours once a week.
 
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Anonymous

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3 things today

1. I put a powerhead in the tank, directed at the batch of cyano, and it disappeared overnight only to come back worse today.

This put a whole bunch of junk in the water which made it down to the skimmer which promptly skimmed it out, filling the gallon jug and overflowing onto the floor. Wooops! I have installed a valve on the skimmer collection cup discharge line so that I can shut it off if I am unsure about its operation. I imagine once I get it set I can pretty much forget about it.

So, the fact that it skimmed means that it is working and there was just nothing to skim.

2. So I am not supposed to polish all the time. Should I just put a filter in for a couple of hours a week? It will be running the rest of the time as its discharge breaks up the surface of the water which quiets my drains down(don't ask me to explain that cause I can't)

3. Should I replace the light bulbs? It is just an All glass aquarium flourescent light fixture with 2 20 watt bulbs. They are the Aqua Rays brand and they are like 2 years old

thanks for the input

Bryan
 

Expos Forever

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Having 2 year old bulbs is begging for algae/cyano problems. IMO you should remove the cyano manually by siphoning with the smallest id tubing you can find. (Smaller tubing will give you much more time by removing less water). Again IMO blowing the cyano around will just allow it to start up in new areas. Or just leave it alone, as previously mentioned your tank is still new'ish.

As for the filter, I wouldn't personally run it, but if you must- run it empty. As you mentioned put in your filter/(carbon?) a few hours a week.

HTH
 
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Anonymous

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The Carbon is in a little bag hanging in the sump. Do I need to keep that in there all the time? I was changing it out every two weeks.

I don't have any nitrates, so it can't be that damaging to leaveit in there.

I don't put it in the Filter as it takes like 5 dollars worth every time I change it.

Bryan
 

TomH

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FWIW, I had a bad experience with carbon a few years ago. I was running cheap carbon (aquarium pham, maybe?) in a canister on my 30g softy reef and had a cyano problem that wouldn't go away. It turned out that my carbon was apparrently leaching phosphates back into the aquarium, fueling my cyano bloom.

Who knows if that's got anything to do with your cyano (sounds pretty normal for a 6 mth old tank), but I thought I'd throw the idea out there.


BTW -- I still ran carbon after that (and I intend to in my new setup), I just use a different brand.

Tom
 
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Anonymous

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Bry! Dude...you do not have to change your carbon out every two weeks, mate! Leave it in the sump, rinse it every two to four weeks instead, should last ya about 3 months. Since you really like having the Magnum (and seem to need it) then I suggest putting in a large particulate filter that can be cleaned out once a month.
 
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Anonymous

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Now that I see his post, Tom makes an EXCELLENT point. Cheap carbons do indeed leach phosphates back into the system, so try taking it out for a couple, see what happens.
 
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Anonymous

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Okay, its Marineland Black Diamond Premimun Carbon

I will take out both the micron cartridge and the carbon this sat. I will then wait a while

Thanks for the tips

Bryan
 
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Anonymous

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seamaiden,

this carbon talk of yours... how do you know it lasts for such a long time?

i am under the impression that carbon only lasts a week or two at best in my tank (small tank with heavy caulerpa...got yellow quickly)
further i would think each tank would vary greatly as each tank has different loads, etc.

so what say you? you sitting on some info? :)
 
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Anonymous

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The only info I have on how long it lasts is based on my own experience (using it in canister filters on salt tanks), mostly gleaned from my days doing maintenance and at the shop. Rinsing it prolongs its life (if I think there's a heavy load then I may rinse weekly), but then I have also not had a problem with yellowing water, not even with Caulerpa, that I've had to address with carbon (specifically in salt), so I can't speak directly to that. Other than that, I go with what my former supervisor at LBAOP was doing, leaving a bag of carbon in the sump of the coral lab's sys, rinsing monthly. The water isn't being forced through the carbon, so it isn't being "taxed" (?) as much as something being used in a closed loop/pressurized filter.

The yellowing issues I've had to deal with were with f/w sys's, mostly those using peat for softening and acidifying, or with much organic matter, such as planted sys's.
 

Mekinnik

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I have a 40 gal. fish/coral setup and I had the same problem, no matter what I did. I has a prizm and a marineland 300 bio-wheel, and red and brown algae covered everthing. it was a mess and with-in 2 months of buying the Remora Pro it went away. Although I wish I had bought it with the Mag 3 punp instead. So I would have to agree lose the canister and just run the skimmer, just remember do not over feed you sealife.
 
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Anonymous

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Welcome to reefs.org, Mekinnik, and thanks for adding your information. Every little bit helps! Now, if only we can help our friend Bry figure out how to stop the noise when he's not using that Magnum, eh?
 
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Anonymous

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Sm, here is a picture of one of the two drains

Don't laugh, I made it myself

The problem is if I take off the piece of cap on the top, and then turn the canister filter off, the water will swirl around in a circle until it makes a sucking noise. I just put the caps on, but they are coming off as they keep the surface water from draining into the sump. So, without the extra flow from the canister to make the surface turbulent, I have noise. Actually, I may replace the canister with an external pump and have a closed loop, but for now I am keeping it without a filter in it.

Thanks for the help

and please don't tell me I should of built an overflow box, I know I know, but its all glued together.

Bryan
 

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Anonymous

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Well, Bry, I don't think it's the worst thing in the world to keep the Magnum filter running, myself. Just take care as to what you fill it with, eh?
 

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