darn cyano

[duke62]

hey ive been holding back on buying any new corals due to a darn cyano problem.ive checked all my parameters and everything seems to be stable.i went today to get a phos test kit but they only had a nutrafin which i know is not accurate but it shows 0 which i dont think is accurate..i run phos and carb reactors which i changed phos 2 weeks ago and carb 5 days ago.i have noticed the cyano ever since i hooked up these LED striplights around my tank.can this be the cause.i dont ever over feed and i do have a fuge with some chaeto in it but planning on getting more.any insights will be appreciated.yes i do use ro/di water and i changed filters 4 weeks ago and i put brand new bulbs in my t-5 2 months ago.i have been sucking out cyano for 3 weeks now every 3 days into a filter sock and putting my drained water back in.thanks....

 

[Tangs Rule]

Have you ever left your lights off for a full day? I had alot of cyano in my tank a few weeks back and left the lights off for 2 days and it was all gone. I know some members here do this regularly for 2 or 3 days.

 

[PolandSpring]

i knoww!!!!!i have the samee problemmm its a pain in the $@* ...I'm also holding off on corals until i get it fixed ...im actually going to follow these steps this week : http://www.manhattanreefs.com/forum/reefs-beginners/46961-cyanobacteria-primer.html

 

[PolandSpring]

yah.. i also shut my lights off for 3 days a month and a half ago and now its back even worse! Im gona siphon all the cyano out through a sock tmr then wait a couple days and do it again and then shut the lights off and do 2 big water changes within a week

 

[duke62]

well the lights going off only remedies it.i am trying to find the cause.there is no way i am overfeeding.what i may try is instead of having my lights on all together for 12 hrs.i will try 10..if that dont work i will go down to 8.

 

[PolandSpring]

it'll just slow it down,..you will still have cyano and lots of it.. just follow those steps..im gona start tmr ill tell you if it works...WIth the cyano it makes me want to get a new tank and bake my rocks and get rid of all sand and start over bc its so anoying! :*(

 

[flipit13]

it could be a season change that started it... i have noticed mine comes in around spring then middle of fall lasts about 2 weeks gone most of it stays in the sump go figure

 

[duke62]

my sump has none..it started up 2 weeks after i hooked up thoses blue LEDs im wondering if that has anything to do with it

 

[Galantra]

are you dosing anything? Also what kind of LEDS? have you tried just turning them off for a while. I would get a couple of inverts that eat cyano like black grazers and halloween hermits to help it when you have it under control. have you tried running more then recommended dose of GFO?

 

[duke62]

yes i added alittle more then recommended.dont get me wrong its not everywhere yet.its mosyly on the sand bed and back of rocks.you wouldnt even know i had a problem cause im all over it everyday.i was going to get a cuc still up in the air.i dont want to many crabs in the tank so its either some conch or the cuc.i may try anf kill those LED for a bit if people weigh in on if they may be the cause.

 

[duke62]

oh and i dose 2 part when needed

 

[Galantra]

Strange that LEDs would be the cause maybe wingo can give some insight on that. I had the same problem wasn't all that much noticeable just got some invert to do the trick. Maybe add a powerhead around that area to give more motion to see what happens?

 

[duke62]

working on powerhead.already posted in WTB :splitspin

 

[PolandSpring]

i believe that powerheads just help to spread it, because it will rip off and then float somewhere else that has less flow and stick to that rock.. i'm having the same problem, but i havn't been dosing and i am switching my lights, hopefully i will get rid of it!

 

[Avi]

I've had bouts with cyano over the years that I've had my reef, too. I had good numbers, do regular water changes, use RO/DI, run reactors but the cyano would appear from time to time. Eventually, I started to use ChemiClean when the cyano would develop. I've found it to be utterly reliable and trouble free and does the job every time. Still, I'd prefer not to use it if I didn't have to. Then, I started to elevate my alkalinity...I keep it at consistently at 11/12 and I haven't had cyano since I started to keep it that high. There might be a relationshop between the LEDs and the cyano in your case, duke, because of the coincidental appearance of the cyano, but look into the alkalinity and see if that makes a difference.

 

[wschang812]

i had a break out a couple of months ago. i turned the light off for 2 days and use rowaphos. it worked great.

 

[dabo765]

I had the same problem,bought some mexican turbos and is gone.The only problem is that the mexican turbos knock all the frag down but if you put a little bit of IC gel on them you dont have to worry about them getting knock down.

 

[sjsoto]

what is cyano? pic pls?

 

[sjsoto]

never mind... got it.. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cyanobacteria

 

[Avi]

Actually, "cyano" is a bacteria (Cyanobacteria) that is similar to algae in that it needs light and nutrients to live, soto. There are different kinds of cyano in both fresh and salt waters. And the photo you found isn't one to rely on because in a reef tank it's just about universally a deep red/purple color like you find in this photo....

http://www.fishlore.com/aquariummagazine/apr08/images/cyanobacteria-lg.jpg