PDA

View Full Version : cyano bacteria


kennethstowell
02/13/2002, 02:55 PM
first i'm not sure who to ask about this , but does cyano bacteria(algae) feed off of phosphates, also ,say if you had an cyano outbreak and you stopped all import of it,(had to change the d/i cartridge) does the sand bed(2") slowly release phosphates for a number of months later, do the rocks also absorb and release it slowly, and if you remove the sand bed(too late i allready did this and things seem to be getting better?) would the rocks continue to release phosphates ? i changed the r/o di cart. and tested conductivity o.k. can't read anything out of whack in tank ,so i'm fighting cyano still after 2 months, removed the sand bed about a week ago things are looking better(ever since total algae out break my montipora closed, now a week after removing sand bed it is opening again?????? anyway any advice would be nice

long winded but i'm getting near the breaking point, breaking the tank that is!!!!!!!!:D

Randy Holmes-Farley
02/13/2002, 03:28 PM
Kenneth:

does cyano bacteria(algae) feed off of phosphates

Cyano and all organisms need phosphorus in some form. In the case of cyano, it presumably either gets it from inorganic phosphate or organic molecules that contain phosphorus.

Here's an article on phosphate in reef tanks:

http://www.animalnetwork.com/fish/library/articleview2.asp?Section=&RecordNo=2481


say if you had an cyano outbreak and you stopped all import of it,(had to change the d/i cartridge) does the sand bed(2") slowly release phosphates for a number of months later, do the rocks also absorb and release it slowly, and if you remove the sand bed(too late i allready did this and things seem to be getting better?) would the rocks continue to release phosphates ?

The answers to all of those questions are "It is possible". Phosphate does absorb onto calcium carbonate. Whether it does in any given cases depends upon how much phosphate the rock and sand have been exposed to in the past, etc. If the tank had very high phosphate for a while, I'd expect some on the rock and sand.

To cut off all imports, you'd have to stop all feeding.

What are you feeding?

kennethstowell
02/13/2002, 05:16 PM
I FEED FLAKE FOOD ABOUT TWICE A WEEK, 4 FISH ,ROYAL GRAMMA2", DAMSEL 1" ,DAMSEL2" SIX LINE WRASSE1.5" ALL SEEM TO BE FINE ,FAT WITH THIS FEEDING SCHEDULE, NOT EVEN A PINCH WHEN I DO FEED, I USE B-IONIC ,THATS IT! ,ONE THING THOUGH WHEN I TOOK THE SAND BED OUT I HAD SOME CLUMPING ,DON'T KNOW IF THAT MATTERS? TANK WAS FINE FOR ABOUT A YEAR THEN BAM HAIR AND CYANO EXPLOSION. I DID ADD A SECOND 175 M.H. REMOVED SOME OVERGROWN L.P.S THAT I HAD FOR ABOUT 5 YRS. ADDED SMALL SPS FRAGS THEN AN EXPLOSION OF ALGAE, WAS USING SEACHEM ,BUT LAST 3 MO. USING B-IONIC ,EASIER TO ADD

Randy Holmes-Farley
02/14/2002, 09:07 AM
Boosting the light level frequently causes algae outbreaks, at least temporarily. The increased light provides extra fuel for algae growth, and the tank will have to use up some of the available nutrients before the algae growth goes back to where it was.

Other than the lighting change, I can't see any obvious problem that would lead to sudden algae growth.

kennethstowell
02/14/2002, 09:17 AM
thanks for your time:D that article you had me check out answered a lot of ques. that i had!;)