cyno outbreak

[lil_fishey]

i just started a 20 L with 20T sump and now i have a cyno outbreak would more frequent w/c s help it has been up for one week yesterday with a few small w/c's using ro water only no fish no corals and only a few peices of LR

[WendyMc]

Hey, I feel your pain. It's likely the outbreak is the result of the dieoff in the liverock. Although it doesn't seem like it at the time, these things do pass. What are your params, & do you have really good water surface disruption? Do you have a fuge &/or a skimmer? Water changes prolly won't hurt, as long as you're sure the cause is only the normal cycle, & not a lack of aeration/circulation (obviously it's not overfeeding/overstocking). I wouldn't start the wc's until you're into the nitrate spike - make sure you have no detectible ammonia & nitrite. It's hard to accept the ugliness that has to happen to build up enough beneficial bacteria.

[steelhealr]

Hi...I did a small post on it and it got pinned. Hope it helps. SH

http://www.fishforums.net/index.php?showtopic=93611

[taku]

are you using tap water?

[fishman805]

Are you sure it's cyano and not diatoms..??? IMO it's too early in the cycle for cyano ..... What color is it..??? If it's brown, it's diatoms if it's got a red tinge to it, it's cyano

Bob

[lil_fishey]

yep i just looked it up its diatoms im a newbie :D :P me and my dad just went to get a clean up crew

[WendyMc]

hehe, good catch, Bob. The thought didn't even cross my mind that it would make more sense for it to be diatoms :spin2: Good news, they're alot easier to keep in check than cyano.

Don't worry, you still might get to have that cyano take over! I've seen black stuff that looked just like the red, but I haven't researched if it really is cyano, too. It looks like it & feels like it, so I just assumed. The 1st year is so much fun...