cyano... again

[Chap]

We cannot seem to beat the cyano in our system. Tried chemi clean once but the cyano came right back. It's only appearing in the 125. We feed once a day, sparingly, and feed the corals every 3-4 days with cyclop-eze. Here are our specs:
180 and 125 plumbed through a single 60 gal sump.
ASM G4 skimmer
Korallin 1502 calc reactor
approx 1.5" sand bed in both tanks
no ls in sump just lr and cheato
3 filter socks replaced every 4 days
sump lighted 24/7
180 (8 mo reef, was FO for 1 year ):
250lbs lr
mixed sps and lps
8 fish (Naso Tang and Blue Jaw Trigger the biggest)
3 400w 14k MH
2 160w VHO (all bulbs less than 3 mo old)
Iwaki 40rlxt main return pump w/ eductors
Gen X Mak 4 closed loop w/ eductors
2 MJ 1200's
125(1.5 years)
150lbs lr in 125
mixed sps and lps
8 fish (yellow Tang and CBB the largest)
3 250w MH 20k (all bulbs also less than 3 mo old)
1 160w VHO
Sen 1200 main return w/ eductor
Tunze 6080
lighting schedule for both tanks:
VHO's on for 12 hours
MH's on for 10 hours
tests
nitrite 0
nitrate 0
ammo 0
Phosp undetectable by home kit and lfs
SG 1.026
temp 80°
RO water 8 TDS (down from 400+)

40-50 gal water changes every 2 weeks with NSW. Today I cut back the lighting period on the MH's to 4 hours. I also will start doing weekly 50 gal water changes. What else have we overlooked? What else can we do? Sorry for the long post and thanks for any help.

[Chap]

did I give too much info? Too much to read?

Bump

[ufans]

1.5in LS doesn't sounds like enough to create an adaquate home for the good bateria and other micro-animals to grow and thus the LS probably isn't being adaquately cleaned or turned over. I am assuming that the cyano is mainly on the sand or low part of the tank. That is where water movement is the smallest and thus allows excess nutrients to sit and feed bateria. IMO if the tank is less than 1.5-2 years old then you should probably help to turn over the sand weekly to prevent nutrient build-up in the sand. The turning of the sand can produce a small cloud of nutrients in the water that will either be eaten by the corals or filtered out by the PS.

IMHO, something is always needed to help keep the nutrients from building up on the bottom of the tank. In FO tanks, underground filters do this, but they aren't used in salt/reef tanks. Instead, LS, citters, and aggressive aggitation through powerheads is the alternative. As the LS becomes more productive over the years then the less you will have to suppliment the aggitation or manual removal of nutrient buildup.

The important thing is to keep the bateria from taking hold over live rock or corals. If that is happening then you have more of a nutirent saturation problem in your water which should be prevent through good protein skimming. The only limitation with protien skimming is that it only cleans the water and if the nutrients are precipiated onto the sand or rock then you need to help it or get critters to eat it.

just my opinion.
UFANS

[ufans]

BTW... chemi-clean isn't the answer... Chemi-clean will kill a lot of the things that helps prevent cyano in the first place, so while you might be eliminating the cyano for the short term you will also be eliminating the natural preditors which just emphasizes your dependence on artifical extraction. Chemi-pure & regular carbon is a safe alternative to harsh anti-biotics.

[Dubbin1]

Suck out as much as you can with a turkey baster and add flow to the affected area along with you shorter lighting period.

[Bojan]

During the cycling my new 130 g. aquarium, I also had problem with

Rote Schmieralgen, Red Slime Algae, Cyanobacteria

I had Cyanobacteria , 5 weeks after I started aquarium and I removed them with product Antired, Aqua Medic

Actually I removed my old tank rocks, fish and invertibrates in new tank.

There are pictures of Cyanobacteria, which I had 11 months ago, 5 5 weeks after I started aquarium.

in the morning;



in the afternoon



I also wrote an article, but it written only in Slovenien language

I will translate the most important data form my article.

In the manual of the AntiRed it is written, that this product
1.)eliminate Red Slime Algae
2.)it is safe for invertibrates,
3.)promote macro algae growth

First one , that eliminate Red Slime Algae , it is complety true

Second one , that is safe for invertibrates, it is party true

I dosed AntiRed exacty according to instructions, so I dosed 50 ml and after 4 hours additional 50 ml for 120 gal. tank water.

Skimmer have to be used and have to be on max.

After dosing of AntiRed aquarium water is brownish and skimate is very dense and orange. I didn t found out, is this orange color result of died algae or AntiRed.

Active carbon have not to be used.

After two days Red Slime Algae was been eliminated completly, Caulerpa in the sump started to grow very quickly.


Side effects

AntiRed product or died Red Slime Algae had the following efects on the invertibrates.

Tridacna clam got very strange form. After 4 days got normal form back again.



All SPS (Acropora, Seriatopora ) hide polips and opened again after two days.

Fortunately, I didn t lose any fish, clam or coral and I removed all Red Slime Algae , but you have to be very carefull , if you will decide to use that product.

[thrlride]

I have noticed that low flow will cause this, excess nutrients and also a low alkalinity/calcium balance will help this grow too. Like already said, chemiclean is just a patch, not the final answer.

Siphon it out regularly and add more flow.