Cyano...Why?

[Canadian]

I moved my tank Sept 1st. Soon after I moved it I began developing a few small patches of cyano in one corner on the sand. The patch has not receded at all up to this date despite the addition of Black Diamond carbon a week ago, a water change and reduced feeding. One of the other things I think may be a factor is that my RO membrane may have potentially ruptured during the move (will change membrane within the next couple of days).
This week I tested my water for the first time in a month only to discover that my Alk was at 2.0 meq/L and my Ca 300 mg/L! This is despite the fact that I add 20 mL of B-Ionic daily! So to attempt to solve that problem I've started dripping kalk with my topoff water at night.

Here are the particulars about my tank to help with your suggestions:

20g tank
20g sump (DSB in sump as well), Aqaclear 300 PH in sump
Currently Agressive Carbon filtration in Quickfilter in sump
6" DSB (IA Det kit added)
30 lbs LR
300w VHO
Make shift Refugium (Aquaclear 300)
2x MJ 600 PH Alternating on a Wavestrip
RIO 1700 Return from sump
Severly modified Seaclone skimmer :) (1 very top secret mod!)

Green Open Brain
Red Swolen Brain
Toadstool Leather
Colt Coral
Torch Coral
Cup Coral
Green Star Polyps
Derasa Clam
Various Mushrooms
Gorgonian (actually need help identifying it:))

2x Small Ocellaris Clowns
Purple Firefish
Magnificant Firefish
Tiny Fisheri Dwarf Angel
2x Cleaner Shrimp
Black Brittle Star
Sand Sifting Cuke
Various Snails

{I know that's a lot of fish for a small tank but it hadn't been problematic for 8 months now)

pH 8.3-8.5
alk 2.00 meq/L
Ca 300 mg/L
(Before the move Ca was always 400+ and alk was about 3.00)
SG 1.025
Temp 80-85

Whew! :D

Now what do you think?

Andrew

[Edited by Canadian on 09-25-2000 at 01:34 PM]

[Green Mariner]

Caniadian, here try this link and see if it helps!!
http://pub19.ezboard.com/fgreenmarinersboardreeffish.showMessage?topicID=25.topic
There is also a FAQ on the FAQs page of my site that should be helpful!!

[Kirk Candlish]

That's a question we'd all like an answer to, unfortunately it's still a mystery as to why it appears. Somewhere along the line you had the right combination of nutrients and conditions in your reef and so it starts.

Disturbing the sand bed certainly could contribute to it starting, particularly since that's where it it. Placing the rock differently so that there was a spot with poor circulation could have contributed as well.

Siphon it out and test for nitrates, do a water change if neccesary.

Start building alkalinity and precipiate phosphates with the KW dripped at night. As you now can see, B-ionic is not a cure, it's a buffering system, and buffering is temporary and ultimately leads to an imbalance. It's a great product, but a largely missunderstood one.

Now how you've kept that many fish in a 20 without a major crash is another thread all together.

[Canadian]

up

[Canadian]

"Round and round the mulberry bush..."