cyano question

Curve50880 · #1 12/02/2007, 11:52 AM

Hey guys...I am having some problems with cyano. I was using tap water for awhile so I figured this was the cause. I just started using RO/DI yesturday for my water change. When should I start to see an improvement? Is there anything else that could be causing my problem? BTW my tank is a 20 gallon and I did a 4 gallon water change yesturday. My flow is pretty good as well. Thanks guys in advance!

Jpergamo · #2 12/02/2007, 11:57 AM

Its gonna take some time to start making a difference, i had the same problem for a while, just keep vacuuming the cyano out with water changes every few days and try to leave the top of the tank open if u can, i noticed that this helped a lot. Also make sure not to overfeed. Whats the livestock in the tank?

demonsp · #3 12/02/2007, 11:57 AM

This may help. But you say good flow, what is used for flow and do you know your water readings?

http://www.wetwebmedia.com/water4maruse.htm

http://www.advancedaquarist.com/2007/1/aafeature/view

Curve50880 · #4 12/02/2007, 12:33 PM

Livestock includes a pair of clowns a couple corals and my clean up crew. I feed about every other day. For flow I have a MJ900 with a hydor flo and i have a koralia 1. All together thats about 630 gph worth of flow.
Water Readings:
Temp: 76
Salinity: 1.024
PH: 7.9
Ammonia: 0
Nitrite: 0
Nitrate: 0
Calcium: 420

demonsp · #5 12/02/2007, 12:39 PM

Is the cyano in your SB ? If so what color is the SB?
Do you know the phosphate and ALK?
Do you use tap water?
Whats the water change amount and distance between changes?

Curve50880 · #6 12/02/2007, 01:12 PM

The cyano is on the SB and on the rock as well. Not sure what my phosphates are but my alk levels are at 9.8 dKh. I was using tap water for several months. Water changes were 25% once every 3 weeks. I was thinking about upping it to about 20% a week now using RO/DI.

demonsp · #7 12/02/2007, 01:15 PM

Look here.

http://www.wetwebmedia.com/water4maruse.htm

http://www.advancedaquarist.com/2007/1/aafeature/view

http://netclub.athiel.com/cyano/cyanos2.htm

adamPL · #8 12/02/2007, 01:22 PM

I have 28g, and I do 4 galons water chenges weekly using RO/DI!! I did try every 2 weeks but it started getting worst and worst ( too small system).

demonsp · #9 12/02/2007, 01:33 PM

Let your water readings help with amount and how often changes are needed. If you do 10% weekly and levels stay low then you could try 10% every other week and so on.If you have readings that 10% weekly changes dont help then you have another issue to deal with.

Curve50880 · #10 12/02/2007, 01:45 PM

what readings should i be concerned with? I know my nitrates are always very low.

Curve50880 · #11 12/02/2007, 05:03 PM

would it be a good idea to wait to add more corals until my cyano problem is resolved ?

uscharalph · #12 12/02/2007, 05:16 PM

How old are your light bulbs?

Curve50880 · #13 12/02/2007, 06:39 PM

7 month old T-5s

Curve50880 · #14 12/04/2007, 10:06 PM

Does anything eat cyano?
I read somewhere that hermit crabs do? True or not true?

demonsp · #15 12/04/2007, 10:54 PM

This might help. http://netclub.athiel.com/cyano/cyanos2.htm But the CUC help prevent but if not enough or the wrong type of CUC then they cant keep up. Also flow , overstocking , overfeeding , water source or water quality.

tmz · #16 12/04/2007, 11:02 PM

Red,green,brown slime is cynobacteria. This organism is everywhere on the planet and many believe it made life possible. It uses CO2 and light to produce the sugar it needs to live and then it uniquely takes athmospheric nitrogen and creates compounds useable by living things,including;amonia,nitrite and nitrate in sort of a reverse denitrification(cycle of life).

To control it you need to control CO2. Some advocate light control. I don't since I believe it's less stressful for the other photosynthetic organisms in your system to reduce the CO2. Also if you turn out the lights for several days and reduce the cyno,it will come roaring back when you turn the light on unless the CO2 issue is brought into balance. Balance meaning that there is enough CO2 for desireable organisms(corals ,coraline) to use without excess for the cynobacteria.
Cynobacteri outbreaks in aquariums seem to occur more frequently in the fall but I don't think that has much to do with the sun but rather the fact that many homes get less air exchange at this time of year than they had been getting during preceeding months. Since the athmospere in your aquarium equilibriates with the air,if the air around it is higher in CO2 than usual the CO2 in the tank will be higher than usual and it might take a period of time for organisms to use it up leaving the leftovers to the opportunistic cynobacteria.

There are a number of things that can be done to control CO2 before resorting to lights out or an oxidizing chemical such as Chemi Clean.
Remove waste via agressive bubbly skimming this will also blow off CO2. Remove any dead animals or rotting material( CO2 is ultimately produced in the breakdown). Improve air exchange with good flow particularly at the surface. Clean any filter media to remove decaying material. Suck out the cyno mats with a turkey baster. Puff off your rock to put decaying detrius into the water column for export by your skimmer.Likewise ,gently puff the very top of your sand ,if any. If the air in your home is high in CO2, consider running fresh outside air into your skimmer intake. Consider dripping limewater at night it uses CO2 to produce bicarbonate needed by corals.
Good Luck