Need help/advice with Cyno problem..

T

Tag

The system is 80 gallon with approx 35 gallon sump w/ cheato 16 months old - Cyno started about 2 months ago.

Using R/O water/making my own saltwater 1.025 - TDS @ 8 but has been like that from the beginning of the setup.

Water parms:
PH 8.15 (reaches 8.25/30 by end of day)
Alk 9.3
Mag 1220 - know its low, working to bring up
Cal 420
Nitrite 0
Nitrate 5.0 (low side)
Ammonia 0
Phosphates 0


What I have done so far - no change....

Feeding
Reduced feeding last month and half: feeding frozen and straining off water. 1 cube for four fish. Don't poor it in, using a eye dropper a little @ a time giving the fish time eat it before I put more in. - No change.

Skimming
Was skimming dry: began skimming wet for last month. skimmer is ASM G2. emptying cup every day/ every other day, color is a pee yellow. Four fish = low bio load. - no change.

Flow
Increased flow since last month: 1 vortech, one MJ900, and return is a Mag 9.5. Cyno is more in the back and is growing in a high flow area. corners have zoo's and shows signs of high flow, one corner where the Cyno is growing actually has a little sand tornado from all the flow and Cyno Cyno is growing around the disturbed sand from the tornado :? - no change.

Next attack is lights: could this be the issue :?:
2 175w corallife 10 bulbs - used 9 hours a day, 10 months old
2 40w NO bulbs used just for dusk/dawn affect but are also on with the halides through out the day, 1 10k, 1 actinic - used 10 hours a day, 16 months old.

I vacuum it out about every week, but its not going away - just keeps coming back (sand bed only, none on the rocks). I confused :? . Dont want to use chemicals yet.

Need help/advice, Thx
Tag
 
Lights could definitely be a factor. Change them out, one bulb each week, until you get through the rotation. Might want to reduce the photoperiod a little to help.

Oh and regarding feeding - I switch to straight mysis when I'm battling algae because it seems "cleaner" - no tiny particles/juice to feed anything other than the fish.

And keep sucking that stuff out - I fought a case of cyano a couple of years ago and found that to work in conjunction with all of the other stuff (watching parameters, lights, skimmer, etc.) and won after a couple of months.

Good luck!
 
@Ashlar wrote:
Two things.. how much chaeto do you pull out at what frequency said:
I have a 2 fishes phosban reactor, but it has never been installed. I have it just encase I ever need to run carbon.

My micro-algae history:
When I set the tank up (day one) I bought a large bag from saltwater paradise, it contained three types of algae - Chaeto, Caulerpa prolifera, and Caulerpa nummularia. The photoperiod was 24/7. The Cheato died off slowly then went dormant (refugium was packed - now half full), The Prolifera grew some but not crazy, the Nummularia on the other hand went out of control ( had to prune about every 4 day - a week). Becuase of my Cyno issue, i was concerned about my Chaeto not growing, and under some advice I was told to pick one algae and stick with it. I read a article stating that Cheato was a type of algae that would not grow, if it was not allowed to rest, on the other hand if Caulerpa was not under light 24/7 it could go sexual and release toxins. Also Caulerpa was for the more experienced reefer and NOT for the beginner. I don't know- this is just some of the stuff I have read.

All that being said - since my Cyno issue, I have removed all the Caulerpa and went with a photoperiod of 10 on and 14 off (reversing the tank - to help my PH) in a effort to get my Chaeto to grow. This has been for about a month and a half now with no noticeable difference (its like watching grass grow). This may be a issue, not sure, but my refugium light is a 28w 50/50 bulb, and have been considering getting one of the 75w bulbs like Marc uses to see if that will help.

Sorry if I seem long winded, but I'm running out of things to try.

Thanks for your help...
Tag
Click to expand...
 
Definitely get that Phosban reactor hooked up - and use the Phosban type of media instead of carbon. I've read - and someone please chime in if you know more for sure - that chaeto growth in actually inhibited by high phosphates and that most hobbyists don't know that.

Also, I've read or someone told me to not just put in the full amount of Phosban media right away or it can affect your SPS - I think it was a speaker at NextWave last year, actually.

Just thoughts for this discussion.
 
Misty, I think that referred to aluminum based media causing softies to melt. No issues with the ferric oxide that I know about.

Tag, you're right on about the caulerpa- it's a better nutrient export but it does have its own dangers. I'd probably bump up the lighting to 18/6 hours, with a true daylight / gro light / 5.5kK - 6.5kK bulb.
 
Quick update:

The 50/50 fixture has been replaced with a 75w 5,500k daylight fixture, and photoperoid has been changed to 18/6. If this takes care of the Chaeto growth issue, how long should it take to see some results?

I have no detectable Phosphates... I tested yesterday, again today, and took a sample to DNA today and had them check - none detected. I should not be runnning a phosban reactor if I have no phosphates - ???correct ???


What am I missing?
Thx for the help,
Tag
 
not to be a smart ass
but i had cyno and bought chemi clean or clear
and bang it went away why not treat?
 
@chappy wrote:
not to be a smart ### but i had cyno and bought chemi clean or clear and bang it went away why not treat? said:
Thats a fair question - yes chemi-clean will remove the cyno and is a great product, but is considered to be putting a band-aid on the problem. I try to reframe using chemical in my tank if at all possible, and my tank would still be out of balance, and the likely-hood of it coming back with out fixing the problem is greater. I may have to end up using it, but I want to try and fix the underlining problem first.


Tag
Click to expand...
 
Tag,

My opinion is to run phosban and use chemiclean if everything else is not working. I did all of the some things you did and never could get it to stop. I finally used chemiclean and I have never had any problems since.
 
I'm in 24 hours with Chemi-clean and it is killing it. I have read where people have had to treat twice to remove it all. The quetion I have is - I'm going to do a water change after 48 hours. If needed do I dose again after 48 hours without the water change, or do the water change first then wait a week or so then treat again?

I am also going to load my phosban reactor with two fishes phosban and run it after this is all over.

Thanks for all your help,
Tag
 
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