*sigh* still have cyano...help!

[az]

use a python to drain your substrate with cyano when you do water change, every bit helps.

[speckledmind]

I made an interesting observation during the night ( by luck more than anything else / insomnia ), I noticed that the Cyano became lighter in color, almost transparent after the lights had been off for a while, this happened between 2 am and 4:40 am in the morning, so my deduction is that it's in good part light sensitive, if not depending on photosynthesis.

Any one else want to follow up on this, any and all comments are welcome ?

[groupie02]

I noticed that too but cutting my photo period by a couple of hours did not appear to help.

[kennyman]

Yes it is a bacteria with photosynthetic properties. It is suspected of being the first photosynthetic organism to have existed and credited with being a major contributor to creating an O2 rich atmosphere in the earths early development.

[westmeath]

I have been struggling with cyano myself but I have happened across Poly Ox. The idea here is that your reef system has too much Dissolved Organic Matter and it is acting as a fuel source for the bacteria. Red bacteria is fueled by the Organics while green is photosynthetic. Your protien skimmer removed Organics but only in a simple form that is on the surface of the water molicules. The Poly ox will oxidise, or burn for lack of a better word, the surface of the Cyano bacteria. This will also break down complex organic compounds and allow your protien skimmer to remove them. The Poly Ox is a chemical K2MnO4 ( Potassium Permanganate), you can buy it at Culligan if you need large amounts if you have a really large tank. I hope this helps.

[SuperT]

Hopefully I'm not getting off track here....but why treat the end result (especially with chemicals, sugar, booze etc)?  It took me over a year to adjust my thinking to finding the cause of the problem and eliminating it.  I suppose there are multiple ways of fixing the problem after its identified with upgraded equipment, changed water flow, scrubbers, filters, r/o water, frequent water changes, less food, less lighting, smaller photo period (I think you get the idea).  I personally think the last thing you want to do is add chemicals etc to a reef tank (especially a small one).

Terry

[Alchemist]

I second that...potassium permanganate is a pretty powerful chemical that you can use to clean old dirty aquariums but you have to rinse them thoroughly afterwards.  If you add too much your water will turn purple too.

[speckledmind]

We seem to have a common problem  
So let's fight this beats.

why treat the end result (especially with chemicals, sugar, booze etc)?
I personally think the last thing you want to do is add chemicals etc to a reef tank

This is my usual way of thinking  / doing things, and I should have followed that route, I rather treat the problem at the source, than put a patch on it.

Since I'm new at reef keeping, I did try the sugar thing, but things are getting worst, the Cyano is now creeping up on my LR in one corner of the tank, the other side is clear and has none ( never did ).

All that said.
HELP !

Here is what I have done so far ( apart from trying the sugar, of witch I have stopped ).
- I have adjusted my skimmer so it's pumping out everything it can, it's no longer producing the dry foam, but foam period, and as much as it can.
- I have also cut down on the amount of food that goes into the tank three day ago, and only feed every second day as I have been doing for over a month now.
- I also only feed frozen / thawed, no more dry foods of any kind for the last month.
- I will also follow AZ's suggestion, and vacuum the substrate tomorrow morning ( every bit helps ), as soon as the lights come on.

Any other ideas, or suggestions, don't be shy ?

[Julie]

I lost a fish about a month ago(or perhaps it is due to actinics)and am having a small outbreak of cyano on the substrate on one side of tank.
I've been vacuuming my substrate, decreasing light time and reducing food; it is helping.

[mdugly]

Any other ideas, or suggestions, don't be shy ?

Your tank is young and cyano is normal part of cycle. Different situation if 2 years old, for eg.
-extra water changes (imo, most important)
-siphon
-more flow
-time...

If not already, fully thaw and rinse that frozen food -- that frozen juice is pollution.

-mike

[Julie]

Good point on the juice; I have always defrosted my cubes, worms, bh, on a papertowel or plate, before adding to tank.
Why add pollution; only problem I'm having in the defrost; is the marine angel cube - I can't seem to separate all the particles from the paper towel.  The cyclopeeze seems to be less wasteful when I defrost simply on plate.   Some foods can be put through strainer with water, but these items are so minuscule.

[speckledmind]

Good point on the juice

Ditto

[speckledmind]

I took some pictures to document my Cyano.

The following images show what I was referring to in an earlier post, the Cyano during the day being dark and very present, then during the night ( after they had been with out light for the night, and as soon as my lights came on this morning ) to show there decrease in coloration, and them depending on photosynthesis.

The Cyano is on the right hand side ( corner ) of my tank, sitting on the substrate and on some of the live rock, it's also present in the middle in one spot.

PS : Don't pay attention to the over all colors, my flash was on and it flooded everything.

[attachment deleted by admin]

[speckledmind]

As said.
I have just vacuumed the substrate where the Cyano was present, and did my normal 10% water change to help things out, so let's see what happens.

One more Pict to document things.

[attachment deleted by admin]

[RoxyDog]

my cyano is gone.  completely.  it's only been a few days mind you, but it's not back yet.  *crossing fingers*

[charlie]

my cyano is gone.  completely.  it's only been a few days mind you, but it's not back yet.  *crossing fingers*

Good to hear , can you post your sweet receipe so i can keep it for future reference 

[speckledmind]

my cyano is gone.  completely.  it's only been a few days mind you, but it's not back yet.  *crossing fingers*

Glad to hear your tank is on the up side again Roxy.
Show some Pict's.

Have you noticed anything different in your tank, I am making reference to the before and after the Cyano issue, anything looking different, or acting different ?

To all you guys who have been in the hobby for a while and have priors with this, is there anything else we should expect during / after this Cyano issue ?
Pros and cons ?
Will we see or find anything different in our tanks ?
Any backlashes to all of this ?

Any and all help would be appreciated.

[Julie]

Good to hear , can you post your sweet receipe so i can keep it for future reference 

Oh dear, a minute on the lips is forever on the hips. 
My tank has been running 2 years now.  I had big time cyano on the 20g after setting it up.
I didn't have cyano (that I can recall) when I moved.  I have cyano again.  Must be related to nutrients, the actinics wearing out would affect the coral.

[redbelly]

When I first setup my 29g I added over 40 lbs of lr, a 175 reeflux 12k for light, one pro 3 powerhead and a seaclone 150 for a skimmer. I added a clean up crew, corals and fish almost right away. I have a thread elsewhere where i showed how the seaclone 150 just didnt cut it for me. I got a small outbreak of cyano so I upgraded to a ccs 65 (this is where i did my skimmer comparison test on these 2 skimmers). I dosed with sugar and the cyano disapeard and hasnt come back ever since.

Cyano is a natural part of the cycle but when used with a decent skimmer a dont see the harm in a small dose of sugar to help your tank through that stage. Continual outbreaks on an established system are clearly an indication of something else being wrong which should be addressed however.

I should mention that the cyano has never returned since then.

[kennyman]

If I start to get slack with the water changes and go a month without 10% I will start to show red cyano in the corners and dead spots. It is the same things as Pat's skimmer point in that poor water quality can drive the stuff.

I notice it a bit faster now that I have only one powerhead in my tank. But I think that the powerhead and flowrate is once again a water quality issue. Lower flow means accumulation of poor water in deadspots and larger envelopes of stagnant water around objects. It also means less water passing by the LR which reduces the rocks efficiency. And flowrate is not just about gph of pumps, but how the pumps move water in the tank and the power of chaotic or oscillating flow vs narrow bands of liner flow. You want all the water in the tank moving about and no jets of flow. Outside of those narrow bands of a water jet there is very little actual movement.

That has been how I have kept cyano under control in my sumpless, poorly skimed tank anyway 

As for whats next? Id say managing algal growth like bubble, hair, briopsis and Coraline. Oh and stuff like flatworms that tend to creep up on you.