Cyano and how to get rid of it...

nanoreefing4fun

Well-Known Member
RS STAFF
Yes it won't hurt your corals to go a few days without lights... or you can cut your lights back to 4 hours a day for 5 days, this will really help too.
 

theplantman

Active Member
Would I be able to go lights out with an anenome in my tank?

I would use the method nano is referencing and cut back to 4 hours for a week or so. Also as stated above, find the source, poor flow in areas, excess nutrients from over feeding, stocking or from the food itself. Cleanup crew may be too small, etc... One thing I have noticed a lot, most people tend to test for ammonia, nitrites and nitrates, but rarely do you see posts about phosphates when parameters are posted and these can be one of the biggest instigators of algae outbreaks. (A lot of commercially available fish foods contain phosphates)

Good luck!
 

slfcaptain

Active Member
I am resurecting this thread again. I just started a blackout and my NO3 and PO4 are both zero. As the cyano dies out and is no longer uptaking these nutrients can I expect NO3 and PO4 to rise?

Steve
 

whippetguy

Well-Known Member
RS STAFF
PREMIUM
I am resurecting this thread again. I just started a blackout and my NO3 and PO4 are both zero. As the cyano dies out and is no longer uptaking these nutrients can I expect NO3 and PO4 to rise?

Steve

Hey Steve, you may see a spike in nutrients so most people do a water change after the lights out period.
 

tangers

Member
I am resurecting this thread again. I just started a blackout and my NO3 and PO4 are both zero. As the cyano dies out and is no longer uptaking these nutrients can I expect NO3 and PO4 to rise?

Steve

I don't think you'll see a rise in NO3 as cyano doesn't need it to survive. e.g. people dosing carbon often have cyano outbreaks when NO3 hits zero but PO4 is still there.
 

slfcaptain

Active Member
Another question. In the original post it says to suck the cyano out and to not blow it around. I admit I have been using a turkey baster to blow it off rocks and occasionally off the sand. So I shouldn't be doing that?

The cyano is not thick enough that sucking it out is productive, its thin and whispy. So should I just leave it and let it die off or will I have to just bear with it and do my best to suck it out? If I leave it will it just fall apart and get skimmed out?
 

goma

Well-Known Member
RS STAFF
PREMIUM
You can blow it around with a turkey baster, no problem. With it blowing around it will get up in the water column and can get skimmed out. When I had it, I would blow it all up into the water column and then do a water change to get some of it out.
 

jimv

Member
Thanks for bringing this post up to the top again. I just started the blackout yesterday. I have GFO, purigen and Chemi Pure in the chamber of death but I think I'm about to pick up phosban reactor and fill it with carbon and GFO.
 

slfcaptain

Active Member
Assuming the blackout works, why does it work? Conditions after the blackout are still similar to before the blackout so why doesn't the cyano just grow back? The water chemistry can't change that much, can it?

Steve
 

nanoreefing4fun

Well-Known Member
RS STAFF
The times I have had cyano, it has always been associated with my overfeeding - I go lights out for a few days & then quit overfeeding ;)
 
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slfcaptain

Active Member
Tonight my ligths come back on but my toadstool looks sad. I haven't seen him open since yesterday morning. I hope he is ok.

Steve
 

goma

Well-Known Member
RS STAFF
PREMIUM
He will most likely be ok, he just may need some time to adjust back to the light.
 

slfcaptain

Active Member
Ok. They'll get a few hours tonight and then an extra hour each day until I get to 8 or 9 hours. I was a 9, I am wondering if moving to 8 would make a difference either way.

I tested today too.
PO4: 0.02 ppm
NO3: 0.25-0.5 ppm

So they both bumped up a bit.

Under the moonlights the tank looks clean so I am excited to see how it looks under full light.

Steve
 

jimv

Member
I'm on day 2 of 3 and I have not noticed any less Cyano yet. I hope that 3rd day makes a difference. I just ordered a Phosban reactor so hopefully that will help as well. My phosphates are a 0 according to my API kit but they must be being consumed by the Cyano. My tank is getting hot with the cover on, it has gone up from 79 to 83.
 

slfcaptain

Active Member
I'm on day 2 of 3 and I have not noticed any less Cyano yet. I hope that 3rd day makes a difference. I just ordered a Phosban reactor so hopefully that will help as well. My phosphates are a 0 according to my API kit but they must be being consumed by the Cyano. My tank is getting hot with the cover on, it has gone up from 79 to 83.

Do you have any phosphate media now? I am running GFO and purigen, I don't know if that makes a difference. But, as the cyano dies out and nutrients in the water increase then it seems that having these media is certainly goid.

Steve
 

slfcaptain

Active Member
Here is the after shot.

20130926_180840_zps15bb7b4d.jpg


Steve
 
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