Welcome to Reef Sanctuary Tally
If you don't have an ro/di unit, get one
... If you already have one, check the output for po4; it may be time to change the filters.
Export/vacuum the cyno out, add a phospate absorbing media (polyfilters, phosban, or rowaphos are all good). I use Polyfilters. Also, reduce feedings and the photo period for several days (you can even turn the lights off).
http://reefsources.itgo.com/features...s/cyanora.html Quote:
In summary, there are several things that you can do to rid your tank of nuisance algae, and most of them are probably good ideas anyway. Listed below is a recap of those items:
- Protein skimming
- Maintenance animals
- Increased flow
- Feed lightly
- Vacuum substrate or bottom
- Harvest algae
- Stop adding supplements
- Regular water changes
- Use RO/DI water
- Top-off with Kalkwasser
- Regular bulb changes
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Quote:
| The primary requirements Cyanobacteria needs to thrive are lighting, nitrogen, phosphates, and relatively calm water. As I have mentioned earlier, cyanobacteria doesn’t require a lot of light, however it tends to thrive under a slightly redder spectrum then any other kind of light. So as your bulb get older and change spectrums, cyanobacteria will have a better chance of getting a hold in your tank. If you find the you are having cyanobacteria outbreaks at similar intervals…around 8-10 months at a time, chances are it’s your lighting that is to blame and your bulbs should be replaced.
Nitrogen is a very difficult factor to control in a tank as it is constantly produced and converted into many forms such as ammonia, nitrite, nitrate, and nitrogen gas. Cyanobacteria has the ability to fix or hold onto nitrogen compounds so even if you can’t measure the nitrogen in the tank, chances are there will always be enough for the cyanobacteria to grow. Having said that, it is still important to reduce the amount of nitrogen compounds and nutrients in your tank. You can do this with a good protein skimmer, regular water changes and responsible feedings.
High levels of phosphates are probably the most common cause of cyanobacteria outbreaks in a tank. A few ways it can be introduced through water change using tap water or well water or plain RO water (phosphates are removed during the DI process not the RO unit), food (especially flake food), through poor quality salt mixes, or putting your hands in the tank after washing with soap and water. There are products on the market that are available to safely remove phosphates from the water. One of the best products available is a polyfilter. They not only good at removing phosphate but help remove heavy metals like cooper as well. |