Cyano outbreaks in the RSM?

[bryceK]

I am fighting a cyano outbreak in my RSM again and don't know what to do.
I had this problem a few months ago and got the red slime remover by ultralife which seemed to work after two doses. After that I had set up a refugium and things had been fine for a while and now I have it all again. I tested my water and all parameters check out OK. The only thing I haven't checked is my RO water. I ordered a TDS meter but it still hasn't arrived(another topic for later) I think my filters need to be replaced but instead of doing all of that I am just waiting until 1 Oct when I get my bonus money and I am going to buy a new larger RO/DI system.
I did dose with the red slime remover the other night and forgot to tell my wife who decided the next morning to get out the turkey baster and net and got all of the cyano she could get out of the tank. So I don't know if it did any good or not. Now I don't know whether to dose again or just wait and see??

 

[Snelly40]

my dad has a RSM too and is getting cyano. I had him add another powerhead and he pointed it the opposite way of the other ph's to create more flow and fluzuation.
Cyano happens alot due to poor flow

 

[bryceK]

Thanks Snelly, I have a korali powerhead on the right side of my RSM to help with water flow also with having my refugium the water changes over about 10 times an hour. This is why it is so frustrating for me.

 

[LaurentSeattle]

Almost all RSM owners consider that is not enough circulation in the RSM. Almost everybody has added an additional powerhead, usually a Koralia #2 or #3, placed on the right side of the tank.

Edit: Ooops. Next time, I will refresh the page before posting...

 

[BigAl07]

10x an hour is on the low side of things.

Actually the wife did GREAT by using the turkey baster and getting it out. That's a KEY factor for now and long term removal. You want to remove it and anything that's "bound" inside of it out of the system for good.

Low flow, excess nutrients together provide a great atmosphere for this junk to break out. Just be careful "Dosing" for it rather than fixing the problem. You'll end up dosing from now on.

 

[cbrownfish]

^ What Al said!

 

[bryceK]

Thanks everyone I am trying to work it all out. I have had this problem in the past. I had a goby go "missing" a few months ago and then noticed that was when the breakouts started I ended up removing all of my rock and using a shovel sifted the sand and found a gooey mess with bones that I can assume was the goby after doing that and a few water changes and getting my refugium up and running everything was fine for a while. I bought my refugium in a whole kit the original pump they sent with the set up would pump the refugium dry in about 10 minutes so I started using a smaller pump so that the lifereef overflow box could keep up, that is where I got the idea of changing over the water about 10 times an hour. 34g+10g refugium, overflow box and return pump around 400gph.

 

[bryceK]

Well the cyano seems to be gone for now. However now I have green hair algae growing all over my rock. It almost seems to me like the tank is cycling?

 

[slakker]

Not for cyano, but for most other algae, I find the blue tuxedo urchin does an amazing job grazing the stuff... I have 2, 1 in my main and another in my 14G Biocube and they're doing a great job. Once my RSM cycles, I'll be adding one to it.

 

[jb673]

Sir;
With evaporation, just make sure you always use ro/di water to top off. About 2 months ago, I had the same cyno problem when adding distilled water. Cyno disappeared 10 days when topping with ro/di water.
Best of Luck-Jerry

 

[jb673]

Sir;
With evaporation, just make sure you always use ro/di water to top off. About 2 months ago, I had the same cyno problem when adding distilled water. Cyno disappeared 10 days when topping with ro/di water.
Best of Luck-Jerry:smoking:

 

[slakker]

Pure distilled should be better than RO/DI, no?

 

[Reefmack]

slakker - I would also think so. Theoretically, distilled should be only the H2O molecule in its purest form, but maybe distillation practices can vary, and can allow some contaminants in during the process or storage and bottling?

 

[LPSLuver]

Technically speaking there is no way to get purer water than through an RO/DI system. Distilled water is good...better than "purified water" or DI water but the best bet is RO/DI.

Brycek...you need to increase the turnover rate in your display tank to at least 20X to have good enough turnover for a reef tank. Many reef tanks are in excess of 30X. The turnover you have now (that you mentioned in your post) is mostly the turnover within your sump. This actually may be too high for what the sump is in place for, nutrient removal. I have the same type of set up and unless your Overflow is directly supplied and returned to your display (and not the rear compartment) you cannot reliably say what your turnover is.

If I recall the RSM specs correctly then the RSM pumps turnover the display 10X. If you've added a Koralia then that adds to the turnover too but IMO the water going through the sump does not directly count into the display turnover rate.

I would keep up with water changes, increase the flow in the display with an additional or bigger powerhead and consider cutting back on your feedings or changing the type of food you use (flake is known to be high in phosphates).

One thing to consider...if you have hair algae you have phosphates regardless of what the test kits say. The algae uses it before you can measure it. Water changes and good growth of macro algae in your fuge will help with this too.

 

[BigAl07]

Good information and rock solid LPSLuver.

 

[slakker]

Technically speaking there is no way to get purer water than through an RO/DI system. Distilled water is good...better than "purified water" or DI water but the best bet is RO/DI.

Do you mean practically or technically? I use to work in a lab in my undergrad years and the double glass distiller we used to get pure water was the only "pure" water acceptable for use in the lab. As I understand it, any molecules/substances smaller that the RO filter membrane will be in the water. Where as only substances in the water that can evaporate will be collected in a distiller. I know it's not practical for anyone to have access to lab grade distilled water though...

It's not that important an issue as I use RO/DI myself, but just wanted to know.

 

[BigAl07]

Both leave a margin of error to factor in.

Honestly on this point it's like splitting hairs isn't it?

 

[LPSLuver]

Do you mean practically or technically? I use to work in a lab in my undergrad years and the double glass distiller we used to get pure water was the only "pure" water acceptable for use in the lab. As I understand it, any molecules/substances smaller that the RO filter membrane will be in the water. Where as only substances in the water that can evaporate will be collected in a distiller. I know it's not practical for anyone to have access to lab grade distilled water though...

It's not that important an issue as I use RO/DI myself, but just wanted to know.

I was speaking of "technically". The purest water needs to be used for DNA replication (DNA analysis). A technology called PCR (Polymerase Chain Reaction) takes bits of DNA, splits it and then creates the matching opposite side, thus generating strands of DNA (`tis what they used in "Jurassic Park" ). This techology requires the purest water, 18.2 megaohm water (also called PCR Quality water), which I believe can only be made through the top of the line RO/DI units (Millipore/MilliQ systems and the likes).

It is splitting hairs in our context though.

 

[Reefmack]

LPSLuver - any idea on what kind of flow should go through a refugium? That was one reason I decided on the MJ1800 for a return pump, so that I could adjust the flow. Slow flow is better than fast I assume?

 

[LPSLuver]

I am not aware of a rule of thumb but slower is better than faster if you have a protein skimmer and other types of filtration. It increases contact time and therefore increases the efficiency.


If I remember the number I've read correctly it is between 300 and 400 gph. (I just researched and saw 3-5x the display size which I think is for larger tanks and is on the low side for our tanks).

I have a Mag 5 which is 500gph at 0 head and at our height plus a couple of 90's I am prolly running around 275 to 300 gph.