Cyano question

[ChrisB]

What exactly does cyano do to a tank that is harmful?

Lets say if it were in a fuge or sump? Where interferring with corals was not an issue and looks didn't matter? What would it harm? What does it do/eat?

[boxfishpooalot]

Cyano does nothing to harm the water chemistry. Infact it improves it. Reduceing P,N and metals like iron , zinc ect. But need to remove it to remove the metals and P,N. There is a possiblity that it can add a toxin depending on the species growing. But that kind is associated with red tide.

It can be a bad eye sore, and is an indicator or high phosphates, especially coming from your sandbed. Also indicates that H2S is slowly being pumped out from the sandbed. Its also an indicator that the water flow is not replicating a sps crest. Cyano can not grow very well in high flow. In nature it occurs in the seagrass zone. Very seldom can it attach to the crest where nothing, not even sand stays put. Having cyano also tells me you have a sand bed. They love sand beds :)

It eats phosphates, nitrates, ammonia, nitrite, iron, zinc, copper ect. O and light.

[Im14abeer]

The main problem with cyano is it's unsightly. It is one of the lowest forms of life on the planet. The ability to keep cyano is not exactly the pinnacle of the hobby. In general, it appears in environments that are not sufficient to support more desirable life. As far as what it "eats", it eats nitrate, phosphate, and light, among various trace nutirents. It comes and goes in some tanks, and in others it is a veritable plague. It could harm anything it can cover, and it can cover alot of ground quick, if the conditions are right (wrong.)

[ChrisB]

One reason I was wondering was because I was allowed to tour a local educational facility this past weekend.

The have a 3000 gallon saltwater system (several tanks connected). Most tanks are in great shape with no cyano or bryopsis(sp?), but one tank in particular(approx. 60 cube) had an inch layer of cyano and bryopsis mixed on 3 sides and some in the sand. There wasn't anything else in the tank except for a few urchins and PODS.
TONS AND TONS OF various PODS. OMG, I have never seen anything like it. They were swarming over everything. In and out of the cyano and literally covered the urchins.
There was slight evidence of pods in other tanks, but nothing like this one. The flow did appear to be low, and maybe with no predators, the pods are allowed to flourish. Dunno, but it was amazing.
I thought maybe the cyano had somehow contributed to this. ???
They seemed to love it. Also, there were lots of bristleworms coming in and out of the sand all over the place. This was like a dream fuge to me, with nothing but cyano and hair algae? lol

[boxfishpooalot]

So the coral system is cyano free but yet there is a 60gallon that is connected to the same system with an inch of cyano? Thats pretty interesting.

[ChrisB]

Yeah, they are all connected.
The whole set up is pretty amazing. It was built by the same people that build the Tennesee Aquarium in Chattanooga. One tank is probably a 1500 gallon lagoon sitting on the floor. It has a ball of chaeto that is probably 7 feet long and at least a couple of feet in diameter. They have a rakle that they use to turn it periodically, lol. Sadly though, some majano was introduced to the lagoon and TOOK IT OVER( a pitiful small patch of gsp still hanging in there)
They also have another large tank (4X8?)that is solid ulva and one huge mangrove growing up through the ulva. The rest of the tanks are coral tanks and a couple of FOWLRs and crab tanks.

I didnt really understand why the cyano only grew in some of the tanks and not all. Maybe a flow issue. Cool place though.

[webbstock]

Could it be that the 60 cube's water outflow was passed through a UV filter before going to the other tanks. I've read about people allowing their sump to become an aiptasia haven (which gives great filtation) but then protect the rest of the tank with by using a UV filter on the sump return...

[jwinn]

I like getting it out of my tank with chemiclean