Cyano in refugium

[prime311]

Is it worthwhile to try to get rid of Cyano in my refugium or should I just leave it there to feed off whatever Nitrates+Phos that is helping it thrive in the first place? I probably could make changes to my water flow or lighting to at least reduce it, but I wonder if that would actually do more harm then good. Also in the fuge right now is some Chaeto and various hermit crabs and snails.

[Aquarist007]

I had really problems leaving it in there--it eventually overtook the live rock and killed alot of algae off of it
Cut the lights for three days and put a power head in the refugium and it should be gone

[prime311]

Think it'll be ok to go light less for 3 days with the Chaeto in there?

[Aquarist007]

<a href=showthread.php?s=&postid=12668967#post12668967 target=_blank>Originally posted</a> by prime311
Think it'll be ok to go light less for 3 days with the Chaeto in there?

the key is to get some more flow through there too;) ;)

[prime311]

Ya the flow is no prob. I have an extra powerhead and I can also open up the ball valve that sends water to the fuge a bit more.

[Aquarist007]

<a href=showthread.php?s=&postid=12669336#post12669336 target=_blank>Originally posted</a> by prime311
Ya the flow is no prob. I have an extra powerhead and I can also open up the ball valve that sends water to the fuge a bit more.

I do this on a regular basis now--every three weeks or so increase the flow through the refugium--the chaeto tends to attract alot of crap as it gets denser. This cleans it out and lets the protein skimmer take care of it plus gives a nice feed of copopods to the main tank.
Since I have been doing this the cyano has not come back:smokin:

there is a lot of tips etc on this thread:

http://www.reefcentral.com/forums/showthread.php?s=&threadid=1349443

[prime311]

Great, thanks. :) Still unsure of the Chaeto light thing though, should I keep lights off with the Chaeto in there?

[jvr1102]

Put the chaeto in a mesh bag and hang it in your tank. had the same problem someone told me do that and its taken care of

[prime311]

Ok at the risk of sounding like an idiot, do you mean keep it in my DT while I'm getting rid of my Cyano? This makes sense to me.

[connpatd]

What size powerhead is good for a fuge?

Also, how do you keep the chaeto or other algaes from clogging the intake to the powerhead?

My Chaeto keeps dying off becasue it doesn't seem to get enough flow to feed it. It doesn't tumble either, usually just sitting on the bottom.

[rjsilvers]

<a href=showthread.php?s=&postid=12669408#post12669408 target=_blank>Originally posted</a> by prime311
Great, thanks. :) Still unsure of the Chaeto light thing though, should I keep lights off with the Chaeto in there?

I've had the lights off in my fuge for about 2 weeks one time and the chaeto didn't seem to mind at all. It didn't grow. It didn't shrink.

All the cyano disappeared though. It's a really good idea.

[Aquarist007]

<a href=showthread.php?s=&postid=12671662#post12671662 target=_blank>Originally posted</a> by rjsilvers
I've had the lights off in my fuge for about 2 weeks one time and the chaeto didn't seem to mind at all. It didn't grow. It didn't shrink.

All the cyano disappeared though. It's a really good idea.

I agree just keep the cheato in the fuge while the lights are out

I have mailed cheato to other reefers just in a baggey and it has taken 4 days to arrive--healthy and ready to grow;)

[Aquarist007]

I picked up these for a buck in the dollar store to use in my macro algae/mangrove refugium---I didn't want the cheato to overtake other forms of macro algae that I was trying to grow
They would work equally well in your display tank to keep it together and out of reach of power head etc

I repeat this is a second refugium not my display tank as someone asked in another thread LOL

http://i142.photobucket.com/albums/r107/reefescapetangster/capn_hylinur/IMG_1126.jpg

[jcjule]

Syphon it out... I have problems with cyano as we speak...
I left it in the tank ......1 week ........ done..... took the sand and was starting to take the rocks
I'm removing 5 - 10 g daily with a 1/4" hose until i have it under control

I read a thread a few day ago that this was the safest natural way to get rid of it

[prime311]

Ya I don't have problems with Cyano in my DT. And my fuge is under my stand in such a way that i can't really reach it with a vacuum to siphon it(altho I could use a shop vac :D ). Its all good though, I turned the flow up a bit and I'm leaving the lights off for now. The hermits down there will just have to be cave dwellers for awhile. BTW awesome looking fuge cap'n. I'd love something like that but I have limited room to work with in my stand and having anything outside is too aesthetically displeasing for the other half.

[Aquarist007]

<a href=showthread.php?s=&postid=12674063#post12674063 target=_blank>Originally posted</a> by jcjule
Syphon it out... I have problems with cyano as we speak...
I left it in the tank ......1 week ........ done..... took the sand and was starting to take the rocks
I'm removing 5 - 10 g daily with a 1/4" hose until i have it under control

I read a thread a few day ago that this was the safest natural way to get rid of it

actually the best way to get rid of it is to find the cause of it--usually poor flow and or overfeeding--take away its source of nutrients and it will fade away;)

[prime311]

I couldn't agree more. I've been battling a phosphate problem for a little while and I'm sure it attributed to the cyano in my fuge. My ro/di isn't clearing all of it out of my water and when I cycled I was ghost feeding flake food and I totally overdid it. It's getting under control now, but at one point it was higher then the test kit would go.

[Aquarist007]

<a href=showthread.php?s=&postid=12674591#post12674591 target=_blank>Originally posted</a> by prime311
Ya I don't have problems with Cyano in my DT. And my fuge is under my stand in such a way that i can't really reach it with a vacuum to siphon it(altho I could use a shop vac :D ). Its all good though, I turned the flow up a bit and I'm leaving the lights off for now. The hermits down there will just have to be cave dwellers for awhile. BTW awesome looking fuge cap'n. I'd love something like that but I have limited room to work with in my stand and having anything outside is too aesthetically displeasing for the other half.

thanks--that refug is in the basement--I wouldn't get away with it upstairs either. It cost me 1400 bucks extra for a cheery wood cabinet,stand and canopy just so I could use "her" room for the display tank LOL

you will find the increase flow takes it away and you won't have to siphon it
I don't siphon the sand bed==rather use a turkey baster once a week and light baste just the surface area of the substrate and the reef rock. It gets the stuff the cyano is living on back into the water column where it can be filtered off

[prime311]

Basement fuge is the wave of the future. And by future I mean mine, when I get a new house, and can put a DT on the first floor instead of the finished part of my basement. :p

[Aquarist007]

<a href=showthread.php?s=&postid=12674864#post12674864 target=_blank>Originally posted</a> by prime311
Basement fuge is the wave of the future. And by future I mean mine, when I get a new house, and can put a DT on the first floor instead of the finished part of my basement. :p

you might want to tuck this thread away then for future ideas

http://www.reefcentral.com/forums/showthread.php?s=&threadid=1349443