What causes cyano?

[Westbery]

I have a small red patch (the size of a quarter) and also some black cyano (a lot of it all over the rocks towards the top).

I have a reactor with RowaPlus that I set up 2 weeks ago. I feed every 3 days.

1 coral beauty, 1 clownfish, 1 goby ...lots of hermit crabs, 2 fighting conchs, 3 emerald crabs, cleaner shrimp, 3 peppermint shrimp, and a wide range of snails (ceriths, margarita, turbo, nerites etc).

I change 15g of water every other week. TDS testing at 0 for top off water. Other parameters seem fine.

Bought new bulbs in August.

I heard cyano can develop in areas of low flow...however...it seems to grow even faster when I point my two K3 at it.

[jarrett shark]

Low flow, no rodi, over feeding, phosppates
looking into special blend

[TBall]

I have a small red patch (the size of a quarter) and also some black cyano (a lot of it all over the rocks towards the top).

I have a reactor with RowaPlus that I set up 2 weeks ago. I feed every 3 days.

1 coral beauty, 1 clownfish, 1 goby ...lots of hermit crabs, 2 fighting conchs, 3 emerald crabs, cleaner shrimp, 3 peppermint shrimp, and a wide range of snails (ceriths, margarita, turbo, nerites etc).

I change 15g of water every other week. TDS testing at 0 for top off water. Other parameters seem fine.

Bought new bulbs in August.

I heard cyano can develop in areas of low flow...however...it seems to grow even faster when I point my two K3 at it.

call me crazy but that looks like coralline growth in your pictures unless im missing something

[greech]

call me crazy but that looks like coralline growth in your pictures unless im missing something

I agree. There is some algae on that pic of the rock but I don't see any cyano.

[Lynnmw1208]

same here. I don't see any cyano.

[Sk8r]

To answer your question theoretically, cyanobacteria pop up now and again: google them and read, and just don't panic if you get the stuff. If there's a tank in the universe that hasn't, it's a wonder.
A, by the photos, it doesn't much look as if you have it, unless it's on the sand here and there.
b. the only thing we can deprive it of it can't do without is light. Turning out lights for 3 days once a month and skimming efficiently are the best cures once it does occur---and I'm not sure it has, here.

[rocride]

does a 'blackout' for tanks for dealing with unwanted algae have any effect on the livestock,is it stressful for the fish? i'm sure they would be ok as far as feeding goes.

and maybe if someone with some knowledge or experience can chime in on what a blackout can do,would it help with GHA too? ...would a 3 day blackout only kill off a small cyno/gha outbreak?...does anyone regularly do a blackout,once a month?,six months?

thx

RR

[TBall]

does a 'blackout' for tanks for dealing with unwanted algae have any effect on the livestock,is it stressful for the fish? i'm sure they would be ok as far as feeding goes.

and maybe if someone with some knowledge or experience can chime in on what a blackout can do,would it help with GHA too? ...would a 3 day blackout only kill off a small cyno/gha outbreak?...does anyone regularly do a blackout,once a month?,six months?

thx

RR

Your absolute best bet is to get a phosphate reactor. It kills any chance of HA. It was the best thing I ever did besides getting a big skimmer.

[sedor]

Blackouts are perfectly safe. In the wild there will sometimes be weeks that pass by where the weather is overcast and a lot less sun is getting down into the ocean. The fish actually don't care at all, but corals don't like to go a whole lot longer than 3 or 4 days. You could do it monthly, bi-annually whatever, it doesn't really matter,

[reeftanknewbie]

I never tried the blackout period as I have heard mixed reviews about it. What I just recently tried was reducing my tank maintenance from 5 gallon weekly water changes to 5 gallon bi-weekly water changes. On a weekly basis I would siphon out 5 gallons of tank water along with any cyno from my rocks and sand. The water I siphoned out was strained through a coffee filter to remove any of the cyno and returned to the tank. This worked very well for me.

[rocride]

Your absolute best bet is to get a phosphate reactor. It kills any chance of HA. It was the best thing I ever did besides getting a big skimmer.

and run rowaphos? or what do you recomend as far as media brand?
I am in the midst of a new system set-up and plan on having a refugium with dsb and chaeto,I am planing on running rowaphos in a tlf 150,I also have bio-pellets run on my old system,should i run them too? ...


Blackouts are perfectly safe. In the wild there will sometimes be weeks that pass by where the weather is overcast and a lot less sun is getting down into the ocean. The fish actually don't care at all, but corals don't like to go a whole lot longer than 3 or 4 days. You could do it monthly, bi-annually whatever, it doesn't really matter,

that makes sense,thanks,sounds perfectly safe


I never tried the blackout period as I have heard mixed reviews about it. What I just recently tried was reducing my tank maintenance from 5 gallon weekly water changes to 5 gallon bi-weekly water changes. On a weekly basis I would siphon out 5 gallons of tank water along with any cyno from my rocks and sand. The water I siphoned out was strained through a coffee filter to remove any of the cyno and returned to the tank. This worked very well for me.

any info. on the mixed reviews?...
i actually saw a thread the other day where someone built a system for doing what you are describing,they set up a small pump with the suction end being a hose with rigid attached for syphonining and the return ran back to the tank through another hose into a 2l pop bottle filled with filter media,a closed loop diy filter,i'm thinking small particulate of unwanted algae would still get through but would be great for deitrus etc,the coffee filter would be better for smaller stuff.

thx

RR

[Nemo8710]

Excess nutirents will also cause a outbreak. IE bad ro/di feeding heavy no2 no3

[jasonrp104]

Blackouts do work but they are a bandaid. They'll make the cyano disapear but it will come back until the problem is solved. Alot of the negatives you hear about blackouts are from people using them for things other than cyano.

The whole "low flow being a cause" thing is kind of tricky, IMO. I've had the stuff growing on a k3 before so there are other factors. Turbo snails, manual removal during WC, and GFO got rid of it for me. I'm kind of destined to battle the stuff since I like to feed my tank often.

That said, you don't seem to have much of a problem anyways.

[Michael]

The whole "low flow being a cause" thing is kind of tricky, IMO. I've had the stuff growing on a k3 before so there are other factors. .

yep totally correct, flow alone wont help, seriously it wont, nutrient free water and a mature tank will rid it imo

[julie180]

It sure looks like coralline to me.

[TBall]

[QUOTE=rocride;17669076]and run rowaphos? or what do you recomend as far as media brand?
I am in the midst of a new system set-up and plan on having a refugium with dsb and chaeto,I am planing on running rowaphos in a tlf 150,I also have bio-pellets run on my old system,should i run them too? ...

Well im not sure i can get in trouble for posting what brand to recommend. Im sure rowaphos is good but I bought phosban and the reactor is made by the same company as phosban. You can look it up online. Read some reviews on both brands and see which one you like.

[xlayedoutx]

I see the cyano in the first two pictures, only because I have it as well.

Tank 53g Shallow 48Lx15Wx17T
Flow- MP20 and MP40
Lights- Brand new 5 bulb retro T-5 with New ATI bulbs
Phosphate Reacter with Rowaphos
Phosphate filter pad in sump along with polyfiber, nitrate and carbon pads. Changed every 2 weeks.
5 gal water changes every two weeks.
Just had my water tested Thursday 2 different places useing 2 different kits. No phosphates or low enough to not show up on tests, and 1-3 nitrates. Everything else is in check as well. Still getting cyano though.