Cyano: everybody gets it: how to get rid of it safely

[jhoff]

Trying this stuff it should be here in a few days.
http://www.drsfostersmith.com/produc...6&pcatid=23496

[Sammibaz]

AMAZING RESULTS!!! A++++++ idea!!! I love an all natural approach that prevents my tank from being dosed with chemicals (blahgh!). I read this entire thread and figured I had nothing to lose. Lights went out that next morning. I turned the refugium lights out too. No lights on the tank other than the natural sun light that peeks thru the shades during the day. On the second day, the cyano was gone, but I was taking no chances. THREE DAYS was the recommend and it WORKED!!! YEAH!! My fish look amazing, the corals look amazing and there is NO more cyano anywhere! My tank is sparkling. I <3 this simple and effective solution!!! THANK YOU!!! THANK YOU!!! THANK YOU!!!!!!!

[RooKi3]

For the next few days I will be trying out the blackout method as well, will be updating my results. Thanks all.

[bheron]

Sk8r - great thread and contribution to the forum! I've been battling this stuff for a long time now. Its been the single greatest challenge for me over 2 years now. I've done everything along the way and, still, seem to be battling it. I really contemplate giving up sometimes after almost 10 years in the hobby. This thread really gave me new life to continue on.

First, am I correct in that an identifier of cyano is small air bubbles? Thats the first sign in my tank.

I just got done a 3 day lights out that always helps, but only short term. I've been working on addressing a root cause of excessive nutrients and am baffled b/c I feel like I have that covered. Understanding that its just a way of natural tank life really helps. My problem is that it always seems to become so unmanageable, covering every single inch of the tank and choking out life. I feel like the way it covers the sandbed just traps nutrients in there? Its horrible. But maybe I do this systematically, on a monthly basis, I can beat it!

Second, can you expand more on the carbon source? I get lights and nutrients. Where does the carbon come from?

Lastly, I once read that too many water changes, or too new of a tank can make it worse. I once battled this with excessive WCs to help nutrient export and I swore it got worse! So I saw your comment about new tanks and wanted to ask more.


I'm sure I have more questions but once I figure this out I hope to contribute more on what I consider my greatest challenge and what has help me back from my goals in this hobby.

What a great perspective you've given us. thank you!!

[Hextall]

Just wanted to post an update. Twice I did 3-days lights out... once starting 11/24, and once starting 12/14.

After the first event, some cyano came back relatively quickly. In fact, it started to look like it was going to be just as thick in some spots (I posted some pictures in this thread, and some people said it wasn't that bad, but it looked bad to me).

So I did a second lights out event, and since that one, almost a month ago, cyano has not returned.

I don't have a skimmer in my 29g Biocube, but maybe because I didn't have as much as other people might, I could get away with not having it. My filter floss did turn lightly maroon with the die off.

It works.

[bheron]

Hextall, thats great news. I am starting my 2nd round right now. The first round did a good job. But I've also been using GFO. Figured that, with the lights off, and skimming should help alot.

[sslak]

Bearing this in mind, I'm gonna leave my cyano and just tell all my friends I'm growing dinosaurs in my tank!

Sk8r - Kidding aside - Have you ever seen anything that looks every much like cyano, but is very dark red, almost brownish/black. I have this, and texture, appearance, and where it grows acts just like cyano....but mine is WORSE when the lights are out! It burns away as the light cycle progresses, especially once my halides kick in, and it's almost gone by the time the lights turn off. Then it comes back by the next morning.

It's strange stuff.

[JerseyClowns]

When I've had outbreaks in the past what's worked for me is the following: lights out for 3 days (and then reduced lighting for the next several weeks), minimum to no feeding the tanks for a couple of days while the lights are out and GFO until my phosphates read under .02.

Now I shut my lights one weekend every month and I no longer have any outbreaks.

[JerseyClowns]

When I've had outbreaks in the past what's worked for me is the following: lights out for 3 days (and then reduced lighting for the next several weeks), minimum to no feeding the tanks for a couple of days while the lights are out and GFO until my phosphates read under .02.

Now I shut my lights one weekend every month and I no longer have any outbreaks.

[cnraab]

Sk8r, thank you so much for sharing this natural eradication method. I will employ this method as part of my maintenance schedule going forward.

[larryfl1]

hi,

i have done 3 days lights out multiple times...

i just finished another 3 days and i have a little cyano here and there... not like before but spots...

do i need more time??

also with nitrates at 2 and phosphates at .15 should it grow back quickly? this was my 3rd time trying to get rid of it...

[Gandolfe]

do you turn off your algae scrubber lighting as well when you do a lights out cure for cyano? won't that kill the turf alage also on you scrubber or just wound it?..LOL Because i have purplish black cyano, on rocks and sand. It can be vacuumed off

[bheron]

Gandolfe - I thought about the same thing. I left the light on in my sump and fuge to help keep PH balanced. but this time around I'm shutting them off for everything.

[do_0b]

i have my tank in the bedroom and the curtain is always down
is it ok still or do i need to cover it with a blanket?

[do_0b]

also on the third day how long do you run the atinics?

[do_0b]

bump?

[bheron]

I think the curtain down is fine. but the less light the better. as far as the timing of the lights back on, i always turn them on gradually over 1 day, but i dont have many sensitive corals. depends on what you have in your tank. point is to turn the lights back on gradually.

[andysolo]

I'm currently fighting something in my tank. It’s either cyano or dinos, but not 100% sure. It’s brown and slimy and covered all my rocks. It blows off easily with a turkey baster. Nitrates and phosphates always read 0. Started GFO yesterday and looking to do lights out. I'm going on vacation soon. Will the tank be ok for with no lights for 7 days? Or should I just run only actinics instead? Or no lights but allow the light coming from the windows?

[bamf25]

My main issue is brown almost slimy strings that come off my rock, as well as some browning on my sand. I assume that this is cyano. With gfo the regrowth has slowed to a crawl compaired to what it was, but I may have to try the light thing. It goes into the catagory of too good to be true almost.

[bamf25]

Why is the recomendation 3 days? Also, if you are going to start carbon dosing or something similar do you do it during the dark period or after you finish?

BTW: sticky this thread.

[do_0b]

if I'm not mistaken..brown stringy stuff is dino..
does it have air bubbles at the tip of it?
cyano is usually red in colour.

[andysolo]

It doesn't usually have bubbles. I've also increased the flow and it didn't help at all. I have a pump blowing directly to a rock and it's still covered with this nasty stuff. Adding GFO didn't help much yet. And Hanna is constantly showing 0 phosphates. I was thinking that maybe the rocks are leaching phosphates, but this thing is growing on everything, glass, overflow, you name it. The only thing it's not growing on is the corals' live tissue. I will try to do some water changes, but I'm afraid that this will fuel it more.

[do_0b]

are you using ro/di water?

[andysolo]

Yes, I do. And it reads 0 TDS. I'm also using LEDs. Worth mentioning that I was running bio-pellets and I probably overdid it. I'm wondering if I still have excess carbon in the system and I just need to wait out until it wears off.

[bheron]

I would like to understand the whole carbon thing. sk8tr I think said carbon is one of the things Cyano needs. Yet I also hear people talking about dosing carbon. I've never dosed carbon in any way and haven run carbon in my reactor in months.

From what I remember, cyano needs:

1) light
2) phosphate
3) carbon (I think?)