I Suck at SPS. Help please. :(

[Enigma]

You guys!

I'm not going to have any sand bed left in a week with all of the siphoning I'm going to have to do to get rid of the cyano at higher lighting levels! I would say the health of the corals is more important than the sand, though.

[Aquattro]

Originally Posted by Enigma

You guys!

I'm not going to have any sand bed left in a week with all of the siphoning I'm going to have to do to get rid of the cyano at higher lighting levels! I would say the health of the corals is more important than the sand, though.

Well, the cyano is not a result of the light. I have no cyano, my lights are cranked. The cyano is something else that is feeding on something in the tank. So you siphon it and manage nutrients until it out consumes itself, and then it dies off. Adding things like chemiclean is just a band-aid for people that don't have the patience to fix it properly. Sure, it looks like crap for a while, but you come out the other end of the battle with a better tank and more experience in the hobby. Nothing good happens fast is a rule right across the board...removing cyano overnight is not a good thing. Take more of a holistic approach and accept that some months the take will rock, some months, not so much. Just deal with it in it's proper time frame and enjoy the process.

[Aquattro]

Actually, I do have some green cyano type crud growing these days, probably a result of the clove polyp die-off. I turkey baste it away and don't give it a second thought. It'll clear up on it's own with my regular maintenance routine.

[don.ald]

I fought cyno ... Refused to use chemiclean the LFS subscribed.
Took a few weeks though. Basted rocks daily, did 5% water change daily, hung an aqua clear on the tank and rinsed the sponge daily.
Stopped daily feedings and fed every second day, sparingly.
I also stopped all those zeo additives, went back to the basics...keeping it simple which includes no pellets or quick fixes.
I use carbon passively that's all.

[Aquattro]

Shelley, I'm right in the middle of setting up a 50g custom breeder tank for frags. It's probably very close to your tank. I'm going to have 400w radium(s) over it, but if I were going to use the Sols, I would set them at 100% all three colors at 12 inches off water line. Too white for my liking on the 180, which is why i only have it at 90 there. Not sure what else you have in the tank, but SPS can take pretty much whatever you throw at them. I have 2 large euphyllia in my tank and they also love the light and are thriving. No direct feeding on them either.

[Enigma]

Originally Posted by Aquattro

Nothing good happens fast is a rule right across the board...removing cyano overnight is not a good thing. Take more of a holistic approach and accept that some months the take will rock, some months, not so much. Just deal with it in it's proper time frame and enjoy the process.

Brad, I've been working on eradicating the cyano since August. I thought I was finally winning the war, but when I added the Sols it exploded over the course of four hours. It was shocking. I wish I had taken video of it (or time lapse photos), as what happened seems to be unprecedented. Even I scarcely believe what I witnessed.

I used the Chemiclean after that, and I believe quite firmly that it was the right choice for me. It didn't eradicate the cyano, but it knocked it back so that it is much more manageable again. Frankly, I wish I had done it much sooner than I did. I had the Chemiclean for weeks before I actually used it.

It only really grows/comes back when the whites are on. The blues and royal blues don't seem to do much for it. The whites aren't on yet, and there isn't a speck of it in my tank. By the time the whites go off, the sand around my plate coral will have noticeable cyano (not plague proportions, but it'll be there).

Despite a couple of lingering issues . . . I think my tank looks pretty amazing. I get a lot of satisfaction from it, and I can honestly say that I have never felt so good about something that I've created. I'm generally really optimistic about it . . . I'm just having one of those "moments."

[Aquattro]

Oh ya, no doubt the change in lights was a catalyst, but not the source or everyone with LED would have cyano. It feeds on nutrients, so as long as you manage what goes in, the nutrient it's using will be a limiting factor and once it's consumed, the slime will disappear. I know it's tough, and I've never had to have the long battles, but I would still never add chemi clean, primarily because they won't tell you what's in it. I won't add mystery juice to my tank just on principle
Keep battling, turn the lights up, and one day you'll have forgotten that you even dealt with cyano. With the lights up, the corals will start competing for nutrients, which will help the battle.

[Enigma]

Originally Posted by Aquattro

Not sure what else you have in the tank, but SPS can take pretty much whatever you throw at them.

This tank is mostly softies and LPS. It has been incredibly challenging to balance the needs of all of the coral in the tank. Softies and LPS do very well, SPS were doing alright. I really can't do both in this system with my minimal-ish scape, as there just aren't enough places to hide more sensitive corals from the light or the flow.

My NC24 (which is now officially cycling) has crazy flow and light, but I was able to work some shaded and lower flow spots into the scape. I'm hoping to start moving my SPS to that system in a month. I think it will work well aesthetically, but also provide very good conditions for them. I just really don't want anything to die before then.

[Enigma]

Originally Posted by Aquattro

Keep battling, turn the lights up, and one day you'll have forgotten that you even dealt with cyano. With the lights up, the corals will start competing for nutrients, which will help the battle.

It will be perfect by January. I know this because I'm buying myself a custom Concept tank for my 40th in February. This tank will be perfect, then I'll upgrade, and then it will go to crap again. I know this because I've already been through this once before.

At least I'm prepared.

[Aquattro]

Or you could sell the pesky soft stuff and buy more SPS. Ok, I'm biased