Red algae

[Reef Pilot]

Originally Posted by tang daddy

I've never tried coral snow so I can't comment, but mb7 can fuel the cyano and make it grow more rampant. That was the case for me when I added it but definately cut down on feeding and do more frequent waterchanges. Also you could add vinegar as a carbon source to outcompete the cyano. Just google vinegar dosing to see how. But if you do decide to do vinegar dosing start very slow as you don't want to crash your tank by overdosing....

Don't know the specifics of what happened with your tank, but I think you have it backwards. Carbon dosing (vinegar, vodka or other) and bio-pellets can fuel cyano. MB7, on the other hand provides beneficial bacteria that out competes cyano.

The mistake some people make is start carbon dosing and bio pellets before MB7. Then they have major problems with cyano, and adding MB7 after that won't help immediately. That's when you have to get out the Chemiclean.

The correct way to do it is start MB7 dosing (heavy at first) at least 2 weeks prior to adding any type of carbon dosing. Best to read the instructions on MB7, and on bio-pellets to get a good understanding of how this works. If you do it right, works really great to keep your tank clean and clear, and no cyano. I took my tanks down from a high of 100 ppm nitrates and over 1.0 phosphates to zero, and no cyano problems. So I know it works.

But like others have said, it is a combination of things to consider, and it is still a relatively new tank. So best to go slow on anything, and monitor your progress with good testing.