Home from vacation . . . Could use a little advice.

[Enigma]

The Cyano isn't gone yet. I've been able to reduce it. I'm skimming harder, I've replaced my carbon, I've started straining thawed frozen food before adding it to my system, i'm dosing BIO-spira, and I'm manually removing it. I reduced my light cycle, but my SPS browned out.

I am going to pick up some Red Slime remover today and test that in a 10 gallon tank I have which only houses one coral: a coral that was removed from my display system as it wasn't thriving. That coral has some cyano on it. If the test goes well, I'll try it in my display system on Saturday.

[04V10]

Sounds interesting Enigma. I don't want to reduce my lighting either due to my clam, and my SPS.

As for my flow, I have increased it substantially to try and get rid of the problem. I've got an AC70 HOB that I converted into a refugium last week with some chaeto, live rock, and chemi-pure elite (wasn't running this before), I've got a koralia 240, and a hydor 180 for additional flow, plus my hob skimmer. I have also cleaned my rock with a turkey baster and sucked some of it up. My lighting is LED radions, so no bulb changes required at this time.
I've also cut back feeding.
I'm wondering if I should just wait it out as my params were good with regards to nitrates, however I did show a tad bit of phosphates (below the lowest number on the scale, but still visible color change during test). With chemipure elite and the chaeto in the system now, I'm wondering if it will tie up the remaining phosphates and eat up the food for the cyano..

[reefwars]

seems to be a common link between the both of you with lots of flow

read up and youll see, we are realizing flow helps spread the bacteria.

[Enigma]

A crummy BB pic:



While the flow there isn't insane, I would classify it as "moderate."

Haven't cleaned it up yet, today.

[Enigma]

Originally Posted by 04V10

Sounds interesting Enigma. I don't want to reduce my lighting either due to my clam, and my SPS.

As for my flow, I have increased it substantially to try and get rid of the problem. I've got an AC70 HOB that I converted into a refugium last week with some chaeto, live rock, and chemi-pure elite (wasn't running this before), I've got a koralia 240, and a hydor 180 for additional flow, plus my hob skimmer. I have also cleaned my rock with a turkey baster and sucked some of it up. My lighting is LED radions, so no bulb changes required at this time.
I've also cut back feeding.
I'm wondering if I should just wait it out as my params were good with regards to nitrates, however I did show a tad bit of phosphates (below the lowest number on the scale, but still visible color change during test). With chemipure elite and the chaeto in the system now, I'm wondering if it will tie up the remaining phosphates and eat up the food for the cyano..

I wouldn't mess with the lights if your clam and SPS are doing well. I need to run a long light cycle to keep my SPS coloured up (four T5s over the tank, which isn't enough), and my SPS browned out quickly. They're coming back around, but there is no way I would risk a clam.

I think that if what is feeding it can be found, the problem will resolve itself, but I'm personally sick of looking at it.

I suppose I should change my ROWAphos, too. I use the API phosphate test, so while it looks like 0, I know darn well it isn't.

Originally Posted by reefwars

seems to be a common link between the both of you with lots of flow

read up and youll see, we are realizing flow helps spread the bacteria.

you might have a very good point. I'll bump the MP10s down a bit and see what happens.

The bacteria came in on a frag. The frag that had it has been clean of it for weeks, but the outbreak popped up on the other side of the tank from it.

[MKLKT]

The lighting basically hides the issue, doesn't really resolve it at all. Cyano, being a bacteria issue is pretty much going to be a "what's feeding it?" problem. It'll often balance out if caused with a recent tank move or disturbance as you've kicked up a lot of organics/bacteria food. Skimming, carbon/GFO, patience. Flow will spread it but it'll also allow your mechanical and chemical filtration access to the particles. That's pretty much why patience is the most important; as long as it's not irritating your livestock too badly you're only dealing with esthetics.

[reefwars]

Originally Posted by MKLKT

The lighting basically hides the issue, doesn't really resolve it at all. Cyano, being a bacteria issue is pretty much going to be a "what's feeding it?" problem. It'll often balance out if caused with a recent tank move or disturbance as you've kicked up a lot of organics/bacteria food. Skimming, carbon/GFO, patience. Flow will spread it but it'll also allow your mechanical and chemical filtration access to the particles. That's pretty much why patience is the most important; as long as it's not irritating your livestock too badly you're only dealing with esthetics.

absolutely i agree completely

[04V10]

Thanks for the info guys. It's not too bad, so I will just wait it out as I have added some factors that might help it out. I'll keep you guys posted maybe a week from now, as my fuge and chemipure hasn't been online for even a week.

[Enigma]

Would Red Slime Remover work as a dip? That way I could dip the three corals that are affected by it (rhodactis, Yuma, and Duncan) and leave the stuff on the sandbed to clear up on its own?

I'm not excited about the thought of the 20% waterchanges that come with the chemical.