Cyano Problem

[Anonymous]

Does anyone know the cycle of cyano or if there is one? I have quarantined my fish and are trying to control the cyano problem. Black hairlike slime EVERYWHERE.

This morning I noticed it was beginning to break up and seperating kind of.

If anyone can imbellish on this subject, it would be a great help!!

 

[jdeets]

Cyano is bacteria that thrives on waste byproducts in your tank. As the water gets cleaner, the cyano will disappear.

If you have your fish quarantined outside of the display tank--then the nutrients that the cyano was using for food are probably being consumed. As the cyano runs of of food, it dies off.

Keeping cyano at bay requires keeping the system clean and leaving minimum nutrients in the water--controlled feeding, good skimmer, and perhaps nutrient export if needed--like harvesting macroalgae from a refugium, etc.

HTH

 

[Anonymous]

If you have nothing in the tank that needs lighting, turn your lights off. Skim like crazy too.

~wings~

 

[Anonymous]

Thanks guys!! You guys are so informative!!

All I have is a couple peppermint shrimp and a few hermits. I will turn off my light for a while to get the process done faster.

 

[Anonymous]

I have a Red sea prism skimmer on my 30 ga tank but want to set up a sump. What's a good sump skimmer? Cost is an issue so keep that in mind.

 

[jdeets]

Crissy--I believe there is a thread on in-sump skimmers in the General Reefkeeping Forum. There is also a sticky-thread on skimmers in that forum.

I have a 180 and a large skimmer in my sump--so I can't be all that helpful with the smaller units.

 

[Anonymous]

Thanks Jdeets!

You tha man!

 

[Anonymous]

For a 30g, it might be hard to get a sump-skimmer..due to it's size. I have a 55g, and I jjjuuussttt got it to fit in my sump. I have a DIY sump that a friend of mine made for me out of acrylic (sp?). If you do get one, it's much better than hanging stuff off the tank... it looks much nicer, and if it does leak, it only leaks into the sump..and not on to the floor! 8O

hths,
~wings~

 

[fyrefysh]

I've also heard that GOOOOOOD water flow will take care of cyano. If you have enough water flow to get rid of the dead spots, then the nutrients that are laying on the substrate will be forced into the water column and exported into the skimmer. Just my two cents. Good luck!

 

[Anonymous]

Thanks PEEPS!!!

 

[RandyStacyE]

cvp7900, do you use RO water or RO/DI water? I used to use tap water and eventually had basically the same problem you have. I was told to do some water changes, stop using tap water, get a decent RO unit, try to remove as much cyano as possible and it will eventually go away. It did.

I don’t know how true this is but someone once told me that high phosphates can spark such an outbreak (actually I think I read this in a book). Dumb old me I went right out an bought a bunch of Phoszorb to get rid of my phosphates instead of killing the problem at its root ~ I was using tap water.

 

[Anonymous]

I'm not using tap water. I am using the RO water out of the windmill machines where you pay 1.25 for 5 ga of water. I read on the thing that it's RO, but I don't know how often they change their filter. That's my only concern.

Any other suggestions. Can't quite afford a RO unit just yet. Might check ebay though.

 

[jdeets]

Excessive feeding will also cause cyano outbreaks. I have a fairly heavy fish load and it's a fine line between overfeeding and providing sufficient nutrition while avoiding cyano.

I usually get cyano when I feed too much. When that shows up I cut back, blow off the rocks, and that usually resolves the problem.

 

[Anonymous]

Hey James,

you are a big help. i have a question though, how often do you feed your fish. is once a day too much?

 

[jdeets]

I feed my fish once a day.

For reference, I have a 180G display tank, 29g sump, refugium (about 10g), and I have a sailfin tang, naso tang, chevron tang, scopas tang, maroon clown, PJ cardinal, yellow-tail damsel, and a Cirrhilabrus sp. (fairy wrasse of some kind). I feed once a day, and they get 2-3 cubes of frozen meaty foods, about a teaspoon of spirulina flakes, and 1/2 sheet of nori in the algae clip.

This is a pretty heavy fish load, IMO, but I also have a DSB (about 5" deep), 250# of LR, a huge skimmer (Evo 750) powered by a Mag12, and a refugium with macro. I also harvest RSP xenia regularly, which grows like crazy taking up the nutrients.

My nitrates usually read around 0.5 ppm and phosphates about 0.5 ppm. Nevertheless, sometimes the cyano will bloom. When that happens I cut back on the feeding for a day or 2 and it usually resolves. Some days I skip feeding the cube/spirulina or nori, but not too often. Some days I'll skimp on the meaty food and cut back to 2 cubes. They never go for a day without some food of some kind, however.

After having this system for such a long time, I just kind of have a feel for it.

 

[Anonymous]

duplicate

 

[Anonymous]

Thanks James! I had to give away some fish to my bro-in-law b/c I had waaaayyyy too many fish in my tank. Not that great of a skimmer either - red sea prism. YUK!

I had neon damsel, 2 yellow tail damsels, 2 percs, manderin, black & white striped damsel, yellow tank, lawnmower blenny in addition to 2 stars (brittle & orange linkia) various shrimp, hermits, snails.

Couldn't get my husband to realize that you can only have so many fish in your 29ga tank. After most of them died, I think he got the hint.

Now I have the neon damsel with my shrimp, brittle star, hermits & snails. NOTHING else for a long while.

 

[RandyStacyE]

cvp7900

I used to buy my water too from a local drinking water supplyer. Did you know though that there are virtually no stipulations as to water quality when it comes to drinking water. I ended up buying my own RO unit since the water I was buying was junk too.

 

[Anonymous]

Thanks Randy! You may be shedding a little light on my problem.