Cyano Outbreak

[nyc reefer]

I'm having a big problem with my tank for like two weeks now, thick bed of brown cyano on the sand bed w/tiny little bubbles which blow off and go to the surface of the water. I checked my phosphates and they are high so are my nitrates. I stopped using GFO because I started a reactor w/ NP biopellets in December.

Since starting the pellets my leathers changed in texture and color, lately with this problem large chunks of the flesh have been coming off of the toadstools and other softies, my acans and polyps aren't opening up they look sunken in. The skimmer seems to be working overtime these last two weeks, very smelly, yellowish crap, been emptying cup every other day.

About the only other change in livestock that I've made was in early Feb. I added a large RBTA, I already had a green carpet anenome in my tank. Someone told me that you cant keep two types of anenomes in the same tank??

Any suggestions???

Thanks in advance

72ga bow, SWC 160 cone skimmer, 20ga sump, SMR1 reactor w/ 300ml NP biopellets

 

[batt600]

What reactor are you using with the pellets if it the tlf reactor then that's your problem

 

[h2o]

Run some new carbon at least ones a month and that cano on the sand bed get as much as u can out by hand , some pics would help

 

[ocholoco]

hey

Forget all reactors do water changes. That the only safe way to bring down phosphate and nitrates.

 

[batt600]

Forget all reactors do water changes. That the only safe way to bring down phosphate and nitrates.

Not if he has a heavy bio load do all the water change he wants the bacteria rate can't keep up leading in high po4 and no3 his best bet is to nor heavly feed and start carbon doing to get the bacteria rate up to starte feeding on po4 and no3

 

[basiab]

Water changes brings down all polutants simply be dilution so it definitly works. an established tank is not going to be hurt by big water changes. The issue is to find the source of your polution so you can eliminate the problem.
If you corals are disintigrating then you should remove them before they kill everything.
When you add coral to a tank that already has coral you are adding a combatant to your little world. The old coral senses the competitor and starts releasing chemichals to fight it. The new coral os stressed and also releases its chemicals. This can't be tested or measured but you can tell by the way your corals react. If things start going downhill you know it is a bad match. Water changes and carbon help and if you are lucky they will get used to each other.

 

[batt600]

Water changes brings down all polutants simply be dilution so it definitly works. an established tank is not going to be hurt by big water changes. The issue is to find the source of your polution so you can eliminate the problem.
If you corals are disintigrating then you should remove them before they kill everything.
When you add coral to a tank that already has coral you are adding a combatant to your little world. The old coral senses the competitor and starts releasing chemichals to fight it. The new coral os stressed and also releases its chemicals. This can't be tested or measured but you can tell by the way your corals react. If things start going downhill you know it is a bad match. Water changes and carbon help and if you are lucky they will get used to each other.

Yes and no if you read his post his po4 and no3 are very high that will stress and kill coral. A big water change will stress all live stock if the po4 drop very fast and all might die. Yea he has to find the problem it might be the pellets casing the problem. Just do a 20% water change and remove what ever is dieing from the tank

 

[Alex]

milt, when starting the biopellets, a good idea is to start with small amounts, then increase until you have reached the appropriate amount for your bioload. the other thing was you should have kept the GFO and carbon online until your biopellets reached its bacterial load.

start by doing small water changes and adding the carbon and GFO back online, in small amounts until the problem is solved. don't do large amounts, the corals and livestock have become accustomed to your levels and a drastic decrease will stress them further. also remove as much of the cyano as possible.

 

[tosiek]

First off, you should be running carbon and phosban WITH your bio pellets. The pellets take care of the No3, your still going to have Po4 problems and should be running carbon to scrub your water. Biopellets do nothing really for Po4. How much BP to how much water volume you running? You could be overdosing with Biopellets.

Yes and no if you read his post his po4 and no3 are very high that will stress and kill coral. A big water change will stress all live stock if the po4 drop very fast and all might die. Yea he has to find the problem it might be the pellets casing the problem. Just do a 20% water change and remove what ever is dieing from the tank

He doesn't need to do one big one. And sorry to say but all your posts are kinda wrong or off Batt600. His last WC was early feb. Thats a good 3-4 weeks of no water change. He should be doing them twice a week till the levels get down, small 10%-20% water changes. Should take a week or two to drop Po4 and No3 to normal.

Not if he has a heavy bio load do all the water change he wants the bacteria rate can't keep up leading in high po4 and no3 his best bet is to nor heavly feed and start carbon doing to get the bacteria rate up to starte feeding on po4 and no3

He needs to do more water changes and find out whats causing all of his Po4 and No3. Even with super overfeeding you can keep a tank at low Po4 and No3 with Water changes every day or two and alot of phosban. Thats how people keep their Azoozathelle (non photosynthetic) tanks running.

Check for any waste buildup either behind your rocks, in your sand, in the sump. Do some smaller water changes. Reduce your biopellets if its over the recommended amount and start running carbon and phosban to help out with Po4. And keep up with water changes regularly. It really helps reduce problems in your tank.

 

[tosiek]

Sorry Batt600. Didn't mean to call you out or anything on purpose.

 

[batt600]

First off, you should be running carbon and phosban WITH your bio pellets. The pellets take care of the No3, your still going to have Po4 problems and should be running carbon to scrub your water. Biopellets do nothing really for Po4. How much BP to how much water volume you running? You could be overdosing with Biopellets.



He doesn't need to do one big one. And sorry to say but all your posts are kinda wrong or off Batt600. His last WC was early feb. Thats a good 3-4 weeks of no water change. He should be doing them twice a week till the levels get down, small 10%-20% water changes. Should take a week or two to drop Po4 and No3 to normal.



He needs to do more water changes and find out whats causing all of his Po4 and No3. Even with super overfeeding you can keep a tank at low Po4 and No3 with Water changes every day or two and alot of phosban. Thats how people keep their Azoozathelle (non photosynthetic) tanks running.

Check for any waste buildup either behind your rocks, in your sand, in the sump. Do some smaller water changes. Reduce your biopellets if its over the recommended amount and start running carbon and phosban to help out with Po4. And keep up with water changes regularly. It really helps reduce problems in your tank.

Ok one i didnt say to do a big water change and like in his first post he said he didnt have a problem until he put the pellets . One i been on pellets and now all about them . 1 alway use small amounts of pellets when first installed to you tank and use the right reactor not a TLF reactor . If you start off with a large amount the you will spike Po4 and No3 and have the problem this guy is having . And you can over feed a tank if you bacteria rate is high in your tank . Here a one o one on Bacteria in a reef tank bac is needed to remove PO4 and NO3 if you bac is low you will have high PO4 and No3 most RT like 20% have low bac in there tanks . Yes he need to put back the GFO and carbon the carbon should have never been removed . And if he is using the wrong reactor with the pellet than he needs to get the right one.

 

[nyc reefer]

I'm using a Nextreef reactor, the blue acrylic made specifically for pellets. I started a bag full of ESV carbon in the sump, made a 10ga water change. I am going to cut down my light cycle to 6hrs only on the 250w MH's. I have water being made in my container to do another 10ga water change on Wednesday. I ordered new filters through the BRS group buy so I'll be changing those out this week when I get some time. Another local member Steve614 will let me borrow a Diatom filter to run on the tank to clean up the sand bed, so I'm hoping all these things will help clear it up.

Removed a couple of the leathers that looked rotten and cleaned the glass up. :headache:

Thanks for the help and keep the suggestions coming.

 

[batt600]

When you started the pellets how much did you use and do you have a suspend tumble affect on the pellets . Do you have the out put of the pellet reactor by the skimmer ?. How old are your bulbs ?. What salt are you using what are all your par . And how often do you do water changes and do you us RODI . Sorry for all the questions but we need to know all this. And what size tank and what pellets are you using.

 

[nyc reefer]

72ga bowfront w/20ga sump
300ml of NP Biopellets, well tumbled 300gph pump, yes output is directed at skimmer intake.
Neomarine salt for 2yrs now, yes always use RODI water, I have new filters to change them out this week.
(2) XM 250w/Mogel 20k on for 8hrs a day, replaced last week when I began to try and find a solution to the problem.
Will check paramaters later today
I will admit, I was slacking on the water changes because everything was doing so well , absolutely no algae in the tank.

It's ok, you need to know whats going on in order to diagnose the problem

 

[Saltinmyblood]

What skimmer are you running and is it keeping up with the waste from the pellets? You need a really good skimmer when carbon dosing (solid or liquid)

 

[Mikei70]

What reactor are you using with the pellets if it the tlf reactor then that's your problem

You can use a TLF reactor with the pellets, you just have to have an adequate pump. I use one with no issue. As a matter of fact, TLF makes the pellets now as well.

 

[batt600]

You can use a TLF reactor with the pellets, you just have to have an adequate pump. I use one with no issue. As a matter of fact, TLF makes the pellets now as well.

Yeah thay make them now and a new reactor for it to thats wider just for pellets .

 

[batt600]

What skimmer are you running and is it keeping up with the waste from the pellets? You need a really good skimmer when carbon dosing (solid or liquid)

+1 forgot to ask that . you may have started with to much pellets but you still didnt tell me what brand your using to see .

 

[Mikei70]

Yeah thay make them now and a new reactor for it to thats wider just for pellets .

They're the same reactors, they just come with the screen in addition to the sponge.

http://www.marinedepot.com/Two_Litt...Two_Little_Fishies-TL43131-FIFRISPR-0-vi.html

There's no difference between pellets tumbling in one reactor vs another.

 

[batt600]

They're the same reactors, they just come with the screen in addition to the sponge.

http://www.marinedepot.com/Two_Litt...Two_Little_Fishies-TL43131-FIFRISPR-0-vi.html

There's no difference between pellets tumbling in one reactor vs another.

Thats not it thay have a big pellet reactor like the vertex and the OP reactors . you cant really us a pellet reactor due to chamber size for the pellets . The camber has to have a big water value for the bac to colonize the chamber if its to small you wont get the full affect of the pellets and might end in a tank crash. thats why you cant really use a TLF reactor for pellets .