best way to get rid of cyano

[sutton6989]

i have cyano and need it gone how can i do this

 

[fred11]

more water flow water change here is a video that could help u more http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5Xj11aji7-I

 

[Ruge13]

Siphon it out and increase flow. But, it will not go away until you starve it of the nutrient source that is causing it.

 

[Bao]

I read that the only true way to get rid off or minimize those cyano is to have clean water with very little nitrate and phosphate and some good water movement. So you need to do change water, have a big skimmer, and don't over feed. Chemical doesn't work long term. Shutting off the light only kill them temporarily and they will come back. Manually take them out and the new one will show up again tomorrow. Go bare bottom help alot also.
What kind of equipments do you have on your tank now?

 

[Ruge13]

Cyano does not respond much to light. It is a bacteria, not an algae. Reducing the light longer term reduces the nutrient load in the tank which is what causes cyano to thrive. It will help, but not a cause of cyano.

It is not a quick fix, starve it out.

 

[inverted]

I agree with everything stated, except that it doesn't respond much to light. It is bacteria, but gets it's energy from photosynthesis, just like algae and usually responds to light just like algae. Seems like, for various reasons, organics and phosphate are usually the prime suspects. Removing any excess organic material, uneaten food, detritus, also can be done with protein skimmers, GAC and water changes. Siphoning helps. Also,reducing phosphate, is really important. Water changes, with good quality RO/DI water, rinsing frozen food before use and not feeding high phosphate foods, if possible are good. Sometimes Granular Ferric Oxide (GFO) can help, as keeping phosphate levels really low can be quire difficult, but should be in addition to other methods. Also, increasing flow is useful, to keep detritus suspended and prevent dead-spots, as well as keeping the cyano from getting a foothold. Once you've done everything you can, turning off the light for a few days, or siphoning it up is sometimes necessary to mop it up, as it can store nutrients for latter use while available.

 

[php1775]

cyno under control

i had cyno problems that were very frustating,i used chemiclean but it did not get enough of it so i went to skiptons to get some more for a second treatment,when B intoduced me to a product called "excital"which he said was awesome,so i tried it .removed my carbon and left my phosphate media in the reactor(i e-mailed the manufactor for this info).anyway it worked and i have been cyno free for about5 months now and am just starting to notice a little bit start to form again.you dont need a water change with this product either.one thing i did notice was my hammers and frogspawn retracting a little after the 4th of a 5 day treatment,but came back after a week or two ,which could have been the fact that i used chemiclean earlier in the week,but did the water change.just my sharing my experience,thats all.

 

[Platinum321]

Alleviating Cyano Bacteria

First one must determine what is causing the problem.
In the case of cyano it is usually do to high nutrient levels specificaly phosphate.
These high nutrient levels are attributed to many things but the main causes are overpopulation of fish, over feeding your tank on all levels be it fish or corals and lack of water changes.

Test to determine phosphate level as in all probability you have a phosphate problem if you have cyano.

To remove phosphate from a newer tank is easier than an old system because phosphates bind with live rock, sand and gravel.

The easiest way to combat this issue is to first cut back on the feeding of your tank and consider removing some fish if you determine you overstocked the tank.
Have a protein skimmer that handles a tank twice as large as the one you own.
Get a phosphate reactor and use GFO as the medium. Some GFO mediums are better than others so do your research. I would recomend a product but as a newcomer to the forum I do not want to be accused of trying to sell anything.

If you have access to youtube look up phosphate problems and some videos will pop up by a fellow who calls himself Newyorksteelo on there. Excellent info on this very problem. You will also see before and after vids as he combats his own phosphate problem. Impressive.

Cheers and good luck.