Cyano outbreak won't go away.

[STiTCH87]

I stir the sandbed, it comes back. I increase flow and aim at the sandbed, it comes back.

Astraea won't touch it, hermits (red or blue legged) touch it for a few minutes then attack the rocks. Peppermint shrimp won't touch it either.

What can I do to get rid of this stuff?! I only use RO/DI water and I only have the lights on for 8 hours per day.

 

[STiTCH87]

Oh and wanted to add in some info on my tank if it helps...

29 gallon
30+# Live Rock
60# Live Sand (2 inch sand bed)
A few softies
4 Astraea
2 Red Legged Hermit
2 Blue Legged Hermit
2 Peppermint Shrimp
1 Pajama Cardinalfish

Ammonia: 0.0ppm
Nitrite: 0.0ppm
Nitrate: < 5ppm
pH: 8.2
Temp 77.7
Flow: ~850GPH split 3 ways all aiming at the sand bed.
Skimmer running 24/7.
Lighting: 130W Power Compact 1 Daylight 1 Actinic running on at Noon, off at 10PM.

I believe it is cyano. Looks like all the pics of cyano. Barely on rocks, mostly sand bed. Reddish-brown and same as slime algae mats.

 

[rnaodmletetrs]

Id say cut your feeding by half, Whats your Phosphates at? Water changes?

Ive used reef safe chemicals for cyano a few times with success

 

[stingythingy45]

It almost always happens with new tanks.
Just keep using ro/di,keep the skimmer working correctly and as the tank matures it will disappear.I've found that the only thing flow does is roll it into nice little red carpets.

 

[snowmaker]

If it persists, Red Slime Remover (Boyd Enterprise) works great when used as directed. It also works on green slime algae.
Carbon will also remove organic phosphates.

 

[STiTCH87]

I only feed once every other day and feed pellet which immediately gets eaten. Gotta get some frozen brine though but still I know it's not due to overfeeding. Not sure what my phosphates are because I don't have a kit to test it. I have seen those red slime remover kits you guys talk about and was considering getting it but maybe i'll wait instead of spending the money unless it gets really really bad.

Woke up today to find the head and antennaes of one of my 2 brand new peppermint shrimp I got yesterday in my powerhead. -_- Maybe i'll put prefilter sponges on the intake tubes for safety...

I do a 25% waterchange every 2 weeks.

And yeah you said it on the increased flow ripping up carpet chunks of red slime, lol.

 

[molsen187]

when was the last time the filters were changed on your ro/di system. just a though but if they need to be replaced they may not be taking everything out of the water leading to some excess nutrients somewhere.

 

[Edward]

I had it for three months bad in my 20 then I moved and it went away over night. I never used anything speci or tried to fix it. Stirring the sandbed is by no means a fix...cyano is a bacteria after all and, take it from a microbiology major, will recolonize and grow as fast as it can until its food source is eaten up and they die off. How deep is your sandbed by the way?

 

[STiTCH87]

2 inch sand bed. RO/DI comes from Underwaterworld in Taunton and they always keep up on changing their filters.

Oh and edit on my shrimp being sucked into my powerhead, it molted and that's what got sucked up.

Atleast I know my water quality is good if both my shrimp molted within the first 12 hours i've had them...

 

[JayM]

fwiw, shrimp molt when they're stressed too.....

 

[SteveDola]

If it persists, Red Slime Remover (Boyd Enterprise) works great when used as directed. It also works on green slime algae.
Carbon will also remove organic phosphates.

good stuff Red slime remover. Used it a few times and never had issue.