Switching Salts for Cyano bloom????

[JohnK]

This thread confuses me (changing salts to fight cyano).

If there is a question of the salt importing. Nutrients then test the make up water, then mix up some salt water and test that. If either shows nitrate or phosphate then your onto something. Otherwise look elsewhere.

Nutrient control is all about managing import vs export. Food imports tons of nutrients, particularly phosphate. Detritus not removed from the system will contain and leech out tons as well. Rock that has.been in a high phosphate environment can have phosphate bound to its surface and releases it when exposed to lower phosphate water.

Tank water will often seem to test zero because the nuisance algae is sucking it up as soon as it becomes available. Salt mix isn't causing these problems, and if it were it would be super easy to confirm by testing newly made water.

 

[mvallee]

switching salts was just another thing to try out of frustration as I tried all the things that you would normally do and this stuff is still getting worse, RSCP seems to have high levels and people had correlated RSCP to Cyano blooms on other forums, it was just another thing to try to no avail.

 

[mvallee]

Yup me complaining again just realized how sad it was that I was sitting in my den looking at my QT tank because it looks so much better than my DT tank at this point.

Here is my QT/ Acclimation tank.


versus my display


Can't wait to figure this out, glass is covered in algae after two days and everything is coated heavy in Cyano after a full siphon with water change over the weekend. If I thought my wife knew enough about tanks I would think she was doing something to cause this because I am out of ideas.

I think I will go with blackout now because I do not even want to look at it like this anymore.

 

[JohnK]

Is that my fish trap?

What happens if you stir at the bottom of the display? It kind of looks like you might have a little sand with a whole lot of settled detritus mixed in.

 

[mvallee]

no I ended up buying one, figured it would be good to have, if I ever lend it out sounds like I need to make a sign out list I actually caught of the hawkfish already with it, 2 more to go.

In the sand although it looks like Sh*t it is red Cyano covering and in the sand, I Siphoned all that out this weekend too and not just the surface but a 1" flexible hose into the sand pulling all the lumpy slimy stuff I could plus the rocks, it was fairly cyano free on Sunday at 11:00am to look like this now hence my disgust. I have no idea where the nutrients are coming from to support this, cleaned out the sump moved the rocks around to create better flow patterns added 2 additional power heads, I have great flow now the Cyano is really swaying nicely now very limited feedings just crazy.

 

[delta]

have you tried adding some LR rubble and Sand from a healthy system to kick start your system. I do this every so often to keep the system in check

I would add if this is you only problem and you haven't added some biodiversity that you treat with the Chemisclean as directed (twice if needed) Then add some biodiversity. While chemicals are a last resort it gives you time to kickstart your system

 

[mvallee]

That's a first I figured just a year in I am still building up that bio-diversity, but kinda makes sense, would one of those bottles of bacteria have a beneficial effect? I am just nervous about adding LR from another system at this point, I have worked so hard to have my system what I think is pest free and very hesitant on adding anything straight to the tank

Chemiclean is ordered and on it's way early next week it should be here, so moving on the suggestions.

 

[delta]

That's a first I figured just a year in I am still building up that bio-diversity, but kinda makes sense, would one of those bottles of bacteria have a beneficial effect? I am just nervous about adding LR from another system at this point, I have worked so hard to have my system what I think is pest free and very hesitant on adding anything straight to the tank

Chemiclean is ordered and on it's way early next week it should be here, so moving on the suggestions.

It may depends on whats actually in the bottle. But I add some biodiversity every year as a regular regiment. Your system is still maturing but adding solid bacteria boost can help put things in check. Especially in systems with a majority dry rock startup. I find having done quite a few startup with both ocean LR and Dry rock there is a difference and the dryrock tanks can lack over the Ocean LR startups. But either way I always add biodiversity yearly.

 

[JasonandSarah]

Have you considered using a salt mix with a lower alk? With your Dkh being 9-9.5 and both of your last 2 salts having a Dkh of 12-13 (both Rc and Rscp are know for having higher levels then that at times) I wonder if the large water changes are making to big a alk swing? Just a thought

 

[mvallee]

I am thinking I am going to stop with water changes for a week or so to see if it makes a difference. I originally thought I had Dino's and that was one of the recommendations, I still think this is Cyano but maybe the same logic applies because water changes sure are not helping and who knows could be feeding the bloom.

Good idea, my next water change I will measure alk right before the change, measure the fresh mix, and then right after to see if there is a swing experienced in the tank.

 

[mvallee]

Just a quick update, tank is free and clear of visible Cyano. Chemiclean did the trick with low light, moonlight for 2 days and then a slow ramp back up and still ramping up because some of the corals did not take to the treatment too well. Mostly the ones showing signs of stress from the constant cyano covering, water changes etc...

Two heads of my big hammer are pretty much gone and the remaining have yet to fully extend.scrolling sponge went from maroon to a whitish looking blob, yellow leather is coming back but still iffy. Frogspawn that had a dead head but the other three were doing well is now all but dead, still a little green in one of the holes but not much hope and one of the only SPS that was doing exceptionally well plump and colorful went full white and appears to be dying but so far no tissue death. but somethings are doing great, zoas, tyree green toadstool, mushrooms, ricordea, paly, devils hand leather a few different types of Monty's and other are doing great so definitely on the winning side of this one for now.

Wierd to see white sand again too.

To rid the system of it was a chore, 50 gallons in water changes and could not stop the constant overflow of my skimmer. I ended up doing about 30 gallons of water changes by draining the skimmer overflows into buckets and replacing with fresh mixed water but now my skimmer is back to normal too.

Lot of work, some losses but now at least I do not hate my tank.
I did not overdose either 180 gallon tank 55 gallon sump 150-180 pounds of live rock so I treated for 150 gallons.

Time to start rebuilding, repopulating.

 

[Docstach]

Nice job, and congrats on keeping patient. Many would have either given up or just started completely over. Don't give up on your frogspawn. I had one I was 100% sure was dead (no visible green/tissue). Threw it in my sump as a piece of rubble. Many months later moving stuff around in my sump I saw it had started growing.

I am going through a bit of cyano as well. Doing a big cleaning this weekend and then plan on going dark for 3 days.

 

[JasonandSarah]

Really glad to hear you won the battle! It can be daunting and lows of people give in and give up because of Cyano!

 

[mvallee]

Took a video tonight to add to my build thread now that things are looking better and wanted to post here for the ones following my Cyano battle
here is what it looks like today

[video]https://youtu.be/yG3taJmpU1U[/video]

hopefully everything that is struggling bounces back, I do like the new layout, not so much turbulence on torch and hammer.

 

[dakar652]

Wow! What a huge difference! Congratulations on your success!

 

[mvallee]

Wow! What a huge difference! Congratulations on your success!

Thanks!!! it feels great to be out from under that red slimy mess

 

[JasonandSarah]

Took a video tonight to add to my build thread now that things are looking better and wanted to post here for the ones following my Cyano battle
here is what it looks like today

[video]https://youtu.be/yG3taJmpU1U[/video]

hopefully everything that is struggling bounces back, I do like the new layout, not so much turbulence on torch and hammer.

Looks awesome! If the Cemi-clean worked then that means the cyano was feeding mostly on Doc's (dissolved organic compounds) probably from a high bio load. In the hopes of it not returning I'd try to make sure you do some things to try and keep up on removing the Doc's regularly and not allow them to build up to high again. Carbon is a great way to remove Doc's and possibly turning up your skimmer a little? Wet skim a little more then you are now.

 

[this is me]

Looks great. Yeah chemi clean does work nice with cyano. Now you just have to watch everything closely and let the chemi clean flush out of the system before adding anything too quickly.