At my witts end with Cyano,
- Thread starter OCCFan023
- Start date
yes, it won't be funny if it kills all your filter bacteria - this is unlikely but possible. Mostly these things are resisteant to erythromycin, but they are certainly going to be working at a reduced rate for a little while afterwards, when you will have a bunch of dead cyano in your system ready to be removed. I did this in my discus tank, but I would never do it ina reef
I would think about doing an absolutely almight gravel hoovering effort, and pull out a bunch of the substrate at the same time. I have no doubt you will be astonished/amazed and appalled at what comes out.
I don't recall what you have for circ./water movement?
I would think about doing an absolutely almight gravel hoovering effort, and pull out a bunch of the substrate at the same time. I have no doubt you will be astonished/amazed and appalled at what comes out.
I don't recall what you have for circ./water movement?
this is what I am plannin on doing on Sunday during my water change. I will syphon out the area and then scoop out a bunch of the sand, then scrub the glass that has gunk on it and remove as much water wihtout over doing it.
As for circulation I have 2 aquaclear hagen 20 powerheads, and one aquaclear 10 powerhead for a total turnover rate of 332gph. I originaly had the two towas positioned at either side of the tank and aimed them straight towards the front into the rock, and the 10 was in the middle of the back of the glass pointed towards the rock aswell. All of this created great rock contact but the back base of the tank must have recived little movement. Now I have one 20 positioned at the bottom corner of the back pointed along the bottom across the entire back flook of the tank. One 20 is pointed into the rocks, and the 10 is now on the side wall of the tank pointed at the side of the rock going across the tank. I added a small HOB filter for extra movement (and a place to put stuff) but owuld like to take it down becasue it is ungodly loud and I hate that noise when Im trying to sleep (do you think I can take it out without loosing results?
So far Ive had the lights off for 2 days and with the new water movement the Cyano has not resurfaced since I posted this... Do you think its haveing a recession or do you think it will be back if I took out the HOB and went back to nomral 9 hours a day lighting?
As for circulation I have 2 aquaclear hagen 20 powerheads, and one aquaclear 10 powerhead for a total turnover rate of 332gph. I originaly had the two towas positioned at either side of the tank and aimed them straight towards the front into the rock, and the 10 was in the middle of the back of the glass pointed towards the rock aswell. All of this created great rock contact but the back base of the tank must have recived little movement. Now I have one 20 positioned at the bottom corner of the back pointed along the bottom across the entire back flook of the tank. One 20 is pointed into the rocks, and the 10 is now on the side wall of the tank pointed at the side of the rock going across the tank. I added a small HOB filter for extra movement (and a place to put stuff) but owuld like to take it down becasue it is ungodly loud and I hate that noise when Im trying to sleep (do you think I can take it out without loosing results?
So far Ive had the lights off for 2 days and with the new water movement the Cyano has not resurfaced since I posted this... Do you think its haveing a recession or do you think it will be back if I took out the HOB and went back to nomral 9 hours a day lighting?
If the HOB is killing your sleep, I'd take it down. I know what that's like. I once ran a motorized air pump for a night in my filter, and after sleeping through a night of that, never again, heh.
With your new positioning of powerheads ,that adds a new variable in killing the red slime ****e. I'd stick with that and the lights off as you don't have corals and see how that works.
And if you see a new resurfacing of the cyano, maybe a hoover water change along the infested area of a gallon or so?
With your new positioning of powerheads ,that adds a new variable in killing the red slime ****e. I'd stick with that and the lights off as you don't have corals and see how that works.
And if you see a new resurfacing of the cyano, maybe a hoover water change along the infested area of a gallon or so?
1. Arrange the flow so you get better coverage of the whole tank. Sounds like you've done this. Cyano will grow best in areas of low flow where crud accumulates.
2. Do the gravel hoovering. If that involves big water changes so be it, people have an unnatural fear of big water changes. If you can do it right (premix, preheat for 24 hrs) it's a non issue. So really get stuck in.
3. I doubt the HOB is doing much.
4. Sooner or later you have to turn the lights on. Actually , unless your room is in pitch blackness you'll get cyano anyway, just another variety colour.
dbsackrat - I don't care what worms and so on you have in your sand bed, if you have a cruddy substrate, and inadequate nutrient export you can soon expect your hair algae to go ballistic unless you have absolutely awesome water flow (50 x an hour plus) to keep substrate in suspension. And once it gets going, it's a damn sight harder to get rid of it than to control it beforehand
2. Do the gravel hoovering. If that involves big water changes so be it, people have an unnatural fear of big water changes. If you can do it right (premix, preheat for 24 hrs) it's a non issue. So really get stuck in.
3. I doubt the HOB is doing much.
4. Sooner or later you have to turn the lights on. Actually , unless your room is in pitch blackness you'll get cyano anyway, just another variety colour.
dbsackrat - I don't care what worms and so on you have in your sand bed, if you have a cruddy substrate, and inadequate nutrient export you can soon expect your hair algae to go ballistic unless you have absolutely awesome water flow (50 x an hour plus) to keep substrate in suspension. And once it gets going, it's a damn sight harder to get rid of it than to control it beforehand
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Ok heres the plan:
Tommorow Im going to take out the normal amount of water from my tank, but when I have enough water from the tank into a bucket, I will take out all of my live rock and put it in that bucket. When the tanks empty of live rock I will turn off all my filters and powerheads as well as the suction from the gravel vac. I will then take a net and take out the infected area of cyano, and that along with extensive gravel vaccing I will remove my sand bed to a deapth of 1-2 cm. Once I get my sand bed down I will scrub the walls that had been covered by the sand and have junk on them. Then I will use the grvael vac to take some more water out and get any floating gunk. I will then replace the live rock, and position my powerheads to my likeing and then fill the tank back up.
After doing this I will start up my HOB and put my new filter pad into the HOB. I picked up this today (http://www.bigalsonline.com/catalog/product.xml?product_id=33852;category_id=2871)
Hopefully it will pick up any grosse stuff left behind after the clean.
While doing this, do you guys think it will be cool if I leave the shrimp, cleaners (snails and crabs), and my coral beauty in the tank or will this be detrimental to there health?
Does this plan sound good?
Tommorow Im going to take out the normal amount of water from my tank, but when I have enough water from the tank into a bucket, I will take out all of my live rock and put it in that bucket. When the tanks empty of live rock I will turn off all my filters and powerheads as well as the suction from the gravel vac. I will then take a net and take out the infected area of cyano, and that along with extensive gravel vaccing I will remove my sand bed to a deapth of 1-2 cm. Once I get my sand bed down I will scrub the walls that had been covered by the sand and have junk on them. Then I will use the grvael vac to take some more water out and get any floating gunk. I will then replace the live rock, and position my powerheads to my likeing and then fill the tank back up.
After doing this I will start up my HOB and put my new filter pad into the HOB. I picked up this today (http://www.bigalsonline.com/catalog/product.xml?product_id=33852;category_id=2871)
Hopefully it will pick up any grosse stuff left behind after the clean.
While doing this, do you guys think it will be cool if I leave the shrimp, cleaners (snails and crabs), and my coral beauty in the tank or will this be detrimental to there health?
Does this plan sound good?
yea Ive been conerned about that heater issue, so Ill turn it off today and just do this ias quickly as possible, and as for my water it is heating up right now to get it to about 77degress and I will be adding a pH buffer to it to get the correct pH
On a side note doe pH buffers work both ways? Like if I add a buffer to water with a pH of 8.4 and my buffer is for 8.2 will it dropp it the same way it will bring a low pH up?
On a side note doe pH buffers work both ways? Like if I add a buffer to water with a pH of 8.4 and my buffer is for 8.2 will it dropp it the same way it will bring a low pH up?
Well I did the removal, and it went by ok. It got pretty messy during the middle when I was taking out the sand, the water got REAL cloudy and I couldnt see my crabs and shells on the bottom so I had to be real carefull, and like I said before the water got REAL murky. I then added back in some water that I took out before the sand removal and got it to a point where I could put back my live rock. Once I had my rock back in I scrapped the walls and then took out more water from the tank.
Once I got out enough water I then filled the tank back up with the rest of the clean water. Before I put my Pura Pad in I decided to just put a plan floss pad in to take out some random gunk that I dont want on the Pura Pad. Im plannin on leaving the floss in for an hour or too then Ill put the Pura Pad in and leave it in there... (the pura pad can last for a while so Ill play that by ear/site)
Idk if Im going to feed the fish tonight, I may just let them relax and get use to the new look of the tank, which isnt that different but they may find new homes. Hopefully I didnt loose any crabs or anything.
Once I got out enough water I then filled the tank back up with the rest of the clean water. Before I put my Pura Pad in I decided to just put a plan floss pad in to take out some random gunk that I dont want on the Pura Pad. Im plannin on leaving the floss in for an hour or too then Ill put the Pura Pad in and leave it in there... (the pura pad can last for a while so Ill play that by ear/site)
Idk if Im going to feed the fish tonight, I may just let them relax and get use to the new look of the tank, which isnt that different but they may find new homes. Hopefully I didnt loose any crabs or anything.
Eventful Day is Done
Well its finally complete. I just took out the plain floss (it was already turning brown) and inserted the PuraPad into the HOB. Im going to leave the PuraPad in and watch the levels and make sure everything stays cool with it in there (and because of the removal of the sand)
Im keeping on eye open for my crabs and such, I know 2 of the hermits are ok and Im pretty sure the emerald is good too, he jumped off the piece of live rock he was on before I put it in the tank, Im hoping he landed in the tank
. If I need to Ill pick up some more hermits on my next trip to the lfs.
The tank already looks better, it looks alot taller now without the sand, and the floor looks real cool with the little sand and the rock, makes the structure look very interesting and complicated and has created more caves and swimming room which is a added bonus.
Theres a little crap left on one part of the glass that I didnt catch when I was cleaning it today, but Ill get it next Sundays cleaning.
I want to thank everyone for the help, and now Im hoping for the best with the dreaded cyano problem!*celebrate
Well its finally complete. I just took out the plain floss (it was already turning brown) and inserted the PuraPad into the HOB. Im going to leave the PuraPad in and watch the levels and make sure everything stays cool with it in there (and because of the removal of the sand)
Im keeping on eye open for my crabs and such, I know 2 of the hermits are ok and Im pretty sure the emerald is good too, he jumped off the piece of live rock he was on before I put it in the tank, Im hoping he landed in the tank
. If I need to Ill pick up some more hermits on my next trip to the lfs.The tank already looks better, it looks alot taller now without the sand, and the floor looks real cool with the little sand and the rock, makes the structure look very interesting and complicated and has created more caves and swimming room which is a added bonus.
Theres a little crap left on one part of the glass that I didnt catch when I was cleaning it today, but Ill get it next Sundays cleaning.
I want to thank everyone for the help, and now Im hoping for the best with the dreaded cyano problem!*celebrate
