[holiday]

I have a Rainsoft RO system that came with our water softener. I have had it for 5 years and have barely used it. I was getting tired of lugging jugs for 2 tanks so I decided to start using my own system. My neighbor said to change all the filters since it's been sitting. I did and ran about 6 gallons thru it before I started using the water.

Within a few days of doing my first water change I got cyano. I have done more water changes, cut the lights down to about 4 hours a day and have fed the tank less. My lfs store was out of Phosfate tests so I have to look for one elsewhere on Monday. The nitrite are zero and the nitrates are 10 everything else is great. My skimmer is foaming nicely. I am torn about pulling the bioballs and putting live rock in there but I am confused about this. How much needs to be in there and some people say they put sand in there with the live rock? Doesn't it get sucked up in the return pump and skimmers? I washed the bioballs three weeks ago.

Anyways, my first concern was do you think my ro system isn't working properly? Does this happen?

Thanks for the help. Noel

[aquasalt]

You might have erred in washing the bio balls. ???

[holiday]

I have read to do that preiodically. If I was wrong to listen to that advice then my bad. I just want to clear the cyno up and wondered if its my RO system and I should switch back to the lfs.

[e_baer]

when washing the bioballs, wash them in small amounts.

small amount A on week one, small amount B on week 2. this way there is always a good biological filter running with lots of bacteria on it.

[holiday]

I have only done one washing and it was about 1/4 - 1/3 of them and I scraped the sides of the sump down.

[glampka]

Check the TDS of the water coming out of the RO filter. I don't think that doing a water change with RO water would start a cyano outbreak. Did you try increasing the flow over the area where the cyano is? Get the phosphate test ASAP.

[holiday]

I did hook up a Seio 620 yesterday and it seems to have made the cyano a little bit better maybe but at least it didn't spread any further overnight. I am on the hunt for a phospate test today.

Thanks for all who chimmed in.