[RyanG]

New and Old aquarists may find this post helpful when you want immediate answers.


One major problem in tanks is cyano. This is especially true in new unestablished tanks. First lets state the reasons for that.

1) New tanks often have live rock cured in them before adding any fish to the tank; this leaves dead decaying matter in the tank to fuel cyano growth.

2) New tanks also aren't as stable on the chemical level as older more established tanks. Given time and careful water maintenance your water parameters will become more stable as well.

3) Other things I have heard help fuel cyano is low pH, how true this is I'm not sure, but low pH can cause many other problems as well.


Now to actually curing the cyano problem. There are many products on the market designed to kill cyano but I'm not a fan of dumping all sorts of chemicals into my tank. This usually involves checking if its ok with inverts, corals and fish. I choose to use a more natural way to rid the cyano which is just as easy.

Before doing any of the steps check for phosphates and nitrates. High phosphates and nitrates are notorious for helping to grow this stuff. High levels of phosphates are considered more than 0.03ppm while high nitrates are over 20ppm. If any of these are your problem, simple weekly water changes with RO water will help with your fix.

After Checking for phosphates here are your steps.

1) Weekly water changes using RO water. RO water eliminates an excess nutrient problem from even entering the water.

2) Increase Circulation in the tank. Cyano is known to thrive in areas of low circulation. (General Rule is 10x more circulation than tank volume)

3) Good Skimmer and skimmer maintenance. (Cleaning the collection cup often, and cleaning the skimmer itself once a month if possible)

4) Dripping kalk at night will help to precipitate out CaPO4, which can then be collected by the skimmer

5) Suck out any large patches of cyano with a turkey baster, this will completely remove the nutrients from the water column.


Other notes

-Over feeding will also help to raise nutrient levels.
-Cutting back on lighting period can help to reduce cyano (not preferred in my eyes)
-Growing macro algae will take up excess nutrients before cyano can use them.


Hope this helps and I hope you can avoid using those needless chemicals. They are only temporary fixes they will not solve your problem. Curing cyano is more than just making it disappear

[Danny]

Hi I am new to the hobby . My first question is -- what is cyano , I have a brown algae growing on my live sand . Is that Cyano?

[perenesbuenos]

Thats what I'm comfused

[perenesbuenos]

I have a lot of green algae and I wash the live rock. grow more and more in one week

[glampka]

Cyano has a deep red color, grows very quickly & in a blanket. Brown algae are diatoms.

[MattieFingaz]

Danny...

The brown you're running into is probably brown diatom. I've been recently dealing with it myself in my newly established tank. All levels seem great but it still is swarming the tops of my rocks and in my substrate. According to the folks here at RB and some outside research this is completely normal. I'm pretty sure it has to due with the brown diatom thriving on the silicates in the water. Here's the link to the thread I started about it. Brown (What I think) is Diatom

As I understand it (and by no means should my opinion be taken on it's own without research ) It's kinda like a flu shot...you need to add a bit of flu virus into the body to build up antibodies to defend it. Brown diatom will happen until your tank develops the "anitbodies" to be able to defend it.

As a last note, what kind of water are you using? Some companies have products that claim to have a product that makes water "safe" for inhabitants. It does remove chlorine and other harmful things in the water but the silicate in the water can usually only be eliminated by using RO/DI water.

Thanks to those that have helped me and good luck to everyone.

Mattie

Again, I'm learning TONS in this forum and hope that someone that knows more than me may comment on this as well and let me know if I'm spreading the right info.

[Danny]

Well i what i gather from your information coincides with an employee at the fish dealer told me. he said it is normal in a new cycling tank and once it matures i am assuming the problem will subside. I hope he is correct . It makes my tank look horrible (i prefer the white sand) and i worry about introducing live rock in the tank and the algae attacking it. I am excited about building this reef tank and i want to do it right.

[jcarroll81]

i have this bright red algae on a 20lb rock i recently purchased.... cant get rid of it..... also its producing a large amount of bubles.

ne ideas

[Danny]

Mattie;

Wow what a surprise i got when i got up to go to work today. Lastnight the diatom algae was getting thick in some places and all over the bottom of my tank. This morning 90 % of it has disapeared . So it is correct that it is a natural process a new tank goes through as it is meturing and getting established.. Unfortunately, my scooter blemy passed away. I'm not sure if it was due to any changes that occurred in the water, or what. He was a cute little guy. I wil have to get another one once i get all of the live rock i want . It will have more places to explore and play. I hope this will give others relief knowing thjat the diatom algae is only a temporary inconvenience as you are starting a new tank.

[reefgrl]

Is there a red algie that is good? Im asking because in one part of my tank appears to be the typical red slime with bubbles. and in other areas of high water flow it looks like there is the same color of algie however it is not bubbly, and looks like a thin coat.

[Danny]

reefgrl;
Personally i would have to say no. Unless it is a type of algae that form on live rock which gives it it's beautifull colors. I am new to this as well . Just as in R.B.F. there is a wealth of info on the net . a place that i like is
Saltwater Aquariums - Email This Site
i hope this is helpfull.

[jcarroll81]

REEFGRL : YOU AND I HAVE THE SAME PROBLEM

red slime algae with bubles cant get rid of it......... kinda pretty but not coraline..........think its a form of cyano but need insight on a quick natural way to get rid of it.

[renoreefer]

Been out of the hobby for about 8 years and recently started a 29gal with 45lbs fiji LR and 40lbs of live sand, red sea skimmer and a hang on wet/dry I made years ago(still works good).
I have had this tank running for 2 weeks and the ugly brown stuff has taken over my rock and sand.
Water tests are zero except for the nitrites are still 1.5 - 1.75, this doesn't seem to bother the two yellowtail damesels, they are very active and some type of small crab had came out of the rock. I just did a 15% water change w/distilled water and reefcystals, retested the water still about 1.5 on the nitrites?
Don't remember having this problem in the past. Oh the lighting is 130watt CP that runs 14hrs. 10hrs 10,000k daylight and 12hrs atinics plus led moon
is this too long for the lights?

thanks any ideas will help. I don't want to get frustrated because I have plans for 180gal S&S reef tank that I bought before I got out of the hobby when I moved.

[MattieFingaz]

Hey Reno...welcome back to the hobby...first off this is probably the best forum I've found because of the people...I was ABSOLUTELY new to the hobby a few months ago...I'm a knowledge junkie and I read about everything I can get my hands on...but please look at my post below...In my opinion, what you're dealing with is plain old brown diatom. I sucked it up and waited...it did go away..keep using the RO/DI water that will help...but diatom happens ((should make a shirt ) Algae is always going to be present in a tank...until it get's stringy or slimy you should be good. Kent makes a good phosphate sponge product that helps out a bit (I did use a couple doses following the mfg instructions). My brown diatom bloom went away after about a week...Used the vacuum and a brush to get it off the rocks...asthetics mostly...it goes away...then the dark green starts and then the purple...It's been 2 months since I ran into my initial bloom and I haven't lost anything...tanks looking lovely...

If you think it may be more than that submit some pics and we can all take a look and make a more informed opinion.

Good Luck!!

Mattie

[renoreefer]

Thanks for the reply and info,I have been doing some reading about silicates and silicic acid from Abert Thiel on a web site Netpets and he believes that this stuff still is in the r/o water. pretty good reference to read; he did mention phosphate removal and this will be my next step. I was watching the damsels this morning and they seem tolike to eat this stuff so can't be that bad just ugly. I'll let you know if this works for me, I'm just not that patient and want to add more life to this tank, but I know better. I'm also going to start adding calcium supliment to see if this will speed up the coralene coverage on the rocks.

thanks agian

Scott

[tychecc]

hey i just joined this forum, because i just got into saltwater fish. i guess first question is, I have this green algea on my sand bed. i have cleaned it many of times and is always back in a day or so. Only thing my tank is only like a month old wonder if that has do with it. I just feel like this crap will never go away.

[rlcline76]

Advanced Aquarist's Online Magazine - Hot Tips: Algae Control