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Cyano
- Thread starter Tazmaniancowboy
- Start date
It may be coincidence but we had a major outbreak in our 8 gallon we did multiple water changes from 5 % to 50 + % between that an hour less a day with the lights , a new mp10 vortex and some chemi-pure elite im tempted to say we have the cyano on the run. Much better then its been in months . Just a thought.
Chuck P and Anna Maria
Chuck P and Anna Maria
John and Phyllis brought their phosphate photometer to the meeting and tested my water for me. Can't thank them enough, Thanks again Phyl and John. I kind of expected a high reading, but almost fell over when I found out the phosphates were 2.3 something. I have to invest in one of those meters. I have tested multiple times with 2 different test kits and never came up with anything. I wonder what your value needs to be to be picked up by these test kits, wow. One good thing is that I found the water out of my phos reactor was .5 so it is definitely trying to reduce the phosphates.
I will siphon as much as I can from the tank and replace it with 55g of fresh salt water to hold me over until I can get my DI problem situated and I will have to gather a couple of barrels and make lots of water for a water change. When I have enough water I will probably do a 75% water change and then change out my GFO.
At a phos level of 2.3 I am surprised I have no hair algae?
Mnat, I was thinking about using that, and I know nothing good in this hobby happens fast, but how long does it take for that stuff to work? I will not use it until I do a major water change, but never used it before and do not know how.
Thanks for the suggestions guys, any thoughts or suggestions are always welcome with me!
Taz
I will siphon as much as I can from the tank and replace it with 55g of fresh salt water to hold me over until I can get my DI problem situated and I will have to gather a couple of barrels and make lots of water for a water change. When I have enough water I will probably do a 75% water change and then change out my GFO.
At a phos level of 2.3 I am surprised I have no hair algae?
Mnat, I was thinking about using that, and I know nothing good in this hobby happens fast, but how long does it take for that stuff to work? I will not use it until I do a major water change, but never used it before and do not know how.
Thanks for the suggestions guys, any thoughts or suggestions are always welcome with me!
Taz
Reading off the directions for high nutrient systems 2 weeks in the first dosing cylce followed by I believe weekly or every other week dosing afterwards. One person I talked too had their cyano disapear in 6 days. I just started last night on my 12g. I was doing huge water changes and scrubbing and it kept coming back. Last night we did almost 100% water change, rinsed the sand several times, scrubbed the tank, and started to dose. I know that may not be an option with a bigger tank, but I will keep you updated. I have some hair algae that I could not scrub off so I will see how that does with the new dosing regimen.
For anybody that may have been following this thread or helping me, I did a 100G water change yesterday by siphoning out as much crap as I could (all 100g) and replacing with the water I had made up. I actually had 150g waiting and intended for use, but didn't drain enough :'(
Woke up this morning and tank looked nice. Did phos test and came up with .04 twice. Was at .o6 2 weeks ago. I want to start dosing Brightwells Microbacter 7 and Reef Biofuel, but at this point, I have battled so long that I might as well wait to see if new bulbs ordered in the group buy have any effect( just a little experimental observation out of curiosity for myself).
right now there is a little creeping up on the sandbed in spots.
I will keep this thread posted with results.
Taz
Woke up this morning and tank looked nice. Did phos test and came up with .04 twice. Was at .o6 2 weeks ago. I want to start dosing Brightwells Microbacter 7 and Reef Biofuel, but at this point, I have battled so long that I might as well wait to see if new bulbs ordered in the group buy have any effect( just a little experimental observation out of curiosity for myself).
right now there is a little creeping up on the sandbed in spots.
I will keep this thread posted with results.
Taz
sorry not trying to hijack but I am having a problem too what effects will old lights have I am changing mine this week (they are 1 year old) thanks John
bovsbaitboxes said:
No need for sorry, That is a legitimate question and also a question in my mind, which is why I am looking forward to seeing the new bulb change.
There have been general consensus guidelines as to the life expectancy of different types of bulbs. The bulbs will still appear to be working to your eye, but not doing the same job as a new bulb would. As they age the spectrum as well as par value(I believe) changes. In my case I have T5's which I believe are recommended to be changed between 9 - 12 months. Mine are over a year old and to make matters worse they are overdriven by IceCap660 ballasts which I'm sure shortens the usefull lifespan of the bulbs a little quicker.
The debate is whether or not the old bulbs cause the problems, but my personal opinion is that it just amplifies a hidden water quality problem, like phosphates in my case, but I have no evidence to back this up. Here is a thread posted here recently discussing whether or not the old bulbs really cause a problem or not. http://www.njreefers.org/joomla/index.php?option=com_smf&Itemid=26&topic=21974.0
Taz
thanks maybe this is why I am losing a few zoas and palys the light may be no good I will be changing tomorrow and I will let you know in a week if any changes (zoas cyano hair algae) thanks John
Dave said:
I have to say it is very hard to hold out. I want to win this battle once and for all. I already bought the brightwells products to start dosing, and I will make up more water next week to hit it hard. I woke up today to bleach white sand and by noon it was covered.
I will observe the tank for about one week after I put the new bulbs in and then I am going to hit it hard! I don't have much patience to watch anymore!
Taz
To add to my observances. I walked past the tank before, 1/2 hr after first set of lights turned off, and all traces of cyano under them was practically gone! From this observance I can safely say lighting does definately play a role in it, but now I need to find out does the age of the bulbs matter?
My other question is where does this stuff go? It doesn't just disappear, Does it become transparant, or does it break down into the water column? Pretty amazing if you could see it. I put a bleach white(brand new) filter sock on just now and I will check in the AM.
Taz
My other question is where does this stuff go? It doesn't just disappear, Does it become transparant, or does it break down into the water column? Pretty amazing if you could see it. I put a bleach white(brand new) filter sock on just now and I will check in the AM.
Taz
Re: Diatoms?
This just in! Just measured my clam. The big boy is a whopping 11 inches end to end on the shell and 6 inches high. when the mantle is fully open it extends about 2 inches on each end! Needless to say he takes up a lot of realestate! B)
Taz
Hawkeye said:
This just in! Just measured my clam. The big boy is a whopping 11 inches end to end on the shell and 6 inches high. when the mantle is fully open it extends about 2 inches on each end! Needless to say he takes up a lot of realestate! B)
Taz
Man this stuff sucks. I wake up in the AM and my sand is as bleach white as the day I took it out of the bag and by 9-10 it has already turned brown and hairy. I can't take much more of this! 
Taz
Taz
Bulbs should be in sometime next week, I hope to pick up Thursday.
One odd thing happened to me last night. I came home to find that one of my light fixtures was stuck on. t was scheduled to be shut off 3 hrs earlier, but a problematic PC4 didn't allow it to shut down. Well anyway, there wasn't a trace of cyano on the sandbed???????
Wake up to clean sand...gets dirtier by the hour....lights go off with brown sand....lights stick on for 3 extra hours sand is clean???
I also tried alternating between the two fixtures and the intensity moves between front and back according to which I shut off for the day.
Taz
PS: by the way I am following a cyano thread on RC where they are using "special blend" has anybody seen or used this stuff?
One odd thing happened to me last night. I came home to find that one of my light fixtures was stuck on. t was scheduled to be shut off 3 hrs earlier, but a problematic PC4 didn't allow it to shut down. Well anyway, there wasn't a trace of cyano on the sandbed???????
Wake up to clean sand...gets dirtier by the hour....lights go off with brown sand....lights stick on for 3 extra hours sand is clean???
I also tried alternating between the two fixtures and the intensity moves between front and back according to which I shut off for the day.
Taz
PS: by the way I am following a cyano thread on RC where they are using "special blend" has anybody seen or used this stuff?
use some chemiclean. i've used it multiple times on different customers' tanks without any ill effects. you'll need to do a series of waterchanges to remove all the nutrients left over. follow the directions and dosage info and you'll wipe it out in 3 days. if your parameters are good, it won't come back.
it's definitely not a lighting issue, it is a nutrient issue.
it's definitely not a lighting issue, it is a nutrient issue.