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cyanobacteria killers

fatoldsun

NJRC Member
Anyone have experience with any of the cyanobacteria killers? I am struggling with the extra natural light I’m getting. I've been siphoning off substantial sheets pretty regularly. If I vacuum the sand bed I can get about 60-75% - it’s hard to be efficient with my make-shift siphon. With it comes about 10-15 gallons which is fine for a water change but I could have a covered sand bed in about 3-4 days and I know even 75% is leaving enough to fuel each come back. I had some GHA about 3 months ago and some of the cyano popped up with it. Lots of PWCs and adding GFO back online (took it off when I added bio pellets about 6-8 months ago) and fixing an issue with phosphates in my NSW knocked that back but the cyano has stayed. My nutrients seems to be in line now so I’m thinking my options are to cover the tank with a tarp (to block out the sun) which is a last resort because having it - covered seems sort of pointless. The other thought was to try one of the cyano-killers. Red Slime Remover, Blue Life Red Cyano Rx, or Boyds Chemi-clean (last two are available in the Champion GB). Any thoughts on any of these 3? Any success stories or failure stories? Thanks
 

ecam

Administrator
Staff member
Board of Directors
NJRC Member
Moderator
Chemi Clean works like a charm for me. and didnt harm my anemone. mushrooms or frogspwans...
 
I think I'd try some KZ Coral Snow first. It's been a long time, but I've had success using the Ultralive Red Slime Remover.
 
I got a Tiger Tail Cucumber. Took out as much as I could, put in the cucumber and haven't seen any cyno since then.
 

fatoldsun

NJRC Member
I did get a conch. It has a bad attitude. It works on its terms when IT feels like it. Every time I think it's dead, it pops up and bulldozes the sand bed.

Where did you get the cuke? Aquarium Center? I asked at THR and 2 people there said the cukes they had would pretty much ignore the sand bed and hang out on the glass near the top
 
I have never seen my cucumber on the glass. Didn't even know if could climb up it. Mine just eats dirty sand and craps out clean sand(thats how it looks anyway) The only down fall would be if your rocks are ontop of the sand as it can displace a lot of sand(in the front, out the back some 6-8 inches away)


I got mine from R2R about 4 months back, maybe a little longer.
 

MadReefer

Vice President
Staff member
NJRC Member
Moderator
I have a cuke and it stays mainly on the sand. Once in awhile on the glass but never near the cyano. If you get one and eats the cyano please post which type as I would like to pick one up. Good luck.
 

redfishbluefish

Officer Emeritus
Officer Emeritus
Here’s a Tiger’s Tail climbing the glass:

IMG_2294.jpg


Never really impressed with this guys cleaning ability, so I gave him away. Now I have a Red and Black cuc and he motors around the sand, leaving clean sand poop all over the place. With both cucs, I never saw them eating cyano.


FYI, on occasion the Red and Black also climbs the glass.
 

fatoldsun

NJRC Member
I've definitely seen the conch eat cyano but like I said - it works on "its" schedule. the LFS said my tanks likely too small for more than one (90g) and it's a bull dozer - I've had to take everything except my clam off the sand bed because he will move anything that sits where he feels like going.
I may add a cuke just to have the variety of another interesting creature but I guess I won't be expecting too much from it (and hopefully it doesn’t die and crash my tank) – I guess the brighter the colors they riskier they are so a nice “poop greenish-brown” drab looking one should be perfect :)
 
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