# cyanobacteria



## sig (Dec 13, 2010)

Was looking on the WEB and as alwyas there are millions opinions. People even saying to reduce lights to 6 H/day
I found this article and it looks good, but anybody here have any* real experience *dealing with this stuff?

http://ezinearticles.com/?What-To-D...bacteria-(Slime-Algae)-and-Diatoms&id=5766492

If you plan on keeping a saltwater aquarium for any amount of time, whether it is a reef tank or a fish-only with live rock tank (FOWLR), you are likely to experience an outbreak of cyanobacteria and diatoms. Cyanobacteria or "Cyano" is also referred to as green slime algae (also comes in red and brown). As it's name implies, Cyanobacteria covers rocks and sand with a thin slimy film. And while it is easily removed by siphoning, if the conditions that support it are not improved, then it will quickly return.

Cyanobacteria and diatoms are brought on by the following factors:

* - high phosphate (>.5) and silicate
* - high nitrates (>25ppm)
* - insufficient current/water movement
* - high organics
* - low alkalinity (<3.0 meq/liter or <150ppm)
* - low pH (<8.2)
* - not enough grazers/inverts/sand stirrers (hermits, turbo snails, nassarius snails, seacucumbers)
* - not sufficient coverage of rock with corals (corals and algae do compete, so tip the scales in your favor by stocking to cover 60% of your rock with corals).

Three products that work to treat the symptom (not the cause - see above) are as follows:

1. Chemiclean, which will eradicate the cyanobacteria (reef safe - we've used it in our service business for years)
2. Granular Ferric Oxide (removes phosphate and silicates) - we prefer Rowaphos, but there are other brands that work as well too. This is great for removing phosphate, although a bit expensive. Remember to focus on lessening the source of input of phosphate into your system (i.e. tapwater and foods). For tapwater we filter with RODI (target is zero TDS). As for the foods, we strongly recomment rinsing your frozen foods prior to feeding. You'd be amazed at the amount of **** (scientific term) that would otherwise go into your tank/system.
3. Doxicyclene hyclate - it has been years since I've used this for treating RTN (rapid tissue necrosis) in corals, but we also noticed that it was great for temporarily eradicating cyanobacteria. I say temporary, because this is just treating the symptom and not the cause. As long as the original cause (see above) is still there, the cyano will likely return.

If your type of saltwater tank is a fish-only with live rock (FOWLR), you are always going to have significantly higher phosphates, nitrates, silicates and organics to deal with than you would in a reef tank - even if you had the same number of fish in a reef tank. This is because in FOWLR tanks, there are no (or very few) corals, sponges, coraline algae, clams, filter feeders, etc. to help remove nutrients from the water.

So with a FOWLR tank, you will need to be more aggressive with use of carbon, GFO (granular ferric oxide - removes phosphate) and with the removal of detritus. I strongly recommend "storming the tank" at least twice a month (during normal/ideal conditions), but I would recommend doing it once a month in your current situation.

What I mean by "Storming the tank", is putting a powerhead on a stick/pipe and blast the rock to liberate detritus that has collected in the live rock. And then having some type of mechanical filtration in use to remove the detritus now that it is suspended in the water column.

To do this you can use a canister filter, D.E. filter (diatomacious earth), or even a small powerfilter (hang-on-the-side). Or if you don't have any of these items, you can storm the tank with the powerhead and then siphon it off the surfact of the rock/sand as you do a large water change. With this method I recommend blasting with the powerhead twice during the water change, allowing it to settle out for siphoning between blasting.

So if you end up with an outbreak of cyanobacteria or diatoms in your reef tank or fish-only tank (FOWLR), consider yourself fortunate that it is just cyanobacteria and dyatoms, which are relatively easy to get rid of, and not something more difficult like bryopsis or hair algae. And remember, you are better off preventing than reacting.

And now, I'd like to invite you to receive your FREE phone consultation. Whether you are a beginner or a seasoned aquarist, we would like to help you out - live on the phone - with whatever challenge or questions you might have. And in addition to receiving our free newsletter with behind the scenes secrets, tips and advice, we will provide how-to videos, and interviews with experts and authors.

Click here for instant access >>> http://www.saltwateraquariumsecrets.com/freehelp.html

Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Warren_Gibbons

*100% free webcam site! | Awesome chicks and it is absolutely free! | Watch free live sex cam - easy as 1-2-3*


----------



## Kweli (Jun 2, 2010)

My small outbreaks were stopped when I increased flow.

I also ensure that any frozen food is washed with RO water first


----------



## sig (Dec 13, 2010)

Kweli said:


> My small outbreaks were stopped when I increased flow.
> 
> I also ensure that any frozen food is washed with RO water first


Do you mean flow on the bottom of the tank? I think I have too much flow in my 80G :

2 Coralia 5
1 coralia 3
magnum hung on running Chemi Pure
Hung on Skimmer
Hung On Refisium

How you wash frozen food? do you run it trough the net?
Thanks

*100% free webcam site! | Awesome chicks and it is absolutely free! | Watch free live sex cam - easy as 1-2-3*


----------



## Kweli (Jun 2, 2010)

sig said:


> Do you mean flow on the bottom of the tank? I think I have too much flow in my 80G :
> 
> 2 Coralia 5
> 1 coralia 3
> ...


Put it in a fish net, pour RO water over it (I have a RO drinking water faucet for my RO/DI unit)...

Then i flip the net over and use tank water to squirt the frozen food off the net and into a cup. I use a turkey baster for this, and for feeding


----------



## sinner (Sep 25, 2010)

I simply added a huge CUC 

40 cerith snails, in a 35 gallon tank..

all traces of cyano gone.


----------



## sig (Dec 13, 2010)

sinner said:


> I simply added a huge CUC
> 
> 40 cerith snails, in a 35 gallon tank..
> 
> all traces of cyano gone.


Are they reef safe?

*100% free webcam site! | Awesome chicks and it is absolutely free! | Watch free live sex cam - easy as 1-2-3*


----------



## sig (Dec 13, 2010)

Kweli said:


> Put it in a fish net, pour RO water over it (I have a RO drinking water faucet for my RO/DI unit)...
> 
> Then i flip the net over and use tank water to squirt the frozen food off the net and into a cup. I use a turkey baster for this, and for feeding


How often do you feed frozen food? 
I feed fish two times per day - They get life spectrum marine around 3PM and frozen Hikary around 8PM.

What you are doing looks like a big job

*100% free webcam site! | Awesome chicks and it is absolutely free! | Watch free live sex cam - easy as 1-2-3*


----------



## sig (Dec 13, 2010)

the only issue with washing the food that you will take out additives - in my case it is Spirulina

*100% free webcam site! | Awesome chicks and it is absolutely free! | Watch free live sex cam - easy as 1-2-3*


----------



## Kweli (Jun 2, 2010)

thats alot of snails, lol.. geez... And i dont think snails eat cyano.... you must have some other type of algae

I feed once a day.. typically pellets for my fish only... only have 4 fish. A teaspoon amount is a good estimate

Every other day ill do some frozen food (mysis, cylopeeze, or formula 1) and feed some corals that require it (dendro, suncoral)


----------



## sig (Dec 13, 2010)

Kweli said:


> thats alot of snails, lol.. geez... And i dont think snails eat cyano.... you must have some other type of algae
> 
> I feed once a day.. typically pellets for my fish only... only have 4 fish. A teaspoon amount is a good estimate
> 
> Every other day ill do some frozen food (mysis, cylopeeze, or formula 1) and feed some corals that require it (dendro, suncoral)


Thanks. i will change the feeding schedule

*100% free webcam site! | Awesome chicks and it is absolutely free! | Watch free live sex cam - easy as 1-2-3*


----------



## Naoko (Jan 22, 2011)

Do you have an outbreak of Cyano, you did not say in your opening... yes most marine aquarist have experience with this 



sig said:


> Was looking on the WEB and as alwyas there are millions opinions. People even saying to reduce lights to 6 H/day
> I found this article and it looks good, but anybody here have any* real experience *dealing with this stuff?
> 
> http://ezinearticles.com/?What-To-D...bacteria-(Slime-Algae)-and-Diatoms&id=5766492
> ...


----------



## sig (Dec 13, 2010)

I do not have a outbreak of Cyano. What i see it just 2 places. One I sucked out yesterday and one is around anemone.

My LR is covered heavily with coralline on the top and it is very difficalt at least for me to identify where is the cyano

*100% free webcam site! | Awesome chicks and it is absolutely free! | Watch free live sex cam - easy as 1-2-3*


----------



## ajdelosr (Jul 11, 2010)

When I was reefkeeping, mine kinda came outta nowhere, and then disappeared gradually without me doing much. By much I mean reducing feeding and cutting out the lights earlier by 2-3 hours from when I had it at 12 hours a day. Mine eventually kinda went away on its own. Something that all tanks need to do to mature. Kinda like a puberty thing.


----------



## Chris S (Dec 19, 2007)

sig said:


> the only issue with washing the food that you will take out additives - in my case it is Spirulina


If you have the spirulina brine shrimp, they are gut loaded with spirulina so rinsing them shouldn't make any difference.


----------



## sinner (Sep 25, 2010)

Yes I have found them to be,
they are and by far other than my crown snail, my best CUC addition,,,


----------



## sinner (Sep 25, 2010)

Kweli said:


> thats alot of snails, lol.. geez... And i dont think snails eat cyano.... you must have some other type of algae
> 
> I feed once a day.. typically pellets for my fish only... only have 4 fish. A teaspoon amount is a good estimate
> 
> Every other day ill do some frozen food (mysis, cylopeeze, or formula 1) and feed some corals that require it (dendro, suncoral)


nope beleave it or not, look it up.. 
 they will eat it..

I think I know what cyano looks like  (red slime?)
I feed very heavy, i dont want an anorexic reef, 
but heavy feeding needs a HUGE CUC

either way, now they consume most of all fallen food matters, tank has been Cyano free for 2 months..

worked for me, and many others,..


----------



## Will (Jul 24, 2008)

I have had cyano once and a while, and have had big outbreaks in the past in my 10 gallon reef. I have used the product chemiclean with good success (be sure to not overdose).


----------

