Cyno BAD!

[Dencentron]

Getting a really bad Cyno Outbreak. Did some research and this is what I think I am goign to do.

1. Black Out the aquarium after syphoning as much of cyno out as I can.

2. If it persists, Red slime.

While the tank is blacked out, Im going to set up a small hospital tank for my corals so they dont die in the two day absence of light. And so I can feed my fish. ( I will put some red slime in here so I can just minimize the chance of it being rereleased into my tank)

Sounds good?
Params -
20g tank
water changes 1 a week
Nitrates - 30 ppm
nitrites -0 0ppm
Alkalinity - between 180 and 300 ppm
ph - between 8 and 8.4
phosphates -unknown (probably high)

[bpro32]

if you're moving the fish and corals I say go ahead and black out the tank for longer... maybe 4 or 5 days... also do a couple big water changes on the display tank while it is blacked out..

[jaysonsd]

Didn't rid of mine until I increased flow and addressed my high phosphates with phosguard for short times. Fish should be on diets too, just like the people who take care of 'em.

[Dencentron]

I have a very high flow, and I dont have anything to check my phosphates.
Think if I took a sample to the LFS they could check into it?

[seahorse_man]

The two things you mentioned are to ''cover up'' your Cyano or remove it for a short period of time, but if you don't solve the source of the problem it will keep coming back. You didn't provide a lot of information/parameters about your tank so I can just provide general information. Cyano grows in high phosphate/nutrient environments, and grows faster warmer water.

Maybe you feed to much to often?
Too much light?
Lights on to long?
High temperature?
Large Bio-load?

For starters I would siphon out as much as you can/all of it (you didn't specify how big you tank is). I would use a smaller diameter siphon hose as it will suck less water out and give you more time to suck the Cyano. Add new water. While you try to figure out why you have it (I can't really help as you gave no information) I would run a Chemi Pure Elite (http://www.customaquatic.com/estore/control/product/~product=FI-BY16743-6), cut back on lighting, cut back on feeding, and keep up with your water changes.

[Dencentron]

Yeah I talk'd to some peopel at the LFS and got some more information. I do over feed I think and am going to start cutting back immideatly. After the Red Slime treatment, Im gonna start using a phosgaurd. And start running a higher grade Carbon with that. I am going to dump in some hermit crabs to help out with the problem. (About 10)

I do about a 5 gallon water change once a week. (25%) So over feeding is probably my issue.

[seahorse_man]

You can save yourself some time and money and not have to add or use anything extra. All you have to do is cut back on feedings and keep up on maintenance. Rather than covering up or removing (for a short period) phosphates with a product you can just prevent from having them at all.

[JAHGYDI]

mb7 worked for me

[jaysonsd]

Phosguard is good, but gfo is better over the long term. Phosguard (based on what I've read and what I've observed) sux up alotta phosphates quickly then can leach aluminum into the water. Chemiclean is a bandaid, an oxidizer that can eat up the leftovers you have floating around; I found it pissed off my sps and only put the cyano in temporary remission. Patience and diligence unfortunately is the only thing that worked. Least I can put a sand bed back in :)

Don't forget to take a baster to your lr right b4 you water change.

[Dencentron]

Don't forget to take a baster to your lr right b4 you water change.

What?

[jaysonsd]

I have high flow as well, but when I do a water change, I take a turkey baster to the live rock and kick up all the detrius thats settled on it. Suspended in the water column, you can remove more the n/p contributions that cyano feeds on.

[Dencentron]

Gotcah thank you! I'm going to be doing a water change later today. So this should help!
Thanks for all the imput guys!