Brand New 8 gallon bio cube

[Katrina71]

I have crayons if you like.

I'll look for an article. But in short, it's been around for 4+ billion years and feeds on everything. Light, nutrints, co2, calcium and alkalinity(co2), particulates(rotting and becoming both a co2 source and n/p).

I find it best just to make friends with it.

So in a young tank you have new uncured rock that is now slowly dissolving releasing a carbon source (calcium) also the biofilter bacteria are not full up to speed yet so there's nutrints available to other organisms like alge and cyano.

In these cases many folks use a competing organisim to reduce the amount of cyano bacteria that grows by starving it a bit. Chato and a refugium are one. Corals are another. Agressive bacteria from a bottle are also good as long as they don't have a carbon source in the bottle like MB7 does. As the carbon source directly feeds all bacteria.

In some cases phosphates do bind to a Rick very heavily. I had a tank that was overcome With it. During the rehabilitation several rocks no matter how high the flow would grow big spots of cyano. But just in those spots.

So the unfortunate trick is figuring out what is fueling your particular cyano and systematcly reducing that element.

Do you vacuume your sand ? After the over feeding it may be holding both has an nutrints.
Or is just in spots. I.e. Bound to rock.

It is only on 1 rock. I just don't want it to look like a crime scene in my tank. I can be friends with it if it stays under control I suppose. The tank doesn't have to be pristine. May I borrow a teal crayon? I broke mine.

 

[saltyfilmfolks]

If it's the one spot it may just eat what's there and be done. IMO if it was bad husbandry and high po4 etc etc.
it may just starve itself out.

And yes mine was A REDRUM tank.
In my rehab (after a deep clean) I used higher and higher light to increase the amount of cyano growth to burn out the lil buggers.

I also had a bunch of corals and a very small refugium an literally stripped the nutrints out of the tank with coral an cyano.


And no. I ate the teal one.

 

[Katrina71]

So it may just do its thing there and be done? Nothing to really stress about it?

 

[saltyfilmfolks]

So it may just do its thing there and be done? Nothing to really stress about it?

Yea, pretty much.
Slowly extend your photo period so you get to see the tank more. I hate that one btw. No offense to anyone.

Too easy right?

 

[Katrina71]

Simple is good. Like a basic black dress. Sorry, I'm a girl. It's allowed.

 

[saltyfilmfolks]

I'm a guy. All got is simple.

 

[Katrina71]

Anybody else ever get compared to a fish in their tank? Last night my son said I'm like the clown. Red and hyper. Not sure how I feel about that.

 

[Katrina71]

I got a new tiny blue mushroom today. So cute. Let's see how he does...

 

[saltyfilmfolks]

Got pics?

Red and hyper. Not sure how I feel about that.

Kids say the darndest things.

 

[Katrina71]

Ya mean brutal honesty! I dimmed the lights for him. Is it ok to white light him?

 

[saltyfilmfolks]

Ya mean brutal honesty! I dimmed the lights for him. Is it ok to white light him?

Yea I think it's fine. It in the bottom and I don't think your running high light.


And yea. Kids say the most brutal things ;Clown

 

[Katrina71]

 

[Katrina71]

Tiny. The size of a button. More blue when he isn't annoyed.

 

[saltyfilmfolks]

Awwww.

Shrooms aren't fond of me. They just do what the want now and I let them.

What brand is your bio cube Red?

 

[Katrina71]

He looked like a little Smurf in the shop snuggled up with some big red ones.

 

[Katrina71]

Awwww.

Shrooms aren't fond of me. They just do what the want now and I let them.

What brand is your bio cube Red?

Old. Lol oceanic

 

[saltyfilmfolks]

That's actually a nice set up. It's the compact fluorescents?

What's you light schedule? They're on timers and you have 3 plugs? 2 Fluoro one led?

 

[Katrina71]

The mushrooms and I have a mutual respect. I don't control them, they behave.

 

[Katrina71]

Yes. It was on at 1 off at 9. I'm trying to adjust it. Been turning the whites off at 6 hrs. Not sure what I really should do. Seems to vary depending on who you ask. I'm more than open to any options.

 

[saltyfilmfolks]

The mushrooms and I have a mutual respect. I don't control them, they behave.

I suspect they may know what's good for them.

Without getting too technical , you can, turn on the moon light when the family wakes up in the morning, before y'all leave turn on the first tube so the kids see the fishies. Then turn on the other tube for about four or five hours (peak lighting) , then go back to one tube, then to the moon leds.

You can get away with a ten to twelve hour photoperiod this way.
The only diy modification you may want to look at is a white led so you can run the tubes for less time and still see the tank.