Cyano, diatoms and phosphate

[IIDRYWATERII]

Hi
Had diatoms a while back and they went on there own….. Then cyano came which I’ve been battling for around a month ish….. I used chemi clean first does 24 hours second dose 72 hours….. 99 % of it went just had a very small light pink patch size of a penny…. That was 3 weeks ago when I used chemi clean…..

Then the diatoms came back…… currently have both…… I’m managing to keep on top of it…..

Got advice from the aquarium shop… I asked about my phosphate lvl could be causing it as at the time the system was a low nutrient one as in hardly any nitrates or phosphates….. Any no algae anywhere, so was thinking no competition….

Got advice to increase phosphate by feeding more…… My stats are the flowing…..

amonium -0
Nitrite - 0.05
Nitrate - 5
Phosphate - 0.1
Salinity - 1.026

Am I looking at it the wrong way and actually my phosphate is much higher just been used by the cyano, so by increasing phosphate I’m actually fuelling it more?

Should I carry on trying to get my phosphate around 0.3, keep at 0.1 for a while to see improvement or reduce phosphate even more?

I siphoned my sand Bed other day and it’s already back in parts….. picture bellow thanks in advance ……

Tank 4 month old ish

CUC consists of the following

Got conchs
Nassurius snails
Blue and red hermits
Bumble bee

No corals yet as want to sort bacteria problem out first…..

 

[fishybizzness]

My advice is to not add any more chemical quick fixes and let it go through it's cycle. You're reading nitrites so my guess is the tank is still going through its cycling and stabilization process. Adding chemicals to kill bacteria in a new tank that are just a part of the cycle just allows something else to take over. Take your time and don't overreact to stuff. Just practice good husbandry and it will all work out in time.

 

[IIDRYWATERII]

My advice is to not add any more chemical quick fixes and let it go through it's cycle. You're reading nitrites so my guess is the tank is still going through its cycling and stabilization process. Adding chemicals to kill bacteria in a new tank that are just a part of the cycle just allows something else to take over. Take your time and don't overreact to stuff. Just practice good husbandry and it will all work out in time.

K only chemi cleaned as I was advised to, said it was only way to get rid of it…. Further down line realising that’s it’s not ….

 

[jsker]

How long has the system been setup?

How long has it been since the RO/DI filters have been changed out? I notice when I would try to extend out the life of my RO/DI filters I would get cyano all the time. Since if have been changing my RO/DI filters more often, I am not having the cyano out breaks like I used too.

 

[IIDRYWATERII]

System been running between 4-5 month….. Not running my own water system at the moment…. Getting it direct from aquarium place.

 

[jsker]

System been running between 4-5 month….. Not running my own water system at the moment…. Getting it direct from aquarium place.

Could be what is in the water/not filtered out.

Your nutrients are very good for a system that is this new. As @fishybizzness suggested, not to use chemical treatments right now. Us a treatment only if the cyano starts taking over the DT. By using chemical treatments, the treatments basically reset you system and you will have another mini cycle.

 

[IIDRYWATERII]

Could be what is in the water/not filtered out.

Your nutrients are very good for a system that is this new. As @fishybizzness suggested, not to use chemical treatments right now. Us a treatment only if the cyano starts taking over the DT. By using chemical treatments, the treatments basically reset you system and you will have another mini cycle.

Would you keep the phosphates as they are then at 0.1?

 

[IIDRYWATERII]

Update 99% of cyano gone, raised my nitrates and phosphates…… got a bit of green algae on rocks which in my mind is competition for the diatoms and cyano……Also added another conch and a few more hermits……. Tank been like this a day now where as before it would have grown back by now …..

 

[thatmanMIKEson]

How long has the system been setup?

How long has it been since the RO/DI filters have been changed out? I notice when I would try to extend out the life of my RO/DI filters I would get cyano all the time. Since if have been changing my RO/DI filters more often, I am not having the cyano out breaks like I used too.

Don't sound right to me but maybe you can blame it on rodi ......

 

[jsker]

Don't sound right to me but maybe you can blame it on rodi ......

My system has had many up's and down's over the past two years. Keeping the RO/DI filter freshly rotated has really helped with keeping the cyano at bay. I am noticing also that just keeping up with simple maintenance really helps with keep ones system healthy.

Some swear by some of the quick fix products, but the cyano eventually comes back. It is finding out what is trigging the out breaks in a particular system.

 

[thatmanMIKEson]

My system has had many up's and down's over the past two years. Keeping the RO/DI filter freshly rotated has really helped with keeping the cyano at bay. I am noticing also that just keeping up with simple maintenance really helps with keep ones system healthy.

Some swear by some of the quick fix products, but the cyano eventually comes back. It is finding out what is trigging the out breaks in a particular system.

Maybe...I would think of checking a few things causing cyano, not rodi filters. one which part of the filter are you referring to since there are several filters that make up a quality water filtration system.

I know a few reef tanks started on tap water so, there's that..(fish of hex 300g started on tap)
Idk Maybe.. but I'd look at other stuff or test your filter system before you go throwing money into filters that are ok.
I bet you didn't just change your "r.o filters" you were probably overloading gfo and chemi clean and carbon dosing for a month then thought hey I better change my "r.o filters" without knowing why but hey I'm glad its all cleared up for you and thanks for reposting and calling me out about my comment

 

[jsker]

Maybe...I would think of checking a few things causing cyano, not rodi filters. one which part of the filter are you referring to since there are several filters that make up a quality water filtration system.

The carbon filter, I was using lose carbon and switch back back to two carbon block filter. I was at my wits end trying to figure out what was causing my cyano out breaks. I was doing some reading and the light went on. That with loose carbon, bacteria can grown in the the filter. I would run steady nutrients, water changes, feed just enough for years. The cyano would come back after I would use a cyano remover every time after a couple of month.

I know a few reef tanks started on tap water so, there's that..(fish of hex 300g started on tap)

When I was up in New York, I would use tap water with prime, and never had a problem. Same with when I was in Boston. I did not need an RO/DI filter until Florida.

calling me out about my comment

I would not ever think of call anyone out. My thinking, the more we talk about things, the more all of use learn from each other

 

[WallyB]

INteresting about RO System and bacteria (in the system), causing cyano.

My RO system is hooked up to various AutoFilling Buckets to keep ATO Reserviors full. Those buckets get slimy over time.
All resevoirs are run on float sensors, so the RO tubing does touch the Float sensors. ATO tubes are in Sump and are exposed to bacteria since the far end of the tubes go into sumps (exposed to tank water mist)

Is it possible that all these interconnects, have contaminated my RO System?
They do say even household drinking water RO system should be sanitized with Bleach every so often, since pure RO water is a breeding ground for bacteria.

I change my Carbon Blocks based on TDS reading at each stage. I haven't changed my Carbons in a year. Yes, I change my DI stage when the Color of the Resin changes (which is every other month)

I'm struggling with Cyano (Over a year, on a mature system 5+++years old), so changing carbon blocks and sterilizing the RO system can't hurt.

The only problem with this theory, is I have 2 other DT's running off the same RO system, and they don't have a spot of cyano.

 

[jsker]

Is it possible that all these interconnects, have contaminated my RO System?

Some how the cyano was introduced to one of your DT's. I am not saying that older filters are causing the Cyano, but possibly giving the cyano fuel to grow.

I'm struggling with Cyano (Over a year, on a mature system 5+++years old), so changing carbon blocks and sterilizing the RO system can't hurt.

My system hit the 5 year mark in 2020. Did I have cyano before then, yes. Since making my change the cyano outbreaks are non to a patch and then it goes away.