Extreme Water Clarity and Cyano Eradication, Made Easy!

[SunnyX]

Does anyone know if the MB7 can be mixed in at the time of making the large batch of snow?

Hello,

I don't think that it would be advisable to mix it and allow the solution to sit for an extended period of time. Unless you're mixing the solution in a lab environment, free of contamination you'd likely be setting up a little science experiment in that bottle.

-Sonny

 

[rockyb]

Thanks for the info!

 

[SunnyX]

Quick video showing my Saturday routine. The most up to date video are usually posted on my Instagram account @Reefsite

Clean sand and super coral growth! DIY formula at ReefSite.com

youtube.com

 

[dieselkeeper]

Could ZEOsym be used instead of calcium carbonate? I ask because it is what I have.

 

[TanksJB]

I have treated my 140 gallon tank as recommended including bacteria for cyno on the gravel. I have treated the tank daily with the recommended dose for a week now. I still have the same white stuff floating around the tank as I had before. Some of the white stuff is tiny dots and some looks larger like small bits of cotton or something. I do storms in my tank and have 100 and 200 micron filters in the sump for everything that comes from the tank but the white things never goes away. It seems like it never goes over the overflow to the filter but I know that just can't be true because it floats all around including up near the surface. Perhaps there is something generating it inside the tank. Any suggestions?

 

[TanksJB]

I have treated my 140 gallon tank as recommended including bacteria for cyno on the gravel. I have treated the tank daily with the recommended dose for a week now. I still have the same white stuff floating around the tank as I had before. Some of the white stuff is tiny dots and some looks larger like small bits of cotton or something. I do storms in my tank and have 100 and 200 micron filters in the sump for everything that comes from the tank but the white things never goes away. It seems like it never goes over the overflow to the filter but I know that just can't be true because it floats all around including up near the surface. Perhaps there is something generating it inside the tank. Any suggestions?

I am using Best Naturals Calcium Carbonate premium formula pure powder I bought on Amazon.

 

[Lavey29]

I use Sunny water clearing method one every week or two. So easy and it works perfectly with no bad effects on coral or fish. Love this simple method.

 

[SunnyX]

Could ZEOsym be used instead of calcium carbonate? I ask because it is what I have.

Hello,

I have never used it, but is sounds like it does some things similar to the coral snow, at a much high cost of course.

 

[SunnyX]

I have treated my 140 gallon tank as recommended including bacteria for cyno on the gravel. I have treated the tank daily with the recommended dose for a week now. I still have the same white stuff floating around the tank as I had before. Some of the white stuff is tiny dots and some looks larger like small bits of cotton or something. I do storms in my tank and have 100 and 200 micron filters in the sump for everything that comes from the tank but the white things never goes away. It seems like it never goes over the overflow to the filter but I know that just can't be true because it floats all around including up near the surface. Perhaps there is something generating it inside the tank. Any suggestions?

Hello,

Does it appear to be snowing in your aquarium? The first thing that comes to mind is precipitation of calcium.

Are your major parameters in check? I have had this issue in the past with precipitation and it will appear to be snowing in your reef, and no amount of filtration will clear it up. Only after the parameters are corrected does the problem abate.

-Sonny

 

[Davidlz13]

Hey @SunnyX
Do you think without having the Zeolites reactor as shown on your video will cause the same effect?

 

[Tamberav]

Anyone know where you can buy a diatom filter. Thought the original company wen out of business? Sure wish i had hung on to mine LOL

Marineland Magnum Polishing Filter says on it that it can be used with damascus earth

 

[mabner]

Did my first dose today. It cleared up pretty quick, in about 1h I think. Hope it helps to clear up some of the cyano.

 

[mudbugmike]

Sonny... I could kiss you square on the lips... Up late and can't sleep. Stumbled across this thread. The whole thread is the community raving and thanking you for how awesome this is. Then I find your carbon dosing thread too! I'm pretty green to reefkeeping so I am very excited to try this out. Have had some issues with cyano and haven't been sucking it out so I'm about to stay on top of that.

Can't wait to give it a shot. Tank is pretty ugly because I've been slacking with a newborn

 

[ctopherl]

Hello all!

I have been reefing now for about 25 years, and over those many years I have picked up many tips, tricks, and best habits/practices. From a hobbyist and even a coral vendors perspective, I have gained quite a bit of valuable information. Many of you likely even have a coral that came from company, Pro Corals. The most popular of which being the PC Rainbow Acro.,

Over those years I attempted to pass on as much information and knowledge as possible. Now, I am compiling all the knowledge into one area and will be releasing articles and likely some YouTube guides on a weekly basis.

This is a great hobby and what makes it great is the wonderful community of reefers. Almost all are extremely helpful and it is our duty to aid one another and when we can, impart the little knowledge that we pickup along the way to aid others in their journey. We, and myself included, can easily forget what it was like entering the hobby. Its a minefield and much livestock and funds can be wasted. For someone like myself, books and online forums were my only sanctuary as I did not have any local hobbyist to gather knowledge from. There were many issues, losses and way too much money needlessly spent. Hopefully this series of guides will help those just entering the hobby and perhaps even help some reefing veterans to polish up their game.

The articles will be posted on my blog and right here on Reef2Reef. I am slowly building up my online presence through FB, Instagram and YouTube. If you'd like to follow along and receive the most up to date information please feel free to follow. I will try and keep the articles and video brief. We all have busy lives so I will attempt to post only the cliff notes.

www.ReefSite.com
Instagram: @Reefsite
Fb: @ReefSites
Twitter: @RimlessReef
YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/user/SonnyM63



Now, enough yammering. Onto the article!


Extreme Water Clarity and Cyano Eradication, Made Easy!

One of the most frequent questions I receive is how do I have such amazing water clarity and an overall clean looking setup. Well, it quite simple and you can easily do the same while also helping rid yourself of cyano or and the very least not allowing it to gain a foothold in your system. While this is not a cure-all, it will help you achieve your goals and help maintain a healthy aquarium.


For a number of years I had purchased branded products of Coral Snow to help achieve water clarity. That is, until I asked around and found that you can simply make you own Coral Snow solution, saving you hundreds of dollars.

What is Coral Snow?

At its simplest, Coral Snow is a Flocculant.

Flocculant’s work by binding small particles together into a larger mass that can be easily removed via filter socks or a proteins skimmer. The Coral Snow can also help to removal yellowing compounds such as phenols while at the same time helping neutralizes some undesirable chemicals in the system.

Personally, I use this powder Calcium Powder and one jar should last you years. Creating the solution couldn't be any simpler.

• Select a clean container, one that is resealable and able to be shaken. I use an old creatine bottle.(Yes, I am on the GAIN TRAIN)
• For 500ML of solution, add 10 level tablespoons of powder to roughly 425-450ML of RO/DI water.
• Shake the bottle up, and let it sit for two hours. After which, it will be ready to use.
• Now, I don’t believe that you can overdose with this product, but a good recommended dose is 5ml per 50gl of aquarium volume.
• Be sure to shake up the bottle prior to each use as the powder can settle.

The best time to add the solution to you aquarium is after conducting maintenance such as blowing off the rocks, cleaning the glass, siphoning the sand or conducting a water change. Ideally, you should be doing all of the aforementioned maintenance items during a water change, but that discussion is for another time.

Now, on to my personal favorite use of the product: preventing and getting rid of Cyano!

Cyano Solution

Cyano, in all its forms, has been the bane of many a reefers existence. Nothing can upset or ruin the appearance of an aquarium display like that nasty, slimy cyano! The algae is present in all systems, and dates back to the dawn of planet but you can keep it from taking over your aquarium and causing you heartache.

Ideally, you want to be taking preventative measures to ensure that cyano does not gain any real estate in your reef. Prevention is always easier than treatment, but if you can always treat it too.

To amplify the Coral Snow, you will need a bacterial solution. Most will do, but I like Microbacter7 by Brightwell Aquatics. What we are doing here is mixing the bacteria with the Coral Snow, allowing it to bond and adhere to the surface of sand and rock. Basically, we’re trying to eliminate land for the cyano to stake its claim. While most of the Coral Snow will be removed via filtration, there will be a bit that coats you aquariums surfaces, in this case with bacteria that will out compete algae.

The Mix

Take your measured solution of Coral Snow and add it to a small container.

• A plastic or glass cup will suffice.
• Next, add 10 drops of Microbacter7 per 5ML of Coral Snow.
• Allow 5 minutes for the solution to sit and then dose into your aquarium.

Note that Coral Snow will cloud your aquarium for at least two hours. Filter socks and Protein Skimmer(s) should be left on.

Final Thoughts

Hopefully, you find this Coral Snow solution to be advantageous. I have used it for years with great results. My aquariums are devoid of cyano and nuisance algae. The fish look like their floating in mid air and the true colors of the corals are allowed to shine through.

I dose once a week but there is no issue dosing it daily if you are dealing with a particularly bad breakout of cyano. For best results, siphon out as much cyano as possible before dosing Coral Snow.

Good luck and if you need any additional help please feel free to reach out.

Sonny [email protected]

I am only seeing food grade on Amazon, not Pharma. Is good grade safe to use?

 

[SunnyX]

Hey @SunnyX
Do you think without having the Zeolites reactor as shown on your video will cause the same effect?

Hello,

Concerning the clarity and lack of cyano, yes. The greatest benefit that I have derived from the Zeolites is the abundance of food released when the reactor is shaken, in the form of bacteria. The impact on my coral growth rates has been tremendous.

-Sonny

 

[SunnyX]

Did my first dose today. It cleared up pretty quick, in about 1h I think. Hope it helps to clear up some of the cyano.

Hello,

Try and manually remove as much of the cyano as possible. The key here is that you need a fresh surface for the coral snow and bacteria to adhere to, outcompeting the cyano for space.

-Sonny

 

[SunnyX]

I am only seeing food grade on Amazon, not Pharma. Is good grade safe to use?

Yes. So long as it’s 100% calcium carbonate with no fillers or heavy metals.

 

[SunnyX]

Hello,

I have added another section to my opening post concerning application of the solution. Hopefully this will help to answer some questions and aid you all by providing the best results possible. There is a YouTube video in the works and I hope to have it out tomorrow. As always, if you’re looking for some additional eye candy follow along on Instagram or TikTok @Reefsite

-Sonny

 

[mudbugmike]

So I tried this last night. My tank is a red sea reefer 350. I have an rsk300 skimmer. I made the 500mL solution on the front page but only dosed 5mL to be on the safe side. I also have 2 150ish. micron felt socks in place.

Poured it in, and tanked clouded up a bit. It was night time so I couldn't really tell. Kept an eye on the skimmer to make sure it wasn't overflowing (I use a co2 scrubber that recirculates). This amount didn't really cause a huge skimmate production. It just created a bit more. What I did notice is that the socks were full to the point of almost overflowing past that section. So you may not need a skimmer with fine enough socks.

It's cheap and easy enough to add to my maintenance. My wife and my opinion so far is that it didn't make a huge difference, but with 2 fine filter socks I swap already I am pretty diligent.

 

[ctopherl]

I have tried this a couple of times, albeit with smaller than recommended dose. Is it possible the carbonate+particles are just settling in my sand now? I have a filter roller and I would expect the roller to be rolling a farther distance on days this is dosed due to more gunk passing through, but so far that does not seem to be the case. What are the odds I’m just creating buildup in my sand?