I have had an ongoing plague of I think cyano (and algae) and yesterday read a fascinating and disturbing article about this menace in a 2016 issue of Coral magazine. I will post some freaky facts tonight when I have time. Now even more depressed about it than I already was.
This year I got so overwhelmed by classroom tanks that I just kept them going and did not deal with issues or ask for advice enough and just froze. Unfortunately, I'll be gone most of next week, but at least I can devise a plan of attack to make serious changes when I return.
Cyano: I do water changes by vacuuming out cyano but not every day. The past couple months I've been doing maybe 15-20% WC every week or two, but was more infrequent over the past year. Started using filter socks last year only during water changes, then stopped, then started again and have been changing every 3-4 days since I have been trying to do weekly WC. Sadly, I have not been taking care of alk and Ca basically ever and am preparing dosers today on the big tank and starting them when I am back. While I'm gone a friend can add 2-part some days. Can't boost up too fast especially when I am gone but a bit every day will help at least keep it from dropping.
Water chem - I will test again today, but I think lately: o measurable nitrate, phosphate (but it must be there), dKH 5-6, Ca 350.
Only contains a few LPS now: hydnophora, duncan, platygyra maze brain, war coral look just great and are growing. Hollywood stunner and IWSYU echino growing but not very colorful. Those are some hardy corals. Also a pretty large rock flower anemone.
I would appreciate any suggestions for getting back on track, like vacuuming it out, water changes, water chemistry, flow, lighting, chaeto in fuge, using kalk temporarily to boost, anything you think of. My husband thinks scrubbing the rocks could help, though it will come right back. I think we fed too much food to inverts for a couple of years and there may be a lot of trapped detritus. I will be using 2-part in the future, do not want to deal with kalk.
There is also currently a clown-BTA and frag tank that recently started to have the same issues.
This year I got so overwhelmed by classroom tanks that I just kept them going and did not deal with issues or ask for advice enough and just froze. Unfortunately, I'll be gone most of next week, but at least I can devise a plan of attack to make serious changes when I return.
Cyano: I do water changes by vacuuming out cyano but not every day. The past couple months I've been doing maybe 15-20% WC every week or two, but was more infrequent over the past year. Started using filter socks last year only during water changes, then stopped, then started again and have been changing every 3-4 days since I have been trying to do weekly WC. Sadly, I have not been taking care of alk and Ca basically ever and am preparing dosers today on the big tank and starting them when I am back. While I'm gone a friend can add 2-part some days. Can't boost up too fast especially when I am gone but a bit every day will help at least keep it from dropping.
Water chem - I will test again today, but I think lately: o measurable nitrate, phosphate (but it must be there), dKH 5-6, Ca 350.
Only contains a few LPS now: hydnophora, duncan, platygyra maze brain, war coral look just great and are growing. Hollywood stunner and IWSYU echino growing but not very colorful. Those are some hardy corals. Also a pretty large rock flower anemone.
I would appreciate any suggestions for getting back on track, like vacuuming it out, water changes, water chemistry, flow, lighting, chaeto in fuge, using kalk temporarily to boost, anything you think of. My husband thinks scrubbing the rocks could help, though it will come right back. I think we fed too much food to inverts for a couple of years and there may be a lot of trapped detritus. I will be using 2-part in the future, do not want to deal with kalk.
There is also currently a clown-BTA and frag tank that recently started to have the same issues.