Can’t win
- Thread starter Rodeo
- Start date
max_nano
Supporting Member
What’s good?
what do you have for CUC and how long has the tank been setup?
I haven’t had this but these questions should help get the ball rolling
bfirecat
Guest
Looks like a green cyano bloom.
What are your nutrients running at?
I think most people:
Don't give up. This is just the ugly stage of a new tank.
What are your nutrients running at?
I think most people:
- Increase flow
- Do more water changes
- Siphon out as much as they can during water changes
- Add activated carbon
- Add GFO (if phosphates are a problem).
- Make your own RO/DI water and test it often.
- Add a skimmer
Don't give up. This is just the ugly stage of a new tank.
Coral reefer
Past President
Nitrates? Phosphates? Photoperiod?
Flow?
Flow?
bfirecat
Guest
I'd recommend against chemi-clean and go with treating the root cause.
This might solve it for the next couple of weeks but it will eventually return if you don't fix the main issues.
I have had first hand experience with cyano and chemi-clean.
Please focus on getting good test kits and good husbandry, especially on a 20 gallon tank.
Look for test kits on Alk, Calcium, Magnesium, Nitrate and Phosphate.
I believe trochus and cerith snails might nibble on cyano and will also help with algae and diatoms as well.
This might solve it for the next couple of weeks but it will eventually return if you don't fix the main issues.
I have had first hand experience with cyano and chemi-clean.
Please focus on getting good test kits and good husbandry, especially on a 20 gallon tank.
Look for test kits on Alk, Calcium, Magnesium, Nitrate and Phosphate.
I believe trochus and cerith snails might nibble on cyano and will also help with algae and diatoms as well.
Mike Yasin
Guest
@ 3 months old, all of these things are to expected. This is the ugly period, and your tank will go through these phases as it matures.
Mike Yasin
Guest
Yes, it's all about building biological maturity. That's not to say you won't get a flare up of something later on, that happens when something gets out of whack - which happens to almost everybody.
Did you add bacteria, etc as you were cycling the new tank? That helped me - I used Dr. Tim's and Red Sea starter. I still had the ugly period though
NanoCrazed
Supporting Member
I would suggest killing the skimmer for now. Let the system settle out and find its balance first.
Suggesting adding a CUC and potentially removing the Chemipure if it's the one with the GFO/phosphate remover. With such low bioload, crashing out your phosphates can cause issues (and predispose you to a dinoflagellate bloom).
Otherwise, I wouldn't worry too much. It's a new tank and it'll go through the ugly phases. Practice good husbandry and it'll pay off in spades.
Otherwise, I wouldn't worry too much. It's a new tank and it'll go through the ugly phases. Practice good husbandry and it'll pay off in spades.
Agree with the above, but I would emphasize that you need to get in there frequently and suck it out with a siphon tube. It clumps up and sucks out pretty easily. You can siphon to waste along with water changes, or you can siphon to a fine filter sock in the sump if you aren’t due for a water change.
There are 2 big benefits of this- It gives other algae a chance to colonize the surfaces to compete, and it removes the nutrients that by definition are what the cyano is using to reproduce. It will feel endless for a while, but it isn’t. It is also satisfying in my opinion
There are 2 big benefits of this- It gives other algae a chance to colonize the surfaces to compete, and it removes the nutrients that by definition are what the cyano is using to reproduce. It will feel endless for a while, but it isn’t. It is also satisfying in my opinion
NanoCrazed
Supporting Member
and BTW -- if it's brown, don't assume it's diatom. Could be dinos. need a microscope to confirm and then respond as appropriate.
And if you want to diagnose it, ping me; I have a microscope and am happy to take a sample of the gunk/sand/etc and help you figure out what you have.