cant stop cyano so i want to try reactor now

ik there are other ways of lowering NO3 and PO4 but my cheato seems to keep getting covered with cyano which im constantly cleaning off my cheato is a very nice dakr green but it falls apart so easy which makes me think it is being starved by the cyano. my DT it over run yet but its slowly getting there and my CuC just cant keep up much long ive search for all dead organics i have tried killing all low flow zone, the tank is 2 months old.

so i have a minimax multi use reactor i like it alot but i want to switch from GFO to pellets so i can combat both PO4 and NO3, i want to go with np active pearls from dr tim with a combo of waste away. ik with pellets you run the risk of a crash, but from what i understand that only happens if you let your O2 decrease to much and ik there is plenty of O2 being introduced into my tank.


i just dont know what to do at this point. any other suggestion will help to

 

your tank is only 2 months old, so you are going to experience a variety of different algaes initially no matter what you do. that being said, there is absolutely no harm in adding the pellets to your system as long as you go slow. start off with 1/4 amount of what is suggested for your system and let them tumble very slowly for the first 4-5 weeks then add another 1/4 of pellets for another 2 weeks and so on....you should be fine.

just continue to test your nitrates and phos, when you start to see them drop rapidly that will also determine your rate of tumble and amount of media/pellets you run.

 

is there a rule of thump that should be followed when using pellets

 

If you want to try something safer.... run GFO and use a product called AZ NO3 (absolutely Zero Nitrates). Ive been battling cyano as well, nitrates were running around 60ppm. After two weeks of using the AZNO3, ntrates are zero. Once nitrates reach zero, do a 3 day blackout, and continue dosing the AZNO3. As the Cyano dies back from lack of light and releases the nitrate back into the water column, the AZNO3 and GFO will take the nitrate and phosphate out of the system. It worked for me, no harm to any fish or corals at all. Water got cloudy for a few days from the bacteria bloom, but thats it. I believe its in the same ballpark as vodka dosing, but it has instructions lol

 

i was using gfo but it kept clumping up and not tumbling right (probably to fine of a gfo idk) but i want something that wont clump as easy in the chamber

 

I use Rowaphos. Ive never had any problem with it clumping.

 

My tank is 6 months old almost and I'm finally starting to see the cyano subside....I am now dosing vinegar which is speeding up the process

 

How much vin are you using wehat type and what risk does this run?

 

Reefkeeping Magazine - Vinegar Dosing Methodology for the Marine Aquarium

 

mm its a 29 gallon tank with 10 a gal sump so lets say the total water volume is 33-34 gallons and 33.5 gallons is about a third of the tank volume so 15ml for 100gal so if i do the math it would be 5 ml to start and would want to stop at 45 ml for 100 gal and so that would be 15ml max in the end.

first 3 days i should does 1ml then on the 4th-7th do 3ml a day then in the second week do 4
3rd week 5
4th 6
5th 7
6th 8
7th 9
8th 10
9th 11
10th 12
11th 13
12th 14
13th 15
and i will try to does it by splitting it up into 2-3 doses a day if i can since i cant drip or maybe i can add it to my ATO but thats a maybe i dont think it will work
i think i go throw 2-4 gallons a day on evap maybe getting a 3 gallon jug and mixing in X amount of vin so that is all the water it can take in the day