Nitrate and cyano

Will high nitrates cause cyno growth?
I keep battling cyano on my sand.Ive done (three) three day lights out periods..
Ive increased flow so much my rics and softies are pissed and my PO4 is absolutely non detectable.I run a vertec skimmer IN-100.I have a refugium with macro/LR.I run an RODI unit and make only 0 TDS water.I also use UV.I do have a large bioload (12 fish all under 3")

I think the cause of the nitrates was not doing large enough water changes every week.I was taking out about 15 gallons from the 110 gallon volume every week.I noticed they were high when I bought a new test kit last month.They were over 50ppm.Since then Ive done 2 very large water changes (30 gallons of 110 gallon volume).The levels are now between 15 and 20 ppm.

Granted my tank is now only 18 months old.Ive actually got real coral growth and 100% polyp extension every day.The only real problem is the damn cyano.Ive hardly any sand left from vaccuming the stuff out!

Thanks for reading any help is much appreciated !

 

how long has it been sinch your phosphates have been in check? I just battled cyano and I will say it doesnt go easy but it will eventually go as long as you keep battling. eventually you will irritate it to no exsitince. Use a turkey baster to disturb it every day from where it settles, it will break up and be filtered out when it goes into he water column. I noticed vacuuming never really arradicates it just removes it until the next day. How old are your bulbs? What I did is ran GFO heavily. even more than the recommended amount. It will take more than3 days lights out to take it away. I decreased my daylight from 10 hours to 4 hours everyday and manually cleaned as stated with turkey baster. (do not allow it to settle) contunie to blow it off ytour rock,corals,sand and along with the GFO, decreased daylight,flow and contunied disturbince (by you) it will decrease every day until it is gone. Just keep at it.

 

in a sense, do your best to piss the cyano off.

 

Get a sleeper head goby. So much of you sand will be in suspension that cyano wont have a chance. Thos is a semi joke but ots working for me...

 

If you keep changing water with RODI water (0 TDS), have a fuge with some goodies and no phosphate, i'd look into running GFO and reduce your bioload. GFO will knock out remaining Phos and bioload is probably contributing to the nitrates. Clean all filters and detritus laying around the sump or in the tank. Add some more flow as well. Keep changing water out on a normal schedule.

Mix and match and hopefully the right cocktail will eliminate your cyno

 

Just because you arent seeing phosphates show up in the test kit, doesnt mean it's not there. It's being consumed by the cyano as fast as it's being introduced. GFO will help alot.

Do you have a DSB in your DT or fuge? These help lower nitrates over time.

Your water changes seem fine, 10-15% weekly is more than enough.

Are you overfeeding?

How long have you been battling the cyano? IMO, the only way you'll beat it is by figuring out what you are doing to encourage it to grow, and fixing that. Overfeeding, old light bulbs, overstocking, etc... Figure out where your high nitrates (and phosphates) are coming from, eliminate the source and you'll eliminate the cyano.

 

Test kits don't tell you much, they only tell you if there is a nutrient imbalance that is causing a buildup of some nutrient. If nutrients are balanced and there is no limitation of a given nutrient, they will be consumed as they become availible.

Cyano does not really need nitrate. It can fix N2. Cyano can also likely feed on decaying organic material, whereas algae likely needs to wait for it to break down and enter the water column as inorganic nutrients. The key to eliminating cyano is making sure there is no decaying organic material, such as food or decay on live rock etc.. And also keeping phosphate levels very low.

The following should all help though


1) Run GFO change out often.
2) 15%ish per week water changes using RO/DI water with 0 TDS.
3) Run lots of carbon and change out weekly.
4) Wet skim
6) don't overfeed and split feedings into more smaller feeding.
5) siphon out existing cyano, or increase flow to get cyano and detritus into water column to be skimmer out.
6) Good clean up crew to consume excess food.

 

BTW, most PO4 test kits are useless anyways. Without paying big $ you will not find a PO4 test kits that can test < .04 ppm. However, the ocean is < .005. Ideally people usually say to keep levels less than .03, but still most test kits can't detect this even.

 

Thanks for all your help folks!

 

I use microbacter7 to eat up my nitrates. It took my 3 months to conquer the cyano problem. Mine was kina backwards of yours. My nitrates were 0 but my phosphates were high.