Growth spurt associated w/ cyano bloom?

[wrightme43]

I know this is going to sound insane. I have done it. It seemed like a good idea at the time and even though I know disturbing the sand bed is frowned on. I still think it may have some use. I used to siphon up some of my sand bed into a bucket. Put a power head with a hagen quick filter tube thing on it, and put it so the outlet blows the sand around and gets the junk in the bed up into the water, then just pour it back in the tank. I know if I ever had found a anarobic pocket it would of been bad. I think that prevents anarobic pockets because the junk that would sit and rot is mostly removed. It seems like a crazy idea but it worked for me. I stopped when I first came here, and was reading the sandbed that works thread. After that it worked ok, but just got steady dirtier. So who knows. Just thought I would throw the info out here.

 

[reedman]

Alright bud, here's a couple of thoughts that you haven't heard yet.

If you have increased your water changes you have improved the water clarity, thus increasing light penetration. Corals like light and perhaps the spectrum that they like is now penetrating to their depth at a high intensity spurring growth.

My tank always reacts well to water changes. I don't notice growth spurts, but I do notice increased polyp extension almost immediately.

How is your Mg level? Maybe you have a deficiency there and the water changes are adding enough to spur growth.

With Kalk, you end up binding up the PO4 on the rocks and sand, so you probably freed up a little more that you would have liked when you disturbed the rock/sand...thus the cyano. Are you blasting the rocks occcasionally? They need the clean surface area to process the nutrients and act as an efficient biological filter.

Just a couple things to chew on.

-Reed

 

[CarlaW]

Alright bud, here's a couple of thoughts that you haven't heard yet.

If you have increased your water changes you have improved the water clarity, thus increasing light penetration. Corals like light and perhaps the spectrum that they like is now penetrating to their depth at a high intensity spurring growth.

My tank always reacts well to water changes. I don't notice growth spurts, but I do notice increased polyp extension almost immediately.

How is your Mg level? Maybe you have a deficiency there and the water changes are adding enough to spur growth.

With Kalk, you end up binding up the PO4 on the rocks and sand, so you probably freed up a little more that you would have liked when you disturbed the rock/sand...thus the cyano. Are you blasting the rocks occcasionally? They need the clean surface area to process the nutrients and act as an efficient biological filter.

Just a couple things to chew on.

-Reed

Thanx for the thoughts Reed, I had gotten kind of lazy as far as blowing the rocks off . I have added that to my weekly maintenance now. It only takes about 5 minutes, don't know why I slipped!!!
The further this thread goes, I am realising that maybe the water changes are the key here. I have kicked up the frequency, 2x20 gallons, weekly. I know it's gonna cost me more salt, but I think Kevin will be the benefactor there .

My Mg level is at about 1200, which I believe is the recommended level for 400ppm of Ca.

I don't get much polyp extension during the day, but at nite it's just a fuzzy blur in there.



Steve, if I start siphoning the sand out, it's gonna stay out, you see where I'm headed here, don't ya!!!

 

[CarlaW]

Just an update here.
I did some core tests this morning using a red sea po4 kit and a salifert nitrate kit. Both of the readings came out at 0, so I think I can assume that my sandbed is still functioning properly.
I did find something in my records that might have been a likely cause, my VHO actinics were 15 months old. I found this out last Tuesday, and turned them off until I replaced the bulbs yesterday. It looked as tho the cyano receded a bit in the time the actinics were off, so maybe I have stumbled upon something!!!
I am going to continue to siphon the cyano, so we will just wait and see what happens, I guess. If all else fails, I did get some chemi-clean. I hope it doesn't come down to that.

 

[wrightme43]

I would guess the bulbs had something to do with it.

 

[Scooterman]

Charlie hang in there with the removal of it, it will take time but you will get it under control, every time you suck some out your exporting & that is a good thing, also it is easy to remove with a siphon & sock, compared to other algae.

 

[CarlaW]

I would guess the bulbs had something to do with it.

Yeah, I don't know how I airheaded them, it almost ticks a guy off.

Charlie hang in there with the removal of it, it will take time but you will get it under control, every time you suck some out your exporting & that is a good thing, also it is easy to remove with a siphon & sock, compared to other algae.

I'm hanging, all I have to do is try and remember my sig line. I seem to get caught by it every time!!

 

[Scooterman]

lol Patiences grasshopper Patiences! it is all good!

 

[reedman]

I never know how much the VHos actually contribute, but this counld be part of the picture. Even with that though...that is just something to aid in the growth, not the source. You still have nutrients in there somewhere that are feeding the cyano.

How's your skimmer production? increase/decrease/same as usual

Do you have a refugium? if yes, how are the macro algaes doing?

Any other means of nutrient export that may have diminished in efficiency?

 

[CarlaW]

I never know how much the VHos actually contribute, but this counld be part of the picture. Even with that though...that is just something to aid in the growth, not the source. You still have nutrients in there somewhere that are feeding the cyano.

How's your skimmer production? increase/decrease/same as usual

Do you have a refugium? if yes, how are the macro algaes doing?

Any other means of nutrient export that may have diminished in efficiency?

Skimmer production if anything has increased. I clean it 2 times weekly.

The refuge is producing macro at a nice rate, I usually prune it about 1 time a month. I wonder if I should start pruning every 2 weeks???

There are no other means of nutrient export. The only thing that I can go back to is when I busted the piece of LR in half, and I am going thru a tiny cycle. As stated before, I will continue to export the cyano, and ride this bike until the wheels fall off.

 

[wrightme43]

Here is something about Cyanno. They have the ability to fix nitrogen from the atmosphere, or dissolved in water, convert it to nitrate OR ammonia and use it as a nutrient source. They can live in freshwater, saltwater, brackish water, dry land, almost anywhere. We are fighting something that left the oldest fossils on the planet, and is responsible for the oxygen atmosphere we have today. This stuff is hard core. Its not like we are trying to kill some calupera.

 

[CarlaW]

Here is something about Cyanno. They have the ability to fix nitrogen from the atmosphere, or dissolved in water, convert it to nitrate OR ammonia and use it as a nutrient source. They can live in freshwater, saltwater, brackish water, dry land, almost anywhere. We are fighting something that left the oldest fossils on the planet, and is responsible for the oxygen atmosphere we have today. This stuff is hard core. Its not like we are trying to kill some calupera.

HA, I SAY, HA. Sounds about as hardcore as we are!! Sounds like a great matchup, determined reefer vs older than old algae. Tune in next week, year, millenium for the results.

 

[wrightme43]

Lol Charlie,
This week Charlie, and Willis Cyanno Slayers, take on the Oscillatoria Slime Algae Monster. Tune in and dont miss a minute of the heartstopping action.
Remember your decoder rings boys and girls. This one is going to be a doozy.

 

[CarlaW]

Lol Charlie,
This week Charlie, and Willis Cyanno Slayers, take on the Oscillatoria Slime Algae Monster. Tune in and dont miss a minute of the heartstopping action.
Remember your decoder rings boys and girls. This one is going to be a doozy.

We could be the halftime show at the Stupid Bowl. It would beat the $%^& out of Janet Jackson, wouldn't it???

 

[wrightme43]

Just as long as you dont have another wardrobe malfuntion.

 

[CarlaW]

God forbid!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Crap I hijacked my own thread. I guess you can't take anything too seriously, huh???
I'm waiting for someone to tell me to add nitrates........................

 

[wrightme43]

Add nitrates. LOL

 

[The Apprentice]

I'm waiting for someone to tell me to add nitrates

Charlie been tagging along this thread didn't have anything good to add. However With what Reed posted earlier about water changes & Light improvment. In My little 75 gallon sps tank I change 25 gallons each week due to my much to hi fish load I know my bad just like the guys too much. However With this frequency I never dose anything in this tank. Just water changes And Like Reed pointed out New water on sunday= Monday thru about Thursday coral polops are waving and happy then they close in and glass starts getting a little green= New water change all good for another week. No cyno problems just higher nitrates:evil: some day I will just have to give up some fish....Jeff

God forbid!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Crap I hijacked my own thread. I guess you can't take anything too seriously, huh???
I'm waiting for someone to tell me to add nitrates........................

 

[spongebob lover]

Charlie been tagging along this thread didn't have anything good to add. However With what Reed posted earlier about water changes & Light improvment. In My little 75 gallon sps tank I change 25 gallons each week due to my much to hi fish load I know my bad just like the guys too much. However With this frequency I never dose anything in this tank. Just water changes And Like Reed pointed out New water on sunday= Monday thru about Thursday coral polops are waving and happy then they close in and glass starts getting a little green= New water change all good for another week. No cyno problems just higher nitrates some day I will just have to give up some fish....Jeff

i'm with you Jeff, water changes rule !! i don't add anything either but then again i don't keep any awesome sps : .

 

[ethanriley]

I know this is going to sound insane. I have done it. It seemed like a good idea at the time and even though I know disturbing the sand bed is frowned on. I still think it may have some use. I used to siphon up some of my sand bed into a bucket. Put a power head with a hagen quick filter tube thing on it, and put it so the outlet blows the sand around and gets the junk in the bed up into the water, then just pour it back in the tank. I know if I ever had found a anarobic pocket it would of been bad. I think that prevents anarobic pockets because the junk that would sit and rot is mostly removed. It seems like a crazy idea but it worked for me. I stopped when I first came here, and was reading the sandbed that works thread. After that it worked ok, but just got steady dirtier. So who knows. Just thought I would throw the info out here

Doesn't sound insane to me I did EXACTLY the same thing and it was the only thing that brought my cyno under control. I do it now as part of my routine maintenance twice a month even rotating the substrate from my fuge to the main tank when I siphon off and I notice great polyp extension. Prior to this I had a heck of a time getting cyno under control I almost beame a bare bottom convert, but I love my thalassia to much! I only have SPS in the tank one banded coral shrimp and a beaugregory