I've got one big problem with cyano and am trying to figure out just what to do. My 75gal FOWLR tank is being taken over by this crap and all I can think is to buy a larger skimmer. I have a Remora and apparently its not enough for my tank. I tried putting a larger pump on it but thats not the solution. Just what out there is the best? I'm told the Coralife Super Skimmer is according to my LFS but I'm getting tired of listening to him. He really doesn't help me with my problem. So who knows whats the best?????
Who Knows Whats The Best Out There?
- Thread starter lebloom
- Start date
Remoras are great, just undersized for your tank IMO (I've got one on my 30g, probably wouldn't try it on anything larger). You might want to get a skimmer rated for a much larger tank - a CSS is probably not going to be enough either. Check out the equipment forum over at www.reefcentral.com, see what people with larger tanks are using - then I'd assess your budget and buy the best you can afford 
EDIT --> it will also help, if you haven't already done so, to add more flow and get your NO3 and PO4 down as close to zero as you can.
EDIT --> it will also help, if you haven't already done so, to add more flow and get your NO3 and PO4 down as close to zero as you can.
Throwing out "what's the best?" when you're reefing is a dangerous proposition. If you've got an extra arm and a leg that you have no use for, by a Deltec - "The Best".
But seriously, I'm looking at a Bullet for my next tank - that's more than a few hundred bucks right there and you still have to buy a pump for it!
What wrong with upgrading your Remora's pump? I'm overdriving mine with a Mag5 and it's going to town on my 46 gallon. The company itself recommends a Mag3 as a more sane upgrade.
In any event, cyano is more a matter of proper flow and nutrient export.
1. Get more flow in the affected area
2. Cut down on excess feeding
3. Set up a refugium with macro algae and run on a reverse light cycle
4. Suck that crap right out of there for your next water change (and increase the frequency of water changes as well)
5. Go RO/DI if not already doing so
But seriously, I'm looking at a Bullet for my next tank - that's more than a few hundred bucks right there and you still have to buy a pump for it!
What wrong with upgrading your Remora's pump? I'm overdriving mine with a Mag5 and it's going to town on my 46 gallon. The company itself recommends a Mag3 as a more sane upgrade.
In any event, cyano is more a matter of proper flow and nutrient export.
1. Get more flow in the affected area
2. Cut down on excess feeding
3. Set up a refugium with macro algae and run on a reverse light cycle
4. Suck that crap right out of there for your next water change (and increase the frequency of water changes as well)
5. Go RO/DI if not already doing so
Yeah, I put a Mag3 on my Remora and it has really done the job. But my cyano is still there. I try picking it out of the tank but 2 days later thats all back. I tried aiming my powerheads down towards the sand but all that does is make a big mess. And I only use RO water in my changes. Have been for well over a year now.
You don't have to point the powerhead right at the sand. The key is achieving high RANDOM flow rather than simply LAMINAR flow (which is what pointing power head right at the sand is).
It's a bit tricky depending on the size of the tank, aquascaping and what kind of powerhead you have, but try moving the powerhead further down the tank away from the surface to create more flow at the sand level (where the cyano is). It make take some experimentation and you might have to purchase a more powerful pumps. Also try point the powerheads at each other so that the colliding streams create random flow.
The reason why Tunze Streams are so highly thought of is because they send out massive flow but in a widely dispersed area creating flow throughout the whole tank rather than just a focused jet like a powerhead.
Another option is use of phosphate and nitrate removal media. Beyond simple activated carbon there's a whole range of stuff. Personally, I use Purigen for organic removal to prevent nitrate build-up. For phosphates, there's ferric-based options like Phosban and ROWAphos as well as aluminum-based ones like Phosguard.
If you get desparate, there are red slime oxidizers like Poly-Ox and Chemi-Clean. These should be used very cautiously as they can adversely affect oxygen levels in your tank if used improperly. They are also treating the symptoms rather than the cause of the bryopsis.
It's a bit tricky depending on the size of the tank, aquascaping and what kind of powerhead you have, but try moving the powerhead further down the tank away from the surface to create more flow at the sand level (where the cyano is). It make take some experimentation and you might have to purchase a more powerful pumps. Also try point the powerheads at each other so that the colliding streams create random flow.
The reason why Tunze Streams are so highly thought of is because they send out massive flow but in a widely dispersed area creating flow throughout the whole tank rather than just a focused jet like a powerhead.
Another option is use of phosphate and nitrate removal media. Beyond simple activated carbon there's a whole range of stuff. Personally, I use Purigen for organic removal to prevent nitrate build-up. For phosphates, there's ferric-based options like Phosban and ROWAphos as well as aluminum-based ones like Phosguard.
If you get desparate, there are red slime oxidizers like Poly-Ox and Chemi-Clean. These should be used very cautiously as they can adversely affect oxygen levels in your tank if used improperly. They are also treating the symptoms rather than the cause of the bryopsis.
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You got any Turbo Snails, I just dropped 3 (Large) in my 40 G and theyhad the stuff right down within a couple of days! I would highly reconmend them as cleanup crew!
I fought cyano in my 75 gallon for about a year. I only have a cpr bak pak skimmer and 2 maxijet 1200's for circulation. I tried switching to RO/DI water, that didn't work. I manually removed it, didn't work. New lights, didn't work. Phosphate absorbing media in a hang on back filter, didn't do it. Remove the scum filled bubble trap from the exit unit of the protein skimmer, gone in a week, gone for a year now. I even switched back to tap water (which happens to be exceptional in my area), not a speck of cyano. One of my "new" bulbs blew, so I threw in one of the old ones I swapped out originally, still no cyano. It was all about getting the source of the nutrients gone. You can do alot to slow the cyano(new lights, removing it, phosphate absorbing media, RO?DI water, more circulation) but you need to find out why there is an imbalance in your system. Overfeeding, overstocked, enough cleaners, or something similar to what I had with a sponge cathing all sorts of goo and rotting away.