algae and cyano

M

mr.cichlid

AC Members
Aug 28, 2008
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Phoenix, AZ
Hi Guys,

I have a 55g tank and its been running for about 4 months now. I am having a constant problem with algae and cyano. I have only used RO water from LFS till now. The basic water parameters are all good but with a hint of phosphates. I have also reduced light hours to 5hrs. I want to add some more rock work in my tank and i am just afraid that i would introduce further waste into the tank. Any advices?
Should i be looking at buying a phosphate remover? I actually have a canister filter installed for this tank. I stopped running it after some time after hearing someone tell me that it would collect waste that could supply nitrates to the tank.
Please advice on how should i treat my tank to be able to get rid of cyano and algae.

Thanks
 
You can add more rock just rinse it off in a bucket of old saltwater to remove anything that is loose.

It is normal for new tanks to go thru algae stages, like Brown Diatoms,Cyano, Hair Algae. As long as you keep up with it, water changes and vacuum what you can out it will be over soon. Your doing everything right.

Canister filters will collect alot of gunk that can creat a nitrat and ammonia issue if not cleaned out regularily. For a avergae tank weekly cleanings need to be done.
I myslef dont like to use anything to help rid of stuff.

This algae will go away on its own, its the tank way of leveling itself out. If you use products you may only be covering the actual cause of the algae up. You said you phosphates are a littel high. I would do a water change, remove any detritus you see. If you dont find the cause of the problem and fix it, it wil lonly get worse and be difficult to weed out.
 
Algae problems are pretty common during the first 6 - 8 months, and while discouraging, they tend to be a part of the game. If you learn to do your best to control them during that time, you can pretty much prevent any serious algae outbreaks down the road.

A hint of phosphates (as in enough to register on the vast majority of hobby test kits) is more than enough to fuel an algal bloom. You could start using a phosphate remover, but you may also want to look into using a cleaner water source, as phosphate removing media is not particularly cheap. Since you have a 55g tank, you may want to consider purchasing a RO/DI unit. It should be plenty worth it as long as you have an average maintenance routine. It's the DI stage that'll clean up the phosphates from the water. Unless the billed rate for water in your area is unusually high or it has very high TDS, it should cost about 1/2 as much for you to make your own RO/DI compared to buying RO water from a store (at least it does compared to what the LFSs charge around here).
 
If you are having cyano, make sure that you are getting good flow in the area where it is appearing. I had two spots show up and changed my flow just a tad and they disappeared. That bacteria apparently don't like flow too much.
 
guys,

thanks for the advice. I will rearrange the flow and do a big water change. i really want to install a sump for this tank but i guess its a really big deal for a tank that is not predrilled. Does any of you use a sump for a tank that is not predrilled? if yes, please guide me on this process.

i am planning to take out the canister filter completely from this tank and after all the cleaning i will install it on my freshwater aquarium.

what is a TDS? where can i buy it?

is it recommended to disturb the entire soil bed to get detritus out of the sand?

i know i am a question bank. thanks for all your help.
 
A sump isn't a big deal for a non-drilled tank. All you have to do is buy an overflow basket (like $45) it is similar to HOB filter, kinda, and then the lines for the sump go in there. It is really pretty easy. I was going to put one on my 29 gal freshwater... but fell in love with SW so no new freshwater toys.

It is pretty easy to do. Fear not Mr. Cichlid, I ask just as many questions, if not more, than you... these folks are a wealth of information.
 
TDS = Total Disolved Solids. You can get a cheap TDS meter at Wal-Mart in the Automotive / RV supplies for $11.97 around here.

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Your really don't have to disturb the sand bed. It is personal preference if you want it to look cleaner quicker. The diatoms will still come back in the sand in a few hours, you only get a little out each time you do it, that is why I usually recommend more flow to not allow it to accumulate in the first place.

For a sump you need a HOB overflow box which start out around $90 for a decent one. Don't get a cheap one, the risk of flooding is NOT worth it, I had several floods due to a real cheap overflow box at one time. Then you need a tank for the sump, and if you make it yourself you need to design the chambers to fit your equipment (skimmer, reactors, heater, return pump, etc) and then get some glass baffles cut to size at your local glass shop for around $20-$30 usually. Silicone them in the correct place and let dry for 24 hours before you put water in it. You can google "DIY sump" or search on here, there are lots of different plans.. no real right or wrong way to build them as long as it does what you want it to do.
 
If you decide to go with an overflow box, I'd suggest one from LifeReef.com -- they call them pre-filter siphon boxes. They guarantee them to restart after a power outage.

Installing a sump on a non-drilled tank won't be that hard. If you want to see various sump designs, there's quite a few shown on melevsreef.com that are worth looking at. I think the ones there are all made from acrylic, but the same principals can be applied to a glass tank with glass baffles.
 
Ace25 said:
TDS = Total Disolved Solids. You can get a cheap TDS meter at Wal-Mart in the Automotive / RV supplies for $11.97 around here.

2903484480_3a457254af_o.jpg
2902642287_d22f1610c9_o.jpg


Your really don't have to disturb the sand bed. It is personal preference if you want it to look cleaner quicker. The diatoms will still come back in the sand in a few hours, you only get a little out each time you do it, that is why I usually recommend more flow to not allow it to accumulate in the first place.

For a sump you need a HOB overflow box which start out around $90 for a decent one. Don't get a cheap one, the risk of flooding is NOT worth it, I had several floods due to a real cheap overflow box at one time. Then you need a tank for the sump, and if you make it yourself you need to design the chambers to fit your equipment (skimmer, reactors, heater, return pump, etc) and then get some glass baffles cut to size at your local glass shop for around $20-$30 usually. Silicone them in the correct place and let dry for 24 hours before you put water in it. You can google "DIY sump" or search on here, there are lots of different plans.. no real right or wrong way to build them as long as it does what you want it to do.
Click to expand...

Awesome, I had no idea I could get a TDS meter for cheap around here. Thanks for that tip.
 
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