Red cyno

[Gietz]

Nitates are 2 ppm. I don't have flow issues I just didn't clean on of my power heads and I got it grow how do I get ride of it?

 

[xxmurrxx]

Do you have a phosphate test kit? run any gfo?
I had a problem in the past when I was slacking and not doing my water changes often enough.

 

[Zakk]

GFO in a reactor, 0TDS makeup water, consistent water changes and cyano will be gone. 

Phosphates are the big culprit.  Last time I had cyano, I had been using an API test kit, and it was showing very low phosphates.  I bought a hanna kit, and it showed me my phosphates were 0.78 PPM !!!!  !!!

Get phosphates under .05 and cyano will be gone.  Slime remover just kills it off, but it will come back. 

 

[Gietz]

Will it go away with flow being back on it? I believe it was caused because my one power head was clogged up so much it wasn't pushing.  I cleaned it out and it's going better.  I do 5 gallon weekly but no I don't have GFO.  My TDS reads 0-2. 

 

[teebone110]

do 3 days of darkness and everything ZAKK said and you will be free!

 

[Gietz]

3 days of darkness won't hurt my corals? And I'm not running GFO so should I wait till I get it or just do it now?

 

[xxmurrxx]

You could do it but before removing the phosphates chances are it'll come back.  I would start with a good water change maybe a couple smaller ones a week (not sure what your change schedule is?)
It should not hurt your coals.

 

[Gietz]

I do 5 gallons a week which is 10% isn't that enough?

 

[Zakk]

5 gallons a week is goo, but are you using RO/DI water?  If not, you are just putting phosphates and heavy metals back in with each water change (I'm guilty of this in the past too).

 

[Gietz]

I'm using an aqua safe RODI.  Other than not running a GFO I've got everything running by the book.  That's y I'm confused.  I've never seen TDS higher than 3 in my water.  Where do you guys get your phoshate test? I can only find them at BRS (salifert).  I'm adding another power head and pointing at the corner (240 GPH) so that gives me 39x flow.  I'm just getting discouraged now, and I appreciate all the help. I'm getting a reactor in two weeks but I'm having a hard time finding a phosphate test kit (is elso ok to use?). Could this be a cycle thing?  Just lost because other than a phosphate reactor I have everything else. Could it be because I don't have any real sand sifter?

 

[xxmurrxx]

I think any good name test kit other than API would be decent.
Salifert is supposed to be good, Hanna, I just got Red sea pro cal. and alk. like them so far.

I don't have any phosphate test kits but I do run phosphate media.
For the RO water, currently I dont have a unit but I was researching preparing to buy one and I think the output should be 0 TDS. Maybe a filter needs to be changed?

 

[Zakk]

Output on the DI side should always be 0 dissolved solids.  If it's high, you can try a flush kit, but that usually just helps prolong the life of the RO membrane.  If anything other than 0 is coming out the ass end of an RO/DI unit, it's time to change your DI resin and if you have a meter on your RO side, it will tell you if your pre and post filters are shot (and yes, perhaps a membrane). 

Phosban reactors are pretty cheap IMO, that's why I run one with GFO and one with carbon, off the same pump.  I think the pump is a maxi jet, so again nothing too expensive. 

Items I upgraded before sps would grow well in my tank:
LED lights
RO/DI with upgraded membrane and colour-changing DI media
Phosban reactor X2
Vertex bio pellet reactor
BRS 2 part (which is actually 3 part).

Before that, I couldn't even keep plate coral alive in there.  Mushrooms and leathers, yes, but anything stony, not at all.  Even with good water changes.

 

[Fraggle Rock]

Simply cleaning your filter sock (or whatever you use) more frequently may be all you need. Try it out before you start doing anything too extreme.

 

[Zakk]

Heh a clean mechanical filtration system is good, but no substitute for GFO. 

Og course this is all just my $.02 

 

[Fraggle Rock]

Heh a clean mechanical filtration system is good, but no substitute for GFO. 

Og course this is all just my $.02 

I care to disagree I think a clean and well maintained mechanical filter is one of the "foundations" to a healthy and successful aquarium.

While GFO is great and all, I see it more as a polish for your water then something I would depend on to keep everything in my tank happy and healthy.

 

[Zakk]

[quote author=Zakk link=topic=1741.msg12959#msg12959 date=1323979627]
Heh a clean mechanical filtration system is good, but no substitute for GFO. 

Og course this is all just my $.02 

I care to disagree I think a clean and well maintained mechanical filter is one of the "foundations" to a healthy and successful aquarium.

While GFO is great and all, I see it more as a polish for your water then something I would depend on to keep everything in my tank happy and healthy.
[/quote]

I'm always good with 'agreeing to disagree'

Your liverock and sand bed is your real filtration system.  A filter sock is good at getting fairly large particles out of the water column, and like any mechanical system, if it is not functioning properly, will not be a benefit.  However, a filter sock can actually catch food particles, yet leech the phosphates contained back into the water.  So GFO is a great way to soak up those particles that mechanical just can't keep.  I run 2 felt socks in my system, but I would never take them over GFO, and if I had to choose, I would lose them first, GFO second.  I ran a tank for years without GFO, and now that I have it, I can finally keep and grow sps really well, so for me, it isn't a "this way or that way" kind of thing, it's a "both do different things, and both are beneficial".

I'll add that like a sock, if GFO isn't changed regularly, it won't do anything either.  It's unfortunate that the stuff is so damn expensive, and that some of the cheap GFO just doesn't work that well. 

 

[Gietz]

Agree that GFO is to pricey but after setup costs what a couple of hundred compared to a couple thousand lol.  I am currently not running filter socks as im in exam crunch and am afriad I will leave it in there to long (like what you both talking about) I'm going to do a TDS reading soon and post here. As for filteration my tank is only 6 months but I do have 60 lbs of LR in the DT and 18 in the sump so I believe that's enough. I'll also do a nitrate reading to. As for changing my RODI it's only been running for 6 months, with about 10 gallons used a week well more like 7. When is normal to change it?  What do you think about me not having any kind of sand sifter other than a small he tot goby? Would not enough sifting cause this?

 

[xxmurrxx]

No sifter is needed IMO
Take care of the problem dont cover it up  ;D

 

[Zakk]

Agree that GFO is to pricey but after setup costs what a couple of hundred compared to a couple thousand lol.  I am currently not running filter socks as im in exam crunch and am afriad I will leave it in there to long (like what you both talking about) I'm going to do a TDS reading soon and post here. As for filteration my tank is only 6 months but I do have 60 lbs of LR in the DT and 18 in the sump so I believe that's enough. I'll also do a nitrate reading to. As for changing my RODI it's only been running for 6 months, with about 10 gallons used a week well more like 7. When is normal to change it?  What do you think about me not having any kind of sand sifter other than a small he tot goby? Would not enough sifting cause this?

I'm not big on sand sifters, they mess shit up and move things around.  I'm even thinking of evicting my mexican turbos, they like to rearrange the tank at night.

As for RO/DI, really having an inline TDS meter and a pressure gauge are the only real ways to be sure your system is running at optimum. You can't go by usage because every system can be working harder than another. A guy on a drilled well might go through a DI cartridge every month, if you see what I mean. 

 

[phi delt reefer]

keep up with water changes and adjust ur powerheads to hit the problematic areas a little more head on.

i think everyone gets a little cyano in their tank.. just need to ride it out.

also - are u SURE its cyano?