In another thread:

stagnation and an argument for filtration


coralbandit posted:

So rather then start another tangent in that thread I though I would open this thread on cyano in our tanks.

Cyano is cyanobacteria which is a bacteria that also uses photosynthesis and therefore get some of it's food from light and nutrients like plants.

And it does occur in all environments on the earth including our fw and marine aquariums.

For instance, the green "mold" on the north sides of trees-- probably cyano.

The mold in houses-- probably cyano.

Polar bears sometimes have a green tinge in their fur--again cyano.

Back even before I was a kid the earth's atomosphere was originally carbon dioxide with little or no oxygen. Guess what? Cyano consumed the carbon dioxide and realeased the oxygen we have today. It was one of the original life forms on Earth. I can almost remember those days.

Some forms of cyano are much like soybeans farmers rotate crops with to add nitrogen to the soil. Because the beans take nitrogen from the air and form bumps of nitrogen in the soil.

In much the same way cyano can take nitrogen from the nitrogen gas in the tank water instead of consuming ammonia and nitrates.

So what can happen in both Fw and marine tanks everything is going along fine and after a few months nitrogen drops down. Really really good you're feeling you have a very successful tank.

Then here comes the cyano. And it in a short while covers everything. and I mean everything. Substrate, glass, decorations, plants, corals everything.

In FW you have the blue-green slime type algae and black beard algae on the plants. In salt you have a red slime algea. In advanced cases it can even form thick mat.

You clean it up. It comes back.

You add (I don't recommend this) antibiotics. It comes back.

What has happened is the system has gotten out of balance with "extra" phosphates which the cyano can use with the nitrogen gas to thrive.

And in doing so limits the nutrients available for the fw plants or marine algaes and corals.

So the tank can rapidily become cyano dominated and deteriorates.

My fix is relatively simple. And has worked 100% of the time.

Kill the lights and stop feeding the fish. Usually in a few days but perhaps a couple of weeks at most, the cyano dies off.

From the point you resume with say 1/2 l ighting and feeding and adjust until the tank thrives but not the cyano.

What you have done is the cyano dies off returning the nutrients and environment back to favor of the fw plants or marine algaes. Then continue so the plants and algae things remain in control.

So to respond to coralbandit Yes you can get cyano in marine systems. And yes it is a bad thing.

my .02

Ok lets say I have a 15 gal tank, and its has lots of cyano in it. which is true. There is no fish in the tank. So lights have been off of it for 3 weeks, tank was covered for 2 of those 3 weeks, Guess what! cyano still there.

I don't think mold is considered cyano by your description that it needs light. Mold will grow between wall boards where there is no light.

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Cyano is really the easiest algae (if you call it that) to get rid of in a FW tank. It mainly comes from low nitrates. Not only does it just wipe off very easily on anything it covers, it also is very easy to treat.

If you go here The Planted Tank - Articles, Forums, Pictures, Links and read through the threads for treating, you can see numerous methods of getting rid of it. A blackout doesn't always work as I have read, maybe since it really isn't algae, but may the majority of the time.

This is the only algae I would attempt to conduct a blackout with. Green water would be another reason, but a different subject. All other algaes can be controlled by carefully tailoring your light back, it will start to slowly die off, and then you can increase to a point that the algae stays away but your plants are doing well.

Black beard algae (BBA) is not Cyano. I believe info in the link I provided will back that up.

Thanks Bob. I have marine tanks also(along with fw). What I was asking is cyano good , in either fw or marine. My previous post about this was that I had cyano in my Tanganyikan cichlid tank(only fw set up I ever had this). Next always wondering cause and effect , was it , or does higher ph have any thing to do with it.I'm sure fish only marine tanks can get it , but it seems more common with live rock or coral tanks?Pretty funny about when you were young.You did answer no not good. I have cyano on occasion in my 75 reef. I think my tank is stable (no losses ,coral , invert , or fish in last 8 months) . I test regullary and do make water changes. I know how you feel about this , And I'm alright with your approach(it's your tank, and we may all learn something from your strategy that some of us feel is to risky to try ourselves). Most of us want to understand.... well everything , and that's not possible and probably just not meant tobe. It is not lack of understanding , but more a desire to understand that drives us to do what we do.

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You didn't do it long enough.

My experience is limited to tanks where there are other forms of plant life. So that may also be a differrence as well.

Betcha some light is getting to your mold.

my .02

Could be I'm just crazy

It does seem to be more of a concern in reef tanks where nutrients are low.


For example we have a local club member with an awesome reef tank full of sps corals who regularly attencs frag meets and sell frags. Obviously a very advanced hobbists. He got red slime and thought "it can't be as simple as killing the lights. But he did it and in a week the slime was gone. And came back 3 weeks later. So he did it again and two years later the slime had not come back.

sometimes the simplist things are the most effective.

my .02

Might be a side point but bb algae is usually a result of lack of o2 ? - N

I stated, mine was covered for 2 weeks out of 3 and now your telling me it wasn't long enough.

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SUCCESS IS MEASURED BY YEARS, NOT MONTHS!!!
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Yep

In extreme cases it has taken 3 weeks for me.

The amazing thing is that it cleared up in the last 2-3 days.

my .02

In my opinion you change what your saying to suit your needs. And it is a bunch a bull.

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SUCCESS IS MEASURED BY YEARS, NOT MONTHS!!!
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Not for nothing here, but last time I checked, Cyano was a Bacteria.

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I totally agree here Susan. If you woudsa said your lights were off for 2 months, he still would have come back saying not long enough.

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Scew it then, why even put the lights on a tank then?

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So?
Seems like I'm being totally consistant.
Cyrano does die off in darkness.

Yes totally consistant with not giving accurate advice, you said one thing then another. And I don't see anyone one saying that cyano will die off and agreeing with you. Reefing Madness said If I kept the light off for 2 months and covered, you would still say it wasn't long enough.

Get your stories straight or don't comment at all.

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SUCCESS IS MEASURED BY YEARS, NOT MONTHS!!!
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http://www.aquariumforum.com/f15/sta...late-3253.html

And everyone wonders why I bash beasl.......

Still haven't seen the response to BBA. BBA is not cyano, cyano is not algae. This is the type of misinformation I hate. Newbs beware.

A longer than 2wk blackout will likely kill everything including plants. Not everyone keeps the super easy plants you do and some are much more delicate.

Its not so much as the bashing as its derailing other op threads. This is bobs thread giving bad info.

and really not bashing basically correcting his info

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SUCCESS IS MEASURED BY YEARS, NOT MONTHS!!!
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I'm hicccuping because I drank som beer and ate=N

Cyanobacteria - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

Cyanobacteria - August 2006 TFH Planted Tank

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