Cyanobacteria

I have a fair amount of cyanobacteria growing all over my rocks in my tank. I just added a protein skimmer yesterday, and since then it has pulled a fair amount of the disgusting skimmate stuff out of the tank. I have the standard pumps and wavemaker/ pump alternator that came with my tank, as well as a Hydor Koralia Pico 180gph Powerhead that provides more flow.

My tank is a 28 gallon nano cube, the compact fluorescent lighting version.
Here's what in the tank:
-27lbs live rock
-15lbs aragonite sand
-2 oscellaris clownfish
-1 mandarin dragonet
-5-6 zoanthid varieties
-daisy polyps
-green star polyps
-yellow button polyps
-brown button polyps (palythoas)
-green striped mushrooms
-green/blue ricordea
-CUC

Here's what the clean up crew consists of:
-1 Peppermint Shrimp
~10-15 Cerith Snails
~10-15 Hermit Crabs
-Chaetomorpha Algae in sump/fuge
~2-3lbs Live Rock Rubble in sump/fuge
-5 Red Mangrove propagules (ordered from reefcleaners)
~15-19 Nassarius Snails (9 from reeflcleaners)
-11 Florida Ceriths (from reefcleaners)
-30 Dwarf Ceriths (from reefcleaners; I ordered 30, but got like 50 or 60, maybe more...if anyone's ever ordered these from them, you know they can be a bit generous with the dwarfs)
-2 Fuzzy Chitons (ordered 3 from reefcleaners; 1 was eaten by my hermits before he could attach to the rock ...since then, I have seen the other two, so they should be fine)
-3 emerald crabs (ordered from reefcleaners)
-3 large nerite snails (ordered from reefcleaners)
-6 small/medium nerite snails (ordered from reefcleaners)

Everything that is listed as "ordered from reefcleaners" was added to the tank about 2 weeks ago. The other cleaners are from my original clean-up-crew, and I'm not totally sure how many of each are left, as the snails and hermits fight each other, or some just die, etc. etc. Nitrates are never higher than about 5ppm, and I don't have Nitrites or Ammonia. Phosphates are always 0ppm. I don't usually test for anything else, except for Alk and Ca, on occasion. I can pretty well tell that those two are on, based on how my tank inhabitants are doing. Temperature is 75-77F at night, and about 76-78F during daylight hours. I have cut back the lighting so that the lights to be on for only 5 hours a day. If I could, I would only run actinics for a while, but with the Nano Cubes, there isn't a seperate power cord for those two.

Anyways, my cyano is pretty bad, mainly only on the rocks, and I have since changed the positioning of my extra powerhead (the powerhead only runs during daylight hours; about 8hrs) so that there is better flow throughout the tank, and the two pumps that are standard with the nano cube are always running. I have been using ChemiClean, which has helped slightly, but the cyano has slowly been getting bad again, and only slightly goes away with the ChemiClean treatment. Anyone have any ideas?

Oh, and I should also include that I used to have some ugly hair algae because my CUC was insufficient, but since adding my new CUC from reefcleaners, all of the nuisance algaes have disappeared, and have been replaced with the cyano.

Thank you for any help!

Edited by Ann_A - September 17 2011 at 9:00am

It's on the left side,cowards the back, near the bottom. I am actually planning to get another one, maybe even a 240gph one, or I might be making some modifications to my tank, that would connect it into a 20 gallon frag tank, and replace the two return pumps with a mag drive that would return from a sump for both the nano cube, and the frag tank. The plumbing would be so that the nano cube and the frag tank overflow into the sump, which would house my protien skimmer, heater, and a refugium. The water would then overflow into the pump compartment, and would be pumped back up through a pipe, which would have a "T" connector, splitting the water between the two tanks. I would then just run the frag tank return through another "T" and have two return nozzles for that tank. The nano cube return would also have a "T" and have each of those lines be 1/2" flexible tubing, but obviously able to carry high pressure water. Both of those would hook onto the return nozzles, and would just clamp on to where the current tubing hooks up. I've seen something similar done to a biocube, so I might try something like this, so that both of my tanks, my nano cube, and my frag tank (still planning it...not too far off) would be tied not one system. Your guys' thoughts?

I've already cut back on feeding as much as I really feel comfortable with, and my fish are still acting a bit too hungry for my liking, but I know they're fine. Anyways, I am planning on getting another powerhead, and may eventually drill the sump, and connect it into my upcoming frag tank, but for now I am going to stick with another powerhead.

So, which one should I get; another 180gph or a 240gph?

A kydor koralia nano evolution. I could do larger, but also, I don't want a huge bulky powerhead in my tank. If I could afford it, I'd love an MP10w ES, but I can't.

+1 on the flow. Not just any flow but flow on the sand. I suggest getting a stronger powerhead and maybe pointing it around one of the glass panels so you get an indirect current moving along the sand surface.

Fish will always act like they haven't eaten in weeks. In a small tank it's very easy to overfeed (not saying you are) even though it doesn't seem like a lot.

In everything said above, two things stand out to me. That feeding needs to be adressed (how much of what and when) and that the flow could be increased. There are actually many more things that could be suggested but I don't like the shotgun approach. I prefer to narrow in on the problem to find the root cause and then eliminate it.
Would you mind posting a pic of the tank and then answering some questions?
One of my first questions will be, Have you read the Tip in the linked thread below, "Red Slime/Cyano eradication? Have you read the Tip "Solving an Algae Problem"?

This statement is a red flag to me:
"The other cleaners are from my original clean-up-crew, and I'm not totally sure how many of each are left, as the snails and hermits fight each other, or some just die, etc. etc."

Also, I'm concerned about a Mandarin in a 28 gal tank. This has created issues we should address. Sorry.  

This may start to look like you are being picked on. Please know that many of us have gone through these kinds of issues ourselves and many other hobbyists will be watching and learning from how your issues get resolved.


Edited by Mark Peterson - September 17 2011 at 12:02pm

Mark Peterson wrote: In everything said above, two things stand out to me. That feeding needs to be adressed (how much of what and when) and that the flow could be increased. There are actually many more things that could be suggested but I don't like the shotgun approach. I prefer to narrow in on the problem to find the root cause and then eliminate it.Would you mind posting a pic of the tank and then answering some questions?One of my first questions will be, Have you read the Tip in the linked thread below, "Red Slime/Cyano eradication? Have you read the Tip "Solving an Algae Problem"?This statement is a red flag to me:"The other cleaners are from my original clean-up-crew, and I'm not totally sure how many of each are left, as the snails and hermits fight each other, or some just die, etc. etc."Also, I'm concerned about a Mandarin in a 28 gal tank. This has created issues we should address. Sorry.   This may start to look like you are being picked on. Please know that many of us have gone through these kinds of issues ourselves and many other hobbyists will be watching and learning from how your issues get resolved.

I don't feel like I'm being picked on too much... I asked for help and constructive criticism, and well I'm getting it!

Anyways, I had not read those links until now, and they seem to be helpful. I also agree that not knowing my exact cleaners left over from my other purchases is not good, so I just went through and counted; 12 Hermits and 16 Cerith snails. As far as the mandarin goes, I was actually getting concerned about him too, and have now taken him to bird world, where they should be able to make sure he is ok. He has always been very healthy, and has enjoyed me adding copepods and rotifers every month, sometimes even more often, but lately he has gotten slightly thinner, and I don't want to kill him, so I had bird world take him back from me free, before he got too thin, and was beyond saving.

Anyways, I am going to be getting another powerhead install led pretty quick here, and in the meantime I have switched the wave maker so that the two return pumps are both on, and my powerhead now runs 24/7 too. This has seemed to help a bit, but I ow it's still not enough flow. To help reduce the cyano further, I have adjusted my skimmer to be skimming a bit more on the "wet" side. I also have now done a blackout period, today is the last day. I'll post pictures tomorrow, when the lights are back on, and I am going to obviously be checking my levels again.

My refugium is doing well, and is nice and clean. I also have run this light for over 36hrs straight now, and am wondering if it would be bad to run it a little longer before switching it back to normal operating hours.

Thank you all for your help!