Cyano. Can't keep it in check.

So I have a problem with Cyano on my sand. It's getting bad.
65g
T5s 8months old
Feed every 3 days a 1/4 cube of mysis. (Only have 2 clowns)
Mp40 + korillia#1 hidden in rock work + mag9.5 return.
Skimmers working awesome
Fuge has cheato growing like crazy and also gha and cyano.
Use only 0 tds water for water changes and top offs.
5g water changes bi weekly with red sea coral pro.

Tested levels yest and everythings in check except nitrates are at 20.
Don't have phosphate kit.

I started running chemipure elite about a week ago.
If I siphon it, its back within 2 days.
What do I need to do to make it stop, its driving me nuts!

 

I've seen so many cyano/algae threads lately, I was surprised when I seen it was yours though lol. I wouldn't worry too much about the phosphate test kit at this point, we know you have algae in the tank we will get a false reading anyway (although if you got a reading we would know that it is significantly high).

DBO how long is your light cycle? Have you done a blackout? I'm trying to think back on your build threads, Used old rock? Is it possible the rock is leaching phoshates/nitrates? Any new additons to tank equipment wise?

I'm kinda stuck here, wish I could help you out a little better.

Jake

 

Have not read the thread in it's entirety.


http://www.3reef.com/forums/algae/thank-you-dowtish-cyano-help-127261.html

Others seem to be having positive results.

Good luck

 

Light cycle is 8 hrs.
I tried running only actinics for 3 days and after that ran all bulbs it Cyano was back by the end of the day.
Rock is brs pukani dry rock.
Seems like I'm doing everything by the book and its getting worse lol

Thanks coralline, ill give it a read.

 

DBO, how do you store your top off water? If it's in a container do you sanitize it regularly? When you check TDS, do you check in the container or is it an inline TDS meter? I'm just wondering if nutrients could be getting introduced somewhere along those lines? Have you tested your top off water and new salt water for nitrates (I know you don't have a phosphate test)?

 

Top off is stored in a bpa free 6g drinking water container. Tds is checked with a inline meter on my spectrapure unit. 1tds before di and 0 tds after. Never sanatized the container but I do randomly rinse it with ro water. Water change water is held in a brute trash can that is heated and has 2 powerheads going at all times. Most of the time I make 20g or so at a time.
Never tested the new water but maybe ill do that tonight.

 

I also use an dual inline meter on my RO/DI, I ran into an issue with my rubbermaid brute storage container. My TDS was 0 coming out of DI but something got into my Brute on me so it wasn't 0 TDS going into tank. I sanitized it with bleach and is now good to go. Just wondering if it's something like that. Or a bad salt mix. I know you know your way around the tank, so I'm having a hard time coming up with solutions lol.

 

not 100% sure its the cause

but if your making 20 gallons of saltwater at a time, and changing 5 gallons weekly
your storing some of that water for up to 3 weeks

Red Sea coral pro and other salt mixes (Reef Crystals for example) have added organics / vitamins etc

so you are possibly going through stages of bacterial activity in your new water
and the nutrients being created are helping to feed your cyno

it would explain why it comes back so fast after a syphon and a water change

along with all the other things mentioned, I would consider only making as much saltwater with the Coral Pro as you can use for that weeks water change

Steve

 

You guys might be on to something here.
Never thought about the containers or how I store the water.
I'm going to test water out of containers tonight and see what it shows.
If its that I'm going to be so mad at myself lol

 

Now I am curious as well if this is the issue. I'm looking forward to see what you come up with on the tests. The storage tanks was the only thing I could think of as well. Hope you get it straitened out. I will check back and see what your readings are.