Cyano Outbreak

I agree we are getting a bit off topic. I'll clarify, one thing, 2 years is opinion, based on experience and the reported experience of others I have discussed it with. What is important to this thread is that it is very common to get cyano on the sand bed, with older sand beds, in an otherwise pristine reef tank. Whether or not this is the case here I don't know, because we don't have much information.

Other sources should also be ruled out. Some things that can help with cyano:
1) Run GFO change out often.
2) 15%ish per week water changes using RO/DI water.
3) Run lots of carbon and change out weekly.
4) Wet skim
6) don't overfeed
5) siphon out existing cyano, or increase flow to get cyano and detritus into water column to be skimmer out.
6) Good clean up crew to consume excess food.
7) Make sure bulbs are good and replaced regularly.
8 ) possibly turn off lights for 3 days or so, once tank is in shape, to remove remaining cyano.

If you don't see an improvement after a few weeks of religiously keeping up with the above, the sand may be the source.



Ryan,

Benthic organisms should appear within months, not years. To what extent they are beneficial is a bit debatable. Regardless, they definitely don't take years. In fact, after years, you can start to get dominance of certain species and what is refereed to in biology as a climax ecosystem, which most of us would probably consider bad.



Rinsing the sand can help, but will not remove bound compounds. It will remove non-bound, settled detritus and precipitates.


The ocean is different from our systems. For the most part, what's there is there. There isn't huge influxes. Our systems constantly have food, water and salt added, which contain impurites. Many are removed via water changes and filtration, but to varying degrees. Some just settle and accumulate. Usually in the sand and to a lesser extent, the rocks.



As to stirring, some people add sand sifters to constantly stir it. This can help keep it looking clean, but won't really help keep it clean. Again things that bind will still bind and things that settle may be removed when stirred up, but could also just re-settle. Also, certain substances may be better off left undisturbed, were various sedimentation processes can act on them. This gets complicated. I definitely wouldn't recommend stirring a deep bed though.



Just a few quick references that touch on some of these subjects. There is a lot more if you do some research.

Chemistry And The Aquarium: Phosphorus: Algae's Best Friend — Advanced Aquarist's Online Magazine

Down the Drain, Exports from Reef Aquaria by Ronald L. Shimek, Ph.D. - Reefkeeping.com