Is this Cyano?

So I have this red stuff forming in my tank. It's mostly on this one dead brain, but it's also on most of my rocks to a much lesser degree. Worried it's Cyano. If anyone can tell from this pic please let me know.

-Doug

 

It does kind of look like Cyano to me, unfortunately. As long as it hasn't started to over run your tank too seriously you'll most likely be able to get a handle on it with a few hermit crabs...ive also heard that some blennies will eat cyano too. I'm not entirely sure how accurate this info is but it's the best to my knowledge. (we had Cyano in our tank and it was eaten my guess is by our hermit crabs beings we don't really have much else in the way of algae eating creatures! )

 

Yes looks like cyno. But i have been wrong before. (Many times)

 

Yes that is Cyano. Increase the flow in your tank and decrease the food. It should go away. Make sure there nothing dying in the fuge. I removed the fuge, did not see any difference in algae growth but did see a big reduction in cyano. You can use redslime control products but try to do it naturally if at all possible. That stuff can get on everything but it just stays on the surface, extremely easy to remove while doing a water change.

I just went from 2550gph to 4500gph

Planning on being at 6150gph atleast in a 120g tank

 

So I took a rock by LFS today for a better in-person check... owner said it's a type of red algae, prob not cyano. It is powdery, and not at all slimy. it has a grainy texture to it, and does not rub off easily. It's all over all my rocks, but it doesn't seem to be forming sheets or clumping up.

I put in 3 more red leg hermits, for a total of 6 hemits, 5 ceriths, 3 nassaius, and 2 zebra turbos. In a 58g tank is that adequate?

I noticed the red algae stuff is starting to grow on my chaeto in the fuge as well... again, not slimy. it's not growing on the glass either.

..dunno if that will change any opinions. My water flow is maxed out at ~300gph through the over flow. I have a Vortech MP40w running in crested reef mode at about 60% power... any more than that and the tank turns into a storm.

 

I know that guy said it wasn't cyano... but it looks like it to me. I have been struggling with it for a while... and everytime I think I have it handled is comes back but starts as those little spots. Recently I have changed my lighting, added a skimmer and treated the tank... so I am hoping to kill it off once and for all. I am also being very careful with food. Let us know if the crabs eat it. My experience is that they don't do a whole lot for cyano for some reason... but I know each situation is different! Good luck

 

It looks like it to me but I don't think it is. too little, too isolated. Cyano is like the plague. You wouldn't be asking about little red dots. I vote no and assign +k for an amusing poll.

 

If its mostly just on that one Dead brain I would take it out. As for the cleanup crew you may want to check out the reefcleaners site to see what they would recommend for a 58 gal.

This form has been posed on 3reef before, fill it out and they will send you back a recommendation on what you should have for a cleanup crew.

ReefCleaners.org | Clean Up Crews and Macro Algae

I hadn't had any cyano for over a year till I posted on a survey on 3reef saying I had never had it, hmmmm, 3 weeks later I noticed that I had some on some of my yellow polyps. I think that it was due to the fact that I had taken out 2 out of 4 of my power heads to clean them, and they were out for a week soaking in vinegar, then I did the same to the other two. Over that 2 week period it started, plus I took out my hob filter so that flow from that was eliminated allmost at the same time. Since I put all the power heads back in and added some more macroalgea it seems to be going a way slowly.

But I agree with trelane that what you have doesn't look like cyano, cyano usually looks more like a blanket that lightly covers thing such as the substarte or rocks, but doesn't tend to stick to it in a way thats hard to get off. Its easy to take off/syphon off, but it grows back easily if the symptoms are not removed.

Good Luck

Cat4wisson

 

Get a turkey baster and try to blow it off. If it comes off easily, then it is most likely cyano. From that point you will want to find out what is causing it and work at reducing that food source, be it lighting, nitrates, phosphates, any or all of the above.