Cyano Microscope Pics

[Arkayology]

Is this cyano or spirulina? Something else? It has a red color in the DT, forms mats on sand and rock. Sometimes is long and stringy in high flow areas. Sorry for the dark images. I am still figuring out this fancy polarizing microscope in my lab (new to me). I have much more experience using stereomicroscopes. Pic is at 40x magnification.

 

[brandon429]

the challenge remains that even after positive ID, there isn't any system in place here for large tanks to fix the matter reliably. all we have is a series of 1st person testimonies about someone's system that was fixed after X, but when others try the method it doesn't work then the thread dies down. so if your tank is large, and ID is completed, nobody has a reliable way to fix the issue other than randomly dumping meds into your tank or changing params away from those that grow coral/hoping to starve invaders. those are stressful risks when choosing actions

thankfully, if this is a nano reef, there's a safe documented way that fixes any invasion in reefing without any ID whatsoever.

begs the question: do you have a nano or full size tank

(not sure on ID, can't wait to verify out of curiosity those are clear good pics)

so if it's spirulina in a large tank, nobody has a reliable way that works or there would be a large thread on it with a bunch of cures. same goes for cyano.

any animals imported as clean up crew trial run members risk bringing disease into your tank as well, all standard methods are a risk to your reef for sure. but if its a nano: u got lucky they're easy to fix from any invasion such that taking time to ID is a waste of time. size of tank matters that much, moreso than actual ID.

 

[brandon429]

even if it is a large reef let's see the tank pic, layout might give some unspoken details that could help in planning

 

[Arkayology]

the challenge remains that even after positive ID, there isn't any system in place here for large tanks to fix the matter reliably. all we have is a series of 1st person testimonies about someone's system that was fixed after X, but when others try the method it doesn't work then the thread dies down. so if your tank is large, and ID is completed, nobody has a reliable way to fix the issue other than randomly dumping meds into your tank or changing params away from those that grow coral/hoping to starve invaders. those are stressful risks when choosing actions

thankfully, if this is a nano reef, there's a safe documented way that fixes any invasion in reefing without any ID whatsoever.

begs the question: do you have a nano or full size tank

(not sure on ID, can't wait to verify out of curiosity those are clear good pics)

so if it's spirulina in a large tank, nobody has a reliable way that works or there would be a large thread on it with a bunch of cures. same goes for cyano.

any animals imported as clean up crew trial run members risk bringing disease into your tank as well, all standard methods are a risk to your reef for sure. but if its a nano: u got lucky they're easy to fix from any invasion such that taking time to ID is a waste of time. size of tank matters that much, moreso than actual ID.

My system is approximately 50g. The limited material I can find online says the chemiclean is the only way to get rid of this stuff. I apparently doesn't go away on its own? Also, I am having a hard time finding any discussion of what its effects are on corals, if any. I say this because my zoas are almost completely closed and my RBTA is fairly deflated. My derasa clam, hermits, and fish all seem unaffected. I did lose all of my snails so they may have died from this stuff, though that is unclear at this point.

 

[Arkayology]

even if it is a large reef let's see the tank pic, layout might give some unspoken details that could help in planning

I can get an updated pic of my tank with the red cyano on it later today, but you can see the layout of the rocks/etc. by clicking on my tank thread.

 

[brandon429]

There are many searchable threads that show Chemi clean killed my reef

5-10% chance of harm, 90% none, those aren't good odds. A rip clean is safe and has 500 pages of searchable jobs recently completed... it's a way of taking apart the reef, rinsing it out with skip cycle ordering which removes the invasion and is safe all the time

Chemi clean is a marked risk, you can find large problem threads with it by searching

Rip cleans take work but don't have a single fail searchable. Choose based on what you see as outcomes from both methods

 

[Arkayology]

There are many searchable threads that show Chemi clean killed my reef

5-10% chance of harm, 90% none, those aren't good odds. A rip clean is safe and has 500 pages of searchable jobs recently completed... it's a way of taking apart the reef, rinsing it out with skip cycle ordering which removes the invasion and is safe all the time

Chemi clean is a marked risk, you can find large problem threads with it by searching

Rip cleans take work but don't have a single fail searchable. Choose based on what you see as outcomes from both methods

I am not at the point where I am considering tearing the tank down to clean everything yet. I'm just looking for advice on what others have done to help combat this stuff. There doesn't seem to be a lot out there.