Who Gives A Fish Forums

I'm back after abandoning my 25-gallon tank for 3 months. I'd taken the fish back to the store, but left the plants behind. A friend kept the tank topped up for evaporation, but that was it for maintenance.

When I returned last weekend, many plants were still hanging in there, albeit not exactly thriving. A good chunk of the tank, maybe 2/3rds, had a cyano outbreak. Now I'm weighing my options. For now, I'm not looking to add fish, just get the tank clean and save as many plants as I can.

My initial thought was to pull out all the plants, clean them off, toss the substrate, and scrub the glass. I also considered blacking out the tank with a garbage bag for a week, but I didn't want to risk killing off the plants.

Does cyano, being a bacteria, embed itself in the plants and glass? What's the best way to clean the glass? I was thinking bleach followed by a thorough rinse and dry. I'd hate to scrub everything down only to have the cyano come back.

I could just ditch the plants and start over, but that's not my first choice.

The tank's only lit for 8 hours a day, with no direct sunlight. No food or ferts were added while I was away, and I just ran a sponge filter 24/7. The pH's a bit over 7, and alkalinity and hardness are low.

Any ideas or suggestions?

I've dealt with cyano outbreaks before, and I can tell you that it's not just a matter of wiping it off the surface. The bacteria actually attaches itself to the substrate, plants, ornaments, and even the glass, creating a film that helps it stick around.

You can try using a product like Ultiflake Blue Green Slime Stain Remover - it's worked for me in the past. Since you don't have any fish or shrimp in the tank right now, you can use it without worrying about harming them. However, keep in mind that you'll also need to address the underlying nutrient issues in the tank, as these can contribute to the growth of cyano.

coltin wrote: ↑Thu May 09, 2024 6:53 pm I've dealt with cyano outbreaks before, and I can tell you that it's not just a matter of wiping it off the surface. The bacteria actually attaches itself to the substrate, plants, ornaments, and even the glass, creating a film that helps it stick around.

You can try using a product like Ultiflake Blue Green Slime Stain Remover - it's worked for me in the past. Since you don't have any fish or shrimp in the tank right now, you can use it without worrying about harming them. However, keep in mind that you'll also need to address the underlying nutrient issues in the tank, as these can contribute to the growth of cyano.

Thanks for the advice, I actually have some of that Ultflakeife Blue Green Slime Stain Remover left over from a previous issue, so I'll give it a shot and see how well it works on this bigger mess.

I had a similar experience with that stain remover when I used it on a smaller issue. It did get rid of the problem, but unfortunately, it also took a toll on my plants - they didn't survive. I had a beautiful jungle val in that tank, which had thrived for years, but after using the remover, it completely melted away within 10 days.

I've set up my old 25-gallon cube tank again, 18" x 3. After a thorough cleaning, I replaced the substrate with sand and replanted the surviving plants. Unfortunately, I'm now dealing with another cyano issue in this tank.

From what I've read, the main culprits behind cyano are light, nutrients, and flow. My Kessil tank light is on for 7 hours a day, with no natural light exposure. I've also got a Fluval 207 canister filter, which should be more than sufficient at 206 gallons per hour. Since I haven't added any food to the tank and there are no fish, I'm skeptical about having a nutrient problem. However, I do use CO2 injection and fertilizers, which might be contributing factors.

I've got lily pipes for the inflow and outflow, and since they're positioned at the top of the tank, I'm wondering if the sand bed is getting enough flow. I use RO/DI water that's been remineralized.

I'd love to hear your thoughts on what might be causing this issue. Could the fertilizer or CO2 be the problem?