Reef Crystals caused cyanobacteria, red slime

Reef Crystals caused cyanobacteria, red slime

Reef Crystals might actually be the cause of my red slime cyanobacteria

I realize the idea of Reef Crystals salt mix, as the cause of cyanobacteria, is going to be controversial, but bear with me. Read about my findings, and judge for yourself.

Summary: When I stopped using Reef Crystals, my cyanobacteria disappeared.

Background: This thread in Reeflounge.com http://www.reeflounge.com/showthread…acteria&page=2
mentioned Reef Crystals salt mix, as a cause of cyanobacteria. I googled to found this thread http://bb.wetwebmedia.com/viewtopic….=2396&start=10 in another forum,
which supported the notion.

My tank is 316 gallons, (including water in the sump and tubing). It is about 14 months old, and can be seen at http://www.halls.md/fish/.

At first, an aquarium-maintenance service did my water changes weekly, but only about 20 gallons per 1.5 weeks, and with tap water.
They used a mis-calibrated refractometer and kept my salinity too low, at 1.018. Their salt mix was not Reef Crystals. No cyanobacteria yet.

I had trouble with corals dying, (see things that died on http://www.halls.md/fish/deadfish.htm ) and so I took over doing water changes myself.
I do 10% to 20% changes weekly, (that’s 30 to 60 gallons), starting in April 2009 with Reef Crystals.

In early April 2009, diatoms appeared, and were dominant for a month. By late April, Cyanobacteria began on the rocks.

And within a few months, was 1/3 on rocks, and 2/3 on the sand.

The cyanobactera replaced the diatoms almost completely.

Reading internet advice let me to do many things, to try to fix it.
Let me recite these things, lest you blame the cyano on the usual suspects.

( my posting is long.. split into several posts, please wait 30 minutes before adding replies, thanks.)

See the rest here:
Reef Crystals caused cyanobacteria, red slime

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