What a mess!

[rtk]

I couldn't understand why the big brown icky presumably cyano break-out.
After siphoning it up a dozen times, I went on a search, dismantled
where I had last seen the elusive blue linckia, and found its puny
smelly remains. Serious mess. I've changed the water, dropped in one
measley Maracyn tablet, which I'm assured won't do any significant harm
is such small doses, and I'm repeatedly emptying the skimmer which
really goes into major foam production after even such a small dose of
Maracyn. Is there anything I should or could be doing? Very ugly stuff.

rtk

[Rick]

dont skim for 24 hrs after putting in maracyn. your skimmer pulls ot
most of it. unplug skimmer for a day or 2 so medication has time to
work.

[rtk]

Rick wrote:

> dont skim for 24 hrs after putting in maracyn. your skimmer pulls ot
> most of it. unplug skimmer for a day or 2 so medication has time to
> work.
>

Thank you. I'll turn it off right now.

rtk

[miskairal]

rtk wrote:
> I couldn't understand why the big brown icky presumably cyano break-out.
> After siphoning it up a dozen times, I went on a search, dismantled
> where I had last seen the elusive blue linckia, and found its puny
> smelly remains. Serious mess. I've changed the water, dropped in one
> measley Maracyn tablet, which I'm assured won't do any significant harm
> is such small doses, and I'm repeatedly emptying the skimmer which
> really goes into major foam production after even such a small dose of
> Maracyn. Is there anything I should or could be doing? Very ugly stuff.
>
> rtk

When you say you put in one measley tablet, do you mean that was not the
correct dose? (Can't get this stuff here so don't know the dose rates
and you didn't say the size of your tank)

If that is the case why put it in at all as it won't do the job you are
expecting? All you are doing is breeding resistant bugs!! Please don't
do that, pretty please even.

[rtk]

miskairal wrote:

>
> When you say you put in one measley tablet, do you mean that was not the
> correct dose? (Can't get this stuff here so don't know the dose rates
> and you didn't say the size of your tank)
>
> If that is the case why put it in at all as it won't do the job you are
> expecting? All you are doing is breeding resistant bugs!! Please don't
> do that, pretty please even.

Thank you for the pretty please. I assume that was sugar coated. The
dose of Maracyn, one third of that recommended for fish disease, is
intended only for the cyano which is way more sensitive to the chemical.
Today I'll use only half of that. It really is a nasty problem, though,
and I'm siphoning up the stuff repeatedly all day, but that's just on
the surface of the sand, so it's probably more for the sake of my eyes
than the actual problem. I did turn off the skimmer and I'm going down
to see if things are any better. So far, the fish and corals don't seem
to react to either the bacteria or the Maracyn and I hope all this
passes with no damage from either. Ugly, though.

I do appreciate your concern and warning.

rtk

[George Patterson]

miskairal wrote:
>
> All you are doing is breeding resistant bugs!!

This is not a problem in aquaria. It's not as if they can get out and spread.

George Patterson
Why do men's hearts beat faster, knees get weak, throats become dry,
and they think irrationally when a woman wears leather clothing?
Because she smells like a new truck.

[miskairal]

George Patterson wrote:
> miskairal wrote:
>
>>
>> All you are doing is breeding resistant bugs!!
>
>
> This is not a problem in aquaria. It's not as if they can get out and
> spread.
>
> George Patterson
> Why do men's hearts beat faster, knees get weak, throats become dry,
> and they think irrationally when a woman wears leather clothing?
> Because she smells like a new truck.

No they can't but

a) Can you say that NO ONE ever releases their fish back into the ocean?
I knew of one person that did it here in Oz on a regular basis many
years ago.

b) What if...you put your hand in the tank and pulled it out, then went
and washed your hands and the bacteria that were resistant were on your
hands and went down the plughole and into either our waterways or the ocean?

c) You breed a resistant strain of bacteria and the you give a fish to a
friend who puts it in their tank and then gives one of their fish to a
friend who puts it in their tank where it fights with one of their fish
so they return a fish to a pet shop where the owner puts the fish into
their tank and all along that chain some of those resistant bacteria are
spread around. I'd be a bit cranky when my fish that I bought infected
my other fish and I couldn't treat them easily b/c someone had developed
a resistant strain of bacteria.

d) You develop a resistant strain of bacteria, put your hand in the tank
and then you put your hand to your mouth (who knows what for) and give
yourself the resistant bacteria?

I don't even know if fish bacteria can infect humans but I was a nurse
and I have seen the results of resistant bacteria and wouldn't wish it
on anybody.

I'm just asking everybody to be careful with them, use correctly at the
right strength for the right length of time.

[miskairal]

rtk wrote:
> miskairal wrote:
>
>>
>> When you say you put in one measley tablet, do you mean that was not
>> the correct dose? (Can't get this stuff here so don't know the dose
>> rates and you didn't say the size of your tank)
>>
>> If that is the case why put it in at all as it won't do the job you
>> are expecting? All you are doing is breeding resistant bugs!! Please
>> don't do that, pretty please even.
>
>
> Thank you for the pretty please. I assume that was sugar coated. The
> dose of Maracyn, one third of that recommended for fish disease, is
> intended only for the cyano which is way more sensitive to the chemical.
> Today I'll use only half of that. It really is a nasty problem, though,
> and I'm siphoning up the stuff repeatedly all day, but that's just on
> the surface of the sand, so it's probably more for the sake of my eyes
> than the actual problem. I did turn off the skimmer and I'm going down
> to see if things are any better. So far, the fish and corals don't seem
> to react to either the bacteria or the Maracyn and I hope all this
> passes with no damage from either. Ugly, though.
>
> I do appreciate your concern and warning.
>
> rtk
Yes it was sugar coated - I was not looking for a fight. I just come
across so many people who don't know the trouble resistant bacteria
cause. I would have preferred to have been knowledgable enough to answer
your question but I only have tropical freshwaters so far and am here to
learn ready to start my reef tank.

Good Luck!

[CheezWiz]

Yep,

One day our future generations are going to curse us for that damn
anti-bacterial hand soap that will ultimately result in the demise of the
human race.....

Sure, far fetched, but at the same time......

"miskairal" > wrote in message
u...
> George Patterson wrote:
>> miskairal wrote:
>>
>>>
>>> All you are doing is breeding resistant bugs!!
>>
>>
>> This is not a problem in aquaria. It's not as if they can get out and
>> spread.
>>
>> George Patterson
>> Why do men's hearts beat faster, knees get weak, throats become dry,
>> and they think irrationally when a woman wears leather clothing?
>> Because she smells like a new truck.
>
> No they can't but
>
> a) Can you say that NO ONE ever releases their fish back into the ocean? I
> knew of one person that did it here in Oz on a regular basis many years
> ago.
>
> b) What if...you put your hand in the tank and pulled it out, then went
> and washed your hands and the bacteria that were resistant were on your
> hands and went down the plughole and into either our waterways or the
> ocean?
>
> c) You breed a resistant strain of bacteria and the you give a fish to a
> friend who puts it in their tank and then gives one of their fish to a
> friend who puts it in their tank where it fights with one of their fish so
> they return a fish to a pet shop where the owner puts the fish into their
> tank and all along that chain some of those resistant bacteria are spread
> around. I'd be a bit cranky when my fish that I bought infected my other
> fish and I couldn't treat them easily b/c someone had developed a
> resistant strain of bacteria.
>
> d) You develop a resistant strain of bacteria, put your hand in the tank
> and then you put your hand to your mouth (who knows what for) and give
> yourself the resistant bacteria?
>
> I don't even know if fish bacteria can infect humans but I was a nurse and
> I have seen the results of resistant bacteria and wouldn't wish it on
> anybody.
>
> I'm just asking everybody to be careful with them, use correctly at the
> right strength for the right length of time.

[kim gross]

>
> I don't even know if fish bacteria can infect humans but I was a nurse
> and I have seen the results of resistant bacteria and wouldn't wish it
> on anybody.
>
> I'm just asking everybody to be careful with them, use correctly at the
> right strength for the right length of time.

Just so you know there is atleast on bacteria that can infect humans.
Don't have the time right now the look up the name but I believe is a
type of fish tuberculosis. There have been articles writen up buy
people that have contracted it from there aquariums in a few different
fish magizines as well as on different web sites. I know if you do a
google search on fish TB you will find some interesting reading material.

Kim

[unclenorm]

Hi rtk,
Are you aware that there are at least three different forms
of Maracyn, two for fresh water, one is Erythromysin and the other is
Minocycline, one treats gram negative bacteria the other treats gram
positive. Then there is a third type for salt water use. I would visit
:- http://www.mardel-labs.com for more info. they are the
manufacturers. As far as I know Maracyn will only treat fish problems
if you use the correct type, It will not get rid of cyno bacteria.
regards,
unclenorm.

[rtk]

unclenorm wrote:

> Hi rtk,
> Are you aware that there are at least three different forms
> of Maracyn, two for fresh water, one is Erythromysin and the other is
> Minocycline, one treats gram negative bacteria the other treats gram
> positive. Then there is a third type for salt water use. I would visit
> :- http://www.mardel-labs.com for more info. they are the
> manufacturers. As far as I know Maracyn will only treat fish problems
> if you use the correct type, It will not get rid of cyno bacteria.
> regards,
> unclenorm.
>
Whew! As soon as I read your note I called ThatPetPlace where I had just
ordered more. I have been using the right stuff. So far, it isn't
really doing a great job, so I'm going to stop for a few days and plug
the skimmer back on. I'm siphoning it three times per day and hoping a lot.

Thank you so much for alerting me!

rtk

[rtk]

Does this cyano-b ever go away? I'm siphoning before and after meals,
my meals that is. I can't keep ahead of it and I wonder if it
eventually calms down. The tank is not a source of serene pleasure
these days.

rtk

[Robert]

Cyanobacteria is the result of nutrients....period! Whether those
nutrients happen to be ammonia, nitrite, nitrate, phosphate, silicate
or what-have-you. Stop beating yourself up over this, take a deep
breath. OK, now then...stop with the erythromyacin and turn that
skimmer back on. In fact, make sure the skimmer is operating at it's
peak efficiency. Stop feeding the fish and inverts so much and do a
series of water changes using good quality water. Invest in an RO
filter if you don"t already own one. Keep the following in mind and
live by it...Decrease nutrient input, increase nutrient removal. That
slime WILL go away!

Regards,
Robert

[rtk]

Robert wrote:
> Cyanobacteria is the result of nutrients....period! Whether those
> nutrients happen to be ammonia, nitrite, nitrate, phosphate, silicate
> or what-have-you. Stop beating yourself up over this, take a deep
> breath. OK, now then...stop with the erythromyacin and turn that
> skimmer back on. In fact, make sure the skimmer is operating at it's
> peak efficiency. Stop feeding the fish and inverts so much and do a
> series of water changes using good quality water. Invest in an RO
> filter if you don"t already own one. Keep the following in mind and
> live by it...Decrease nutrient input, increase nutrient removal. That
> slime WILL go away!
>
> Regards,
> Robert
>

The *nutrient* was apparently a blue linckea. I have stopped the
erythromycin and turned the skimmer back on. It's extracting so quickly
that I have to empty it every ten minutes. I'm also siphoning the
surface of the sand frequently, assuming that just shoving the brown
stuff underneath is not efficacious. I have an RO/DI, bought from Marc,
and I'm replacing much water just because of the skimmer and siphoning.
I am going to repeat your last sentence to myself to the tune of Judy
Garland's Follow the Yellow Brick Road in Oz, fingers crossed and all.
The work/pleasure ratio for the tank right now is not what anyone would
like.

Thank you very much, Robert

Ruth Kazez

[[email protected]]

My tank has been set-up for over 9 months, but for the first 6 months I
struggled with a bloom of cyano, and brown algae. My first step was to try
and remove all of the nutrients. I dump the bio balls from my wet/dry
filter and replaced it with live rock. That seemed to get my nitrates under
control. Since my sand bed was new, I thought the sand bed might be
leeching off nutrients as well. Added a phosphate bag . My water
parameters while not perfect, were pretty good. I adjusted my photo-period
from 12 hours to 10.

But the one thing that made the biggest impact and allowed my to turn the
corner -- was covering my tank with blankets and turning off my lights for
3 days. It was truly amazing all of the excessive algae and cyano was gone.
I then played with my photo period to determine the maximal light period
without causing a algae breakout.

Since then I have replaced the wet/dry with a fuge/sump with a good growth
of macro algae. Everything is good.

Hope this helps.

dwk

[Marc Levenson]

Hi Ruth,

Have you considered using Boyd Enterprises Chemi-Clean yet?
That stuff works great. It has been a few days since your
last post on this topic, so maybe the issue has already been
resolved.

Marc


rtk wrote:

> The *nutrient* was apparently a blue linckea. I have
stopped the
> erythromycin and turned the skimmer back on. It's extracting so quickly
> that I have to empty it every ten minutes. I'm also siphoning the
> surface of the sand frequently, assuming that just shoving the brown
> stuff underneath is not efficacious. I have an RO/DI, bought from Marc,
> and I'm replacing much water just because of the skimmer and siphoning.
> I am going to repeat your last sentence to myself to the tune of Judy
> Garland's Follow the Yellow Brick Road in Oz, fingers crossed and all.
> The work/pleasure ratio for the tank right now is not what anyone would
> like.
>
> Thank you very much, Robert
>
> Ruth Kazez

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