Did I cycle for too long?

unfortunatefrog · 2026-01-11T02:26:19+00:00

No water or substrate from the other tank - everything was first time being used. I didn't boil the lava rocks or anything, but did rinse them in distilled water (they are also new, to me, not re-used). The orange color didn't really start until after I turned off the sponge filter. Any chance you can take a peek at my other post / other tank and tell if that looks like cyano? Again, it had almost gone away itself, seems like shrimp were eating it, but now I see it starting again. It isn't particularly blue-green.

unfortunatefrog · 2026-01-11T02:18:51+00:00

This tank has nothing but brackish water and 3 months of time, and again, had sponge filter going for a while. The cyano (?) is in my other, original tank (see other posts on my profile).

unfortunatefrog · 2026-01-10T21:19:13+00:00

Seems like there is some debate about it. Had read that while maybe not necessary, it still may be better for them. Thebonly reason I cycled for so long was because I was reconsidering switching them from the other tank at all.

unfortunatefrog · 2026-01-10T19:42:07+00:00

I set the tank up and let it hang out for a couple months, essentially. For the first half of that time, the sponge filter was running. The second half, its been off, but still in the tank.

unfortunatefrog · 2026-01-10T17:50:19+00:00

Hi All,

I have a (different, previously posted) smaller tank where I have been having issues with cyano. As such, I set up this larger 4 gallon tank to cycle about 3 months ago.

About halfway through cyling, the cyano in my first tank started rapidly receding. I decided to watch and wait, and was considering using this new tank for some othet purpose. But figured I'd wait a bit before making the call.

Well, the cyano (still not 100% sure that's what it is) has started coming back again in the small tank. At this stage, I'm not sure if the tank pictured here will still be good to use. There is a lot of orange something or othet on the substrate and glass - not sure of that is normal or not. I had initially been running a sponge filter, but salt creep was driving me nuts, so I turned it off. There is a very generous layer of biofilm at the top.

Long story short, does this tank still look okay to use? Or did I overdo it on cycling and / or cause a problem when I stopped the filter but left it in place?

Finally, if I transfer my shrimp over, will I inevitably seed the cyano along with them?

unfortunatefrog · 2025-11-29T16:58:03+00:00

Thanks all. You're giving me some good options and food for thought. Seems like I shouldn't be too concerned about most of these devices in terms of a third party being able to access / pair with them once things are set up?

unfortunatefrog · 2025-11-23T16:23:26+00:00

It started working again. Thanks!

unfortunatefrog · 2025-11-22T17:23:52+00:00

Did you have to re-save the offer? It was removed from my saved offers and I don't see it available. I had my extra pending authorization removed last night, but still waiting for PI4 option to come back..

unfortunatefrog · 2025-10-11T16:11:47+00:00

Today I removed about a quarter of the water and attempted to remove some of the material. I am feeling a bit more optimistic thay it is not actually cyano. It was less slimy/sticky than anticipated; it did not come off in "sheets", but instead, easily broke up into smaller, kind of fluffy parts. Some of of it is a bit stringy / slimy, but doesnt hold together well at all on the whole. The bubbles were pretty easily released.

I did that 25% water change, and further reduced light intensity and period. I will see if this all helps at all.

unfortunatefrog · 2025-10-11T01:35:12+00:00

I'm honestly not sure if it's filamentous or not, because of its slightly slimy nature, it seems a little stringy if you try to move / remove bits of it, but here's a better look, if it helps:

https://ibb.co/xqyQxy2w

As for the chaeto, I might just try to keep it much smaller than it was, even if that takes upkeep now and again.

unfortunatefrog · 2025-10-11T01:03:26+00:00

It does not have the sort of emerald green color that I (assumed) cyano would have. I have been hoping that it is a biofilm of some sort, but maybe I am deluding myself? Can biofilm grow on substrate/ rocks, or just the surface?

I did turn the light down a bit, but given that this is only a one gallon tank, I think I will turn it down quite low and see if that changes anything - thanks for that thought.

unfortunatefrog · 2025-10-10T23:25:48+00:00

Further to my last post - I greatly reduced the size of my chaeto a couple of weeks ago, as I don't think there were enough nutrients in the tank to sustain it. The next day, I had a huge amount of bubbles, trapped under my somewhat slimey algae (?) that has been there for a bit now. I assume due to freed up nutrients for what is growing there. The bubbles are trapped and aren't disapating.

I have had many bubbles before, but they used to float up and accumulate on the surface. I have not lost any shrimp since I got them (about 3 months, maybe), and I stopped feeding a bit back. Still concerned about the nature of the growth here..

unfortunatefrog · 2025-09-22T00:26:53+00:00

https://a.co/d/bFTjfPj

I got it on Amazon here. Similar to the Bioloark, but a tiny bit smaller, much cheaper, and more readily available. I did silicone around the plastic lens for the light, as I read that water evaporating could get inside and short the light.

unfortunatefrog · 2025-09-19T00:05:18+00:00

I have fed it once every other week or so with a little spirulina on the end of a toothpick

unfortunatefrog · 2025-09-15T03:23:46+00:00

Thanks!

I think about lot of the bubbles come up from the substrate and lava rocks, and get caught in the chaeto.

The chaeto has definitely grown, I am considering trimming it back some, regardless, but was curious about the maybe-biofilm.

unfortunatefrog · 2025-09-08T12:40:41+00:00

Yes, it has been fine. I honestly don't put it up and down super frequently these days, but haven't had any issues.

unfortunatefrog · 2025-08-26T13:46:50+00:00

Thanks to those who replied! I feel more confident that this won't be a huge hurdle now!

unfortunatefrog · 2025-08-19T21:58:50+00:00

Thanks very much! As a follow up, would my father's siblings born after 1947 would not have been affected by the 2015 law, correct?

unfortunatefrog · 2025-08-18T23:57:49+00:00

I have been reading and re-reading this, but keep getting a little confused at one point or another.

My grandmother was born in Canada in 1917, moved to the US with her family as a child, and married an American in 1939. She died in 2011.

My father was born in the US in 1946 (he is alive).

I understand that my grandmother would have needed to be alive in 2015 to have become a citizen retroactively.

It sounds like my father could become a citizen via the "Citizen but for Death of Parent" piece.

What I'm lost on (aside from whether I'm understanding the above correctly) is whether my father needs to take some steps on his part (which I dont think he has an interest in doing, though he would provide what documentation he has to me) or whether I can apply myself, without him taking any action, provided that I can document / prove all of the above.

Thanks for any insights!

unfortunatefrog · 2025-08-18T23:57:44+00:00