[SpiderManBearPig]

So I keep my RO/DI water in a white plastic 20L container, I have a small tank so I prepare the water and then it sits for couple of weeks in the container.
Never had a problem with storage.


I did the usual waterchange, And after spotting some weird flakes going into the tank I checked the container... And this happened

So my questions are,
Did anyone have that kind of problem?

should I wash the container with javel? vinegar?

Should I store it in a dark plastic bag to stop light from entering it?

Is this even Cyano?
How dumb am I?

 

[minorhero]

Does it stink pretty bad? If it does then its probably cyno, if you don't notice anything unusual in the smell its just regular ol algae.

Store the container in the future in a dark closet. Not a big deal, your tank will be fine.

 

[ahem]

Probably not. As other poster said, cyano is smelly, like dead fish or worse sometimes. Secondly, just because whatever it is can live in your bucket, doesn't mean there is a conducive environment for it in the tank.

Definitely clean the bucket.

 

[SpiderManBearPig]

I gave it a good sniff, and the results are in, Surströmming aka rotten fish, so definitely cyano.

I treated my tank right away, so hopefully it won't get room to settle.
(I struggled to get rid of it for 5 months and it finally disappeared last month, F)

How do you guys clean it ? I'm scared of any chemical persistence like javel in the plastic, would vinegar suffice?

 

[Plinkploop]

When I've dealt with it I've just scrubbed down and water changed daily precycling filter media with pieces of filter media from non affected tanks. This is probably not an option for most people. Cyano is a really rough one because it loves the same parameters as most plants and doesn't rely on imbalances. I've heard nitrogen and phosphorous deprivation can work, but it will hurt your plants too. I don't use algaecides besides excel and that doesn't work for cyano. I think chemiclean or something like that might work but I've not used it so I can't, personally, attest to this.

 

[Nicecook]

I collect my RO water in buckets but keep a lid on them until the weekend with no issues in my laundry room (lights off), not sure light has anything to do with the issue you are having.

 

[Eric W]

So I keep my RO/DI water in a white plastic 20L container, I have a small tank so I prepare the water and then it sits for couple of weeks in the container.
Never had a problem with storage.


I did the usual waterchange, And after spotting some weird flakes going into the tank I checked the container... And this happened View attachment 1028940


So my questions are,
Did anyone have that kind of problem?

should I wash the container with javel? vinegar?

Should I store it in a dark plastic bag to stop light from entering it?

Is this even Cyano?
How dumb am I?

I let my containers fully dry between water changes. If you have room and can get additional containers, that might work for you.
Regarding the cyanobacteria, that is tough. I have the problem in my 130 gallon aquarium and have tried numerous remedies. The latest (and most effective) was using hydrogen peroxide. However, it did terrible things to my plants and did not fully kill the cyanobacteria. I harvest chunks of it daily! The local aquarium store has a product called Blue Green Slime remover by Ultralife Reef Product. I have contacted the company to know more about the product and gotten no response. How do I get rid of the cyanobacteria? Any advice would be appreciated.

 

[SpiderManBearPig]

I'll give it a try for the container, thanks for the tips.

For the cyano, what worked for me was a combination of manual removal, black out, and "Blue Exit" by Easylife.

Just a little headsup, in case you haven't done blackouts yet, some plants will like it, some plants will be heavily weakened. (in case you have shrimps, I learned the hard way, that they might drop their entire fertilized egg load)
Never do a blackout for more than 3 days.

If you opt for Blue Exit, I researched a lot about it and apparently it really depends on each tank, some people had immediate result, some had none.
I had zero result for the first two treatment I tried, researched some more, and many people recommend you double dose it, and that actually worked.

So my advice to you, try the BlueExit, double dose from the start, before you do that remove as much as you can physically, and maybe weaken cyano by occasionnal blackouts, don't hesitate to do multiple treatment (it's a 14days period, with dosing the first 5 days, no water change)
Also, I'm sure you're already aware, but just in case, you have to completely eradicate it, even a small piece will grow back (and so will the frustration)
Good luck!!