finally some straight talk on red slime/cyano algae! picture

[piscies75]

have had this for quite awhile. The last few months added new reto fit (flouresc)lights 4-6 hours per day photoperiod , three power heads, clean up crew, water changes every week with r/o and using turkey basting and syphoning with ridgit plastic tube and hose. Scrubbing lr with electric toothbrush, I-bionic two step. aDDED TWO 5 pound heavily encrusted with purple algae lr. Using Seachem test kit all levels perfect except for phosphate at 1.4%. Added Seachem phosphate beads for four days as recommended still no change in phosphate level or Red slime/Cyano . Ran Boyd's Chemi-clean , dozed twice per instructions exactly. Here is an email from Boyd's
"'You may have a mutated form of cyano-bacteria. In that case you will be hard pressed to find a product that will kill it. You'll have to make sure no excess nutrients are entering into your tank. Do a thorough cleaning on the tank and farm as much of it out by syphoning as possible. Keeping a diligent regimen on the tank until it is fully gone."
I think I have to throw this rock out and buy new stuff, Comments?

 

[LFS42]

I would almost agree that throwing out the rock might be the only option.
Sorry

 

[Enzo]

My cyno used to look at that. I just added a couple powerheads and directed them straight at the rock, and that blew it all away, and it hasn't come back, I would also recomend getting a refugium, I have heard that calupera competes with algae for nutrients, and the clapera will usually kill of the algae by taking all their nutriants.

 

[piscies75]

I also have a 20 gallon fish only with the same problem, when I blasted the rock with a power head for a week a real noticeable change . It has been bare bottom but I just put in half a bag of South down what a cloudly sand storm. IF I set up a refugium on my downstairs tank say 10 gallon with 2" sand bed ,plant some calapera then do I just let a power head tube feed it with water then let it drain naturally back to the tank?

 

[Anonymous]

I have used red slime remover in my reef in the past with great results. No ill effects noted on fish, inverts, or corals.

mitch

 

[LA-Lawman]

When you do a water change siphon out all the algae you can. even if it is on your sand. u can always replace sand.

I had a 90g with the same probelm. first day. 20g water change with siphoning out sand and rock. took 10lbs of sand total and enough red algae to re-carpet my home. over then next week did another 30gallons....

Added PHOSBAN.. it is a sponge that doesn't leach into the system when full. Bump you ALK to 10-12 and run actinics only.. you want to out-compete the algae with other algaes... phosphates went from 1ppm to 0 in 16hrs.....

Powerheads are good but it looks like nutirients in the water are the prob. tone back on feeding about 40% dont starve the fish but give them sonething.

increase your skimmer efficiency... use Ozone if u can a very little goes a long way. Add a bagof Chemi-pure carbon to help keep the ozone in check. if u inject into your skimmer u should have no problem....

dont give-up.. dont throw the rock out.....

-hth

 

[Newts]

When red slim hits my tanks I step up the water changes and it goes away.It's worked every time,may take a day or two after changes to notice a difference.

 

[piscies75]

this is great guys, to sum up: I only have a Prism venturi hang on skimmer, I heard of one guy changing the propeller to more spockets and getting finer and more bubbles, if I knew how to do this I would. I don't have a sump or a refuigum. I am doing tons of water changes with r/o ,uv sterlized, ozoned and quite confident in it. When I syphon the rock I get no red slime off period. If I use an electric toothbrush or strong bristle scrub brush the water is quite red. It comes back quickly though. I have found some success with blasting the rock with a power head and plan to isolate some rock in my plastic container and blast it. I have a mutated strain of this. It is very old algae. I am using Seachem Phosphate sponge. I have made my own food in the past and maybe I should again. My fish are in great shape , my corals too : cabbage leather, toadstool leather, tubinaria paletta, green finger leather. I am confident I will beat this. To raise alkinity do I drip Kalkswater?

 

[piscies75]

this is great guys, to sum up: I only have a Prism venturi hang on skimmer, I heard of one guy changing the propeller to more spockets and getting finer and more bubbles, if I knew how to do this I would. I don't have a sump or a refuigum. I am doing tons of water changes with r/o ,uv sterlized, ozoned and quite confident in it. When I syphon the rock I get no red slime off period. If I use an electric toothbrush or strong bristle scrub brush the water is quite red. It comes back quickly though. I have found some success with blasting the rock with a power head and plan to isolate some rock in my plastic container and blast it. I have a mutated strain of this. It is very old algae. I am using Seachem Phosphate sponge. I have made my own food in the past and maybe I should again. My fish are in great shape , my corals too : cabbage leather, toadstool leather, tubinaria paletta, green finger leather. I am confident I will beat this. To raise alkinity do I drip Kalkswater?

 

[Rich-n-poor]

water changes wont be the answer if your water source is the source of the phosphate. Control the phosphate first try using distilled water on your next change.

If you use a phosphate sponge but add more with new water you are defeating the purpose.

Add a real skimmer, a bakpak IIr would only have cost $40 more than the skilter and been 5 times as good

rich
_________________
Honda CBR900RR

 

[Anonymous]

Yeah, what is the source of your RO? LFS and supermarkets don't always have good membranes. Did you say your photoperiod is 4-6 hours? You don't mean thats the entire time the tank is illuminated, do you? What is your clean up crew exactly? Tuxedo urchins are sometimes good for problem algae- you might try one.

 

[VICTORIA]

I also have had a ongoing problem with red slime. I have no po4. But I have found a solution for the time being. I do reg water changes and I made a vaccum with the smallest fluval filter. Replaced tubing with smaller and added a small brush to the tip. It give me joy to be able to rid my tank of the stuff. Each time I do it ,it get smaller and smaller. Only a small tube enters the tank as not to disturb the tank. Its great I don't have to spend $$ on extra salt. And nothing is added to the water. If you stir it up where ever it land it may grow there. It work for me. Instead of looking to see how much of the bad stuff I have, I now injoy my tank again!

 

[piscies75]

Victoria not quite sure what you mean.
source of r/o 1. lfs 2. Galaxy water they sell drinking water and uv sterilize and ozone the water in addition to a 6 foot Carbon block cylinder and sediment block one. I tested the water with the phosphate kit and almost zero.. I went to my lfs where I bought the Seachem phosphate beads and they said leave it in longer, it will not leach phosphates. I have a pencil urchin, assorted snails, emeral crab (although have not seen in over a week) I have decided to isolate some heavily invested rocks and blast them with power heads. This does work. I will win

 

[danmhippo]

Water and food are the 2 main source of nutrient entering your tank. If water is not the problem, then you should look into the food. What are you feeding the tank? How much and how often? Do you clean up the leftover uneaten food? It seems both of your tank has red slime problem, and nutrient source are most likely identical. Is both tank plumbed connected?

Also, we do not know how big your tank was, and not sure if the prism is able to handle the loads.

To help precipatate PO4, you need to drip kalkwasser. High pH of kalkwasser will bind onto PO4 and help you lower them.

 

[Anonymous]

Particulate and dissolve organic matter is usually the culprit in both tanks and on natural reefs.

I suggest checking the workings of your skimmer. It might not be working so great. Also, if you have a trickle ball part of your system, or something similar, you may be generating large amounts of detritus and that could likely increase your dissolved gunk. The way that Chemi-clean works is by flocculating and reducing your organic matter in the tank. Maybe you need to borrow a friends skimmer and try it for a while to see if that helps. Then consider upgrading to a bigger /better skimmer.

 

[piscies75]

It is working. Po4 down to .6 from 1.4, most of the live rock has confetti like white spots and the algae starts to retreat. This is great. Will keep you posted.