Rookie Veteran Needs Help

[Rutrag1]

I have been in and out of the reef hobby for years now. (In fact, I worked in the industry about 9 years through high school, college, and a little while afterwards, but that was about 12 years ago.) I had a 37 gallon reef that was doing pretty well until the impeller shaft on a rio pump in my protein skimmer somehow corroded, swelled up, jammed the impeller, and the pump overheated and spewed its lubricant into the water killing off just about all my inverts. (I've actually had this happen with two Rio pumps.) I solved that problem and replaced the pump, but then my VHO ballast got water in it and fried. I sent it back to Ice Cap for repairs and then had the same problem not 3 months later and decided to let it go since I had no corals at the time and cash was / is tight. (I harbor no ill will to Ice Cap by the way. The problem was my DIY canopy and the lack of protection for the ballast. Shame on me.) A while ago I invested in an Orbit metal halide fixture (150 watts) that runs on atimer 12 hours per day. However, in the interim, my live rock critters that weren't DXed by the Rio pump died due to a severe lack of lighting. I figure the rock is still good for the bacteria colony, however. The problem is, I have a nasty cyanobacteria infection. I have made two large water changed using deionized water and actually scrubbed the rock down with an algae pad in a effort to get things under control. Water circulation is via a 400 GPH pump in a wet dry filter with in sump skimmer and 3 Aqua Clear 301 powerheads. My "good" test kits are all old as dirt or contaminated, and I recently picked up some Aquarium Pharmiceuticals kits to check things out. Here's what I am reading:

GH = 180 ppm (highest kit will go)
KH = 240 ppm (highest kit will go)
pH = 8.0
Nitrite = 0 ppm
Nitrate = 20 ppm (first reading above zero on kit)
Phosphate = 0.5 ppm (second reading above zero on kit)

I had been running a phosphate absorbing pad in the filter that I recently removed and replaced with a Phoszorb pack. The only inhabitant of the tank at this time is a tomato clownfish. Any insight you can offer is appreciated.

 

[Brian5000]

My guess is that the red slime is a combination of the new lights, your die off (depending on how long ago it was) and a lack of organisms competing for nutrients. I have found that the red slime can get going pretty good when my metal halid bulbs get old or if I get the really cheap bulbs (I'm guessing you have whatever the fixture came with).

Unless you bought something that really needs light, back down the photoperiod to 8 hours or less (whatever amount of time you're around to view it). That will slow the slime down.

If you had an accident that was able to kill every invert, then it have take a long time for your tank to recover. I imagine if live rock can survive being shipped all the way to the US in a dry box, then maybe critters will eventually emerge and re-colonize your tank.

 

[mpwolken]

I tend to think of red-slime as a hitch hiker that I take care of using chemiclean. I keep some very expensive SPS and LPS colonies as well as many non-sessile inverts and fish and that product hasn't caused me any issues.

Your tank, however, scares me. If I were you, I'd clear out everything; PBITAWA (look it up, but don't do it!)

 

[Rutrag1]

I tend to think of red-slime as a hitch hiker that I take care of using chemiclean. I keep some very expensive SPS and LPS colonies as well as many non-sessile inverts and fish and that product hasn't caused me any issues.

Your tank, however, scares me. If I were you, I'd clear out everything; PBITAWA (look it up, but don't do it!)

That's not going to happen! I will NEVER again use a Rio pump, and I learned from the mistakes of my DIY canopy. (Ballasts will be remotely located in the future!) I'm trying AAquarium Pharmacuticals Algaefix to see if I can get the cyano under control. I'm going to see if I can pick up some caulerpa to out compete the stuff.

Here's a pic as it sits currently:

 

[Anonymous]

I'd say to just ride it out and treat it like a new tank cycling and if you have nothing that needs the lights I'd keep them off for 72 hr periods. Sorry you had such a bad run! I'd also think about adding just a few pieces of quality rock and maybe some sand from a trusted LFS or other reefer to help recolonize things. Just take it slow and keep up with the WCs.