Red Slime

[sacramonel]

Ok, after 5 months, I finally got Red Slime. Its starting to creep up everywhere. And its driving me nuts. I ran out of testing strips so I don't know the parameters right now. I have Cerith Snails (about 30 of them for an 75 gallon), but they do not seem to be helping any. Here are my tank specs -

75 gallon Reef with LR
30 gallon sump/refugium - Chetemorpha (sorry can't spell) growing well.
Lighting - 230 watt PC for Tank/ 110 watt PC for Refugium.

Could anyone suggest something. I don't want to go the route of the commercial additives yet, but don't want to wait too long and have it take over the tank.

thanks.

 

[SkiFletch]

Whats your input water source and what are you feeding your fish? If you have growing Chaeto, you probably wont register phosphates anyways, so dont bother. You can try Trochus snails as I've heard good things about them, but never used them myself. Other than that, water changes and a turkey baster worked for me until it ate its source.

 

[Chac]

whats you flow rate

 

[sacramonel]

whats you flow rate

Flow rate right now is about 10 times. I was planning on upping that once I had some money. I use tap water (can not afford the RO unit right now), so that may be it, but I did not have that problem for months, so I am not possitive the water could be an issue.

 

[robbhp]

i have found the water in my area to change a fare bit , but in all fareness you microalgy should take car of that for you, like ski said just keep on to pf your water changes, also try lighting the sump for longer hours, in hope that the microalgy will use up more NO3

 

[sacramonel]

i have found the water in my area to change a fare bit , but in all fareness you microalgy should take car of that for you, like ski said just keep on to pf your water changes, also try lighting the sump for longer hours, in hope that the microalgy will use up more NO3

Would setting the sump light on a alternating schedule work?

 

[Chac]

whats you flow rate

Flow rate right now is about 10 times. I was planning on upping that once I had some money. I use tap water (can not afford the RO unit right now), so that may be it, but I did not have that problem for months, so I am not possitive the water could be an issue.

Low Flow & Tap water - There your biggest problesm

RO & increasing your Turnover rate will get rid of this

Test your tap water

 

[SkiFletch]

Tapwater contains many fuels for macroagale and cyanobacteria... Nitrates and phosphates (fuel for both) are common in tapwater. Also silicates (fuel for cyanobacteria only) are present in tapwater and IMO the main cause of your cyano bloom. We don't claim RO water is a necessity for no reason at all, cyano infestations are one of many reasons to use RO...

 

[sacramonel]

Tapwater contains many fuels for macroagale and cyanobacteria... Nitrates and phosphates (fuel for both) are common in tapwater. Also silicates (fuel for cyanobacteria only) are present in tapwater and IMO the main cause of your cyano bloom. We don't claim RO water is a necessity for no reason at all, cyano infestations are one of many reasons to use RO...

I understand the importance of the RO unit, but I have constraints that stop me from having one. A. Financial and B. I live in an apartment where I do not have a dedicated faucet for hours of use. Would a tap water purifier help in the meantime?

 

[Mr.September15]

Hmm, maybe your LFS has some R/O water. Mine doesnt but they have the next best thing. Sea water! They import it from this company that collects it and tests it for contaminants. But its a bit more pricey, I get my R/O for 3 bucks for 10gallons.

 

[SkiFletch]

Sadly a water purifier wont really help. They remove small organic compounds like chlorine, chloramine, and ammonia very well I believe they also remove Iron ions and sulfur very well. However they do not significantly remove nitrates, remove almoast no phosphates, and are completely ineffective at removing silicates (all the nuisance algae fuels ). There are some "de-ionization" resin cartridges that are effective at removing those fuels, but they're WAY more expensive than an RO unit. Best bet if you cant fit one is to see if your LFS sells RO. Usually they do so for pennies...

 

[sacramonel]

I was just looking at the Thread that Skifletch has about his tank and I got to the part where he started to get Cyano. My outbreak looks a little bit different. It looks sort of velvety and it is forming more of a film on the rock. It also has a large amount of air bubbles on its surface. Would this be the same?

 

[mr.dark-saint]

Phosphates from tap water feeds the cyno. bac. and R/O unit will remove it before entering the tank. Now marycin will help.