Red Slime Algae :(

[TeenReefer]

I have had Red Slime Algae slowly spreading in my aquarium. It started as a small little spot and has now grown onto various rocks + the crushed coral gravel in the center of the tank PLEASE HELP me. I has put a phosphate pad in my penguin power filter and the green algae went away in a few days but the red insist to spread. What should I do???

 

[c0mf0rt]

Water changes with RO/DI water and let the algae burn itself out....

 

[i have crabs]

keep suckin it out and keep at it when mine would not stop i swiched to store bought ro water for 2 months and then swiched back to tap water

 

[Thumper]

Water changes and rodi water,

 

[RMPD109]

Do all the above to get nutrients down. You can use chemi-clean to remove it quickly. Just remember if you dont follow suggestions above it will return. You need to find out why your nutrients are high. Possibly overfeeding?

 

[monkeyman]

make sure you keep and eye on your carbon. you really need a protein skimmer. i had it bad in my 125 and i did lots of water changes, didn't do any good. finally i had to use chemi-clean (last resort) got a clear aquatic skimmer and lots of macro-algae for my refugium.then it started coming back in very littlt spots.two days later it was totally gone.

 

[JG]

I'm a believer in chemi-clean !

Out of curiosity - what is your substrate?

 

[TeenReefer]

I have crushed coral gravel...i know i shouldve went w/live sand but no one sells it around here.

 

[JG]

Actually , I've only had trouble with cyano in the tank with live sand, not in my gravel.

Vacuum the gravel regularly

Watch that you are not overfeeding.

Cyano feeds on phosphates. I have read that phosphates will be carried out of the system on the surface of air bubbles. My main 30 gal has always had a bubble curtain ( because the rest of my family like the way it looks) and I have never had a cyano problem. My daughter's tank did not have a bubble curtain - huge cyano problem. Got on top of it with chemi-clean - changed the substrate - put in a bubble curtain - no cyano. Coincidence ? Maybe - but worth thinking about.

And again - chemi-clean works great. It lets you get on top of the problem and regain control, esp if you don't have thte bucks for the skimmers and water units. You can order it on line for about $15 after shipping is added in.

With a 29 gallon tank you migh consider buying water for your changes, but be careful - even bottled water can be high in phosphates. I read somewhere that Wal-Mart water is among the highest in phosphate amount.