red slime algae

[goldy]

how do you get rid of it? :?

 

[alrmc4]

use only ro water for top offs and for water changes suction it out and feed sparingly...i think that covers it hope that helps.

 

[Salt4Us]

We are battling that in our 29 also, we had it a long time ago and it just recently came back Big Time! But we noticed something, we did what alrmc4 suggested for you too, but we had also taken all our Turbo snails out for our 40 gallon, we noticed they really seem to help us maintain the tank and as soon as we changed the amount that were in there is when the red slime hit us. I even cut down the feedings to once a day and very light feedings too. We've been suctioning ours out with a turkey baster and this weekend plan on cleaning powerheads and outlet pipes that seem to be having a lot of the red slime on it. Good luck!

 

[goldy]

ro water is the only type we ever use. thanks for the advice.

 

[Guest]

one of the main reasons it is there is PO4, and possibly Silicates..being in the water..If I am not mistaken, Red Slime is fueled by Phosphates...pretty much as with most nuisance algaes and bacterias...Lower the PO4 to as close to 0 as possible and the stuff won't have anything to eat... I recently implemented Phos-Zorb and the PO4 went down from well over 1.5 down to less than .5 in 24 hours...HTH

 

[ReefLady]

Cyano algae/bacteria....

As timbo indicated, it feeds off P04 - also nitrates.
Loves low flow/current areas - try increasing water movement in the problem areas.
Old lights? Aging bulbs shift spectrum, and this is often offered as a cause of cyano outbreaks

Cyano needs food & light to thrive (as do most algaes). Food comes in thr source of phosphates, nitrates, etc. Good nutrient export (limiting feedings, using RO/DI water, possibly using a refugium, good skimming) - all these reduce the nutrients in your system. Also, maintain a low bioloads, having sufficient LR, and a DSB are quite helpful.

Watch the age of your lights, maker sure water flow/current is good, and keep a decent cleaner crew -- these are all excellent preventative measures.

Many ppl resort to antibiotics ("red slime removers") to battle cyano. This can be successfull if you've eliminated the orignal cause of the cyano, and are trying to "clean up" the remnants. However, if you have not solved what is causing the cyano, and you use an antibiotic, it is almost certain to return.

Good luck!

 

[goldy]

we never had this problem when we kept just triggers. we now have eels to. could that be a problem? a baby snowflake 5 in , a goldentail 10 in, a banded 10 in, and a yellow head 10in in an 180 gallon tank . :?

 

[wseaton]

Red slime feeds metabolically off Nitrate more than anything else I believe. Hair algae is more prone to show up with higher NO4 levels. I know more than a few marine aquarists we get away with straight city water and don't have a bit of algae, so there has to be a biologic factor in here as well.

Sucking up Cyanobacteria doesn't fix the problem; it only forces it to come up someplace else because your nitrate levels are still there which accounts for it's cyclical nature. I have a fighting conch that also loves to munch on the stuff.