F@#$#ng Red slime
- Thread starter rane
- Start date
nm reef
Active Member
A few things can contribute....dead spots in your circulation(I keep 3 maxi-jet 1200's low behind my rocks to eliminate dead spots)...excess nutrients(if you run a skimmer how well does it work?)...phosphates can contribute(is your top-off water free of phosphates...if phosphates are measureable maybe run a good phosphate sponge)...lighting out of spectrum can contribute(when were your lights changed last?)...excessive feeding(cut back for a while and see if it helps)....also try running a quality carbon for a few days to help clear your water up and maybe remove disolved organics that may add to your problem.
Normally its a combination of factors but with persistance and patience you can eliminate the problem.
Normally its a combination of factors but with persistance and patience you can eliminate the problem.
discusking
Member
yeah i had it for a while, it is lack of circulation!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
reefnut
Active Member
I used "Maracyn" once to kill the red algae and it worked great. Within two days it was gone. The problem was I did not solve the problem... I covered it up. Withen a week I had an outbreak of green hair algae. The hair algae covered the tank quite quickly.
My point is, there are chemicals or antibiotics that may remove the red algae but they do not solve the problem.
My point is, there are chemicals or antibiotics that may remove the red algae but they do not solve the problem.
shep
Member
Had a massive red algae overrun of my tank about a year ago. I tried to fan it away with my hand and let the overflow get it. That was about like a turn in the punch bowl. Then tried removers for it. Then I invested in an ass of snails and hermits. Finally I stopped asking normal people and ask the old fart at the LFS and he told me to mix about 25 gallons of water and fan like I was let let the overflow get what it could and change 5 gallons about every 4 hours. That was in a 55 gallon. I figured what did I have to lose and tried it. I started into it late on sunday night and got piss drunk waiting on that 4 hours, woke up hating beer, fish, algae and hangovers on monday and finished what I started. Monday night when I came home from work tank was dark as usual and I was worn out and didn't look. Tuesday I woke up and had minor traces of it but that was gone in hours and never came back.
I would suggest giving the old fart method a try was cheap to just use hand to fan it off and do water changes...
I would suggest giving the old fart method a try was cheap to just use hand to fan it off and do water changes...
sucram
Member
I was battling red slime for a while. I think my skimmer sucks (CPR) because I very rarely have to empty the collector. I decided to go the refugium route to have the macro outcompete the slime by consuming the excess nutrients.
End result: my macro's are growing quickly and the red slime has disappeared in less than a month. Nothing like doing things the natural way.
End result: my macro's are growing quickly and the red slime has disappeared in less than a month. Nothing like doing things the natural way.
shep
Member
sucram, I can't agree with ya on the crp sucks. I have been upmost enjoyed by all my CPR toys. My overflow is as close to silent as I have heard from any tank. Makes less noise than my friend's drilled corner overflows. My sump/skimmer is great and skimmer dumps a bunch of gook out. Viewing your page also and your tank looks really nice.
sucram
Member
Thanks shep.
I actually like my CPR stuff, I have an overflow and skimmer from them both are very quiet, but I feel my skimmer should be pulling out more crud. After a couple years of running, I started getting red slime and had a flatworm outbreak - both signs of excess nutrients. I am still running it, but hopefully my refugium will do a better job.
I actually like my CPR stuff, I have an overflow and skimmer from them both are very quiet, but I feel my skimmer should be pulling out more crud. After a couple years of running, I started getting red slime and had a flatworm outbreak - both signs of excess nutrients. I am still running it, but hopefully my refugium will do a better job.
reefnut
Active Member
Originally posted by SquishyFish
ahh...actually this one does. I have used it several times over the last 10 years and never had a problem.
Squishy... It does work, the problem is it doesn't remove what ever is causing the red algae in the first place. In my case, at the time I was using tap water and have a phosphate problem. It removed the red algae but did nothing to remove the phosphates...
chef jaysen
Member
Just add alittle chlorine to the tank and the algae will go away fast. Its cheap too...........Cheers.......