Please Help - Strange growth in new tank...

[codered]

I have this strange growth in my newly established marine tank. It is a salmon pink to rust red growth that covers the substrate and occasionally has long, red strings.
It is spreading very rapidly... as in, it covers about 1/5 of my aquarium floor, and I just noticed it a week ago.
What is this, and how do I get rid of it?
I have a 35 gallon tank. I have two thirty gallon filters and a powerhead, so I have ample water movement.
I have 35 lbs of liverock, a clown, a damsel, a pepermint shrimp, and a chocolate chip star.
Please help,
CodeRed

 

[salt_hobbi]

red slime, caused by loss of light intensity, or high phosphate levels.

 

[codered]

Here is a picture of the growth...

 

[codered]

How do I get rid of it?
I used tap water to start the aquarium. I dechlorinated it like my local store said. Does this lead to high phosphate?
I have a 20W light. Is this too little? What light would you recommend?
Is there anything that will eat / get rid of this stuff?
CodeRed

 

[dragonladylea]

First of all have you tested your water? You said you are using "tap" water is that city or well water? Did you test that? What kind of filter and/or skimmer are you using. How long has the tank been up and when did u add fish and inverts?

 

[reefnut]

What do you have for water movement (just the filters and one powerhead??)?? Making sure there is good water movement across the areas it's growing will help.
If anything adding a more powerful light right now would increase the cyano growth.
Test your phosphates & nitrates... do some water changes with RO/DI water or distilled water.
How much and how often are you feeding?? How old is the tank and what kind of water changes have you done in the past??

 

[codered]

I don't think I'm overfeeding. The food I have is called OSI Marine Flake Food. The instructions say not to feed more than they'll eat in five minutes... I do that. I feed them every morning and night.
I have good watermovement over the area. In fact, when the shrimp stands there, he gets pushed around by the movement.
I do use tap water, but my test kit doesn't test phosphates. What is RO water?
Is there any animal that will eat the red slime, or a chemical that will take it out?

 

[reefnut]

The tap water is most likely what is causing it. Phosphate test kits do not detect organic phosphates which can easy be charged to inorganic phosphates and used by algae. Start using RO/DI water or distilled water and do some good water changes.
RO= Reverse Osmosis= purified water.
I would also only feed once a day.