Let's try and Find a Solution for Red Slime

[albertthiel]

Just an update: I'm still clean.

 

That's great to read ... guess the treatment worked !

 

Thanks for the update

[Mekanic]

Update from me Albert...

 

I am cyano free.

 

After an 8 month battle, I finally got it beat.

 

All the things I listed, huge water changes, boyd chemiclean, vodka, super aggressive GFO, adding a tomini tang and more snails, additional flow, refugium, changed lighting cycle, nothing worked.

 

So what did I do you ask?

 

I changed salts. I traded my 3 bags of reef crystals for a couple frags, and bought a bucket of Red Sea salt (not coral pro, gonna try that when this bucket is done)

 

I did 2 20g and 1 10g water changes over 3 days, cyano disappeared and has not come back.

[albertthiel]

Update from me Albert...

 

I am cyano free.

 

After an 8 month battle, I finally got it beat.

 

All the things I listed, huge water changes, boyd chemiclean, vodka, super aggressive GFO, adding a tomini tang and more snails, additional flow, refugium, changed lighting cycle, nothing worked.

 

So what did I do you ask?

 

I changed salts. I traded my 3 bags of reef crystals for a couple frags, and bought a bucket of Red Sea salt (not coral pro, gonna try that when this bucket is done)

 

I did 2 20g and 1 10g water changes over 3 days, cyano disappeared and has not come back.

 

Thanks for the update and that is a very interesting fact ... changing salt did it in the end !

 

I wonder if anyone else using that salt had slime algae problems and when they changed whether they went away ...

 

If you read this and this happened to you, please do post it ... I am about ready to summarize all the posts in a few days so anything else that can be added will make it more complete

 

I use the Red Sea Pro and I do not have slime algae problems ... touch wood ...

 

Thanks for the input.

 

Albert

[Mstefa1]

I'm getting warning signs. The past week and a half I would see some red on my rock with air bubbles. I blast it with a turkey baster. Nothing like before but I believe it's the cyano coming back. I think after my kid's party this weekend I'll zap them again. Just to be sure I will NOT close my fuge this time as before I started seeing it in my display it was turning up in my fuge. Note that it was not evident in my fuge before when I had the outbreak. Let's hope it's not resistent and is effective with chemiclean.

[albertthiel]

I'm getting warning signs. The past week and a half I would see some red on my rock with air bubbles. I blast it with a turkey baster. Nothing like before but I believe it's the cyano coming back. I think after my kid's party this weekend I'll zap them again. Just to be sure I will NOT close my fuge this time as before I started seeing it in my display it was turning up in my fuge. Note that it was not evident in my fuge before when I had the outbreak. Let's hope it's not resistent and is effective with chemiclean.

 

Sorry to read that they may be coming back ... and yes if you see them early intervention is IMO the better way to go .. so another treatment with ChemiClean is probably in order.

 

What I wonder though is why they "are" coming back ? Any idea ? Over feeding, too high DOC and the skimmer is not removing enough, the salt you use maybe ?

 

Your thoughts ?

[Mstefa1]

Sorry to read that they may be coming back ... and yes if you see them early intervention is IMO the better way to go .. so another treatment with ChemiClean is probably in order.

 

What I wonder though is why they "are" coming back ? Any idea ? Over feeding, too high DOC and the skimmer is not removing enough, the salt you use maybe ?

 

Your thoughts ?

 

The only thing I may be accused of over feeding is PE mysis. But considering I rinse & spot feed, I should not be seeing excess nutrient production. I run GFO in a reactor and have changed it probably 3 times in a month (along with the carbon in the reactor). I run less then the suggested amount and change it frequently as I haven't established exactly how much I'm going to use or how often I'm going to change it. The only unusual tank issue I've had is a clown that jumped over my false wall. I tried daily to get him out and failed. Eventually he perished. This caused a lot of dirt in my reactor which is why I changed the media again. One of the benefits of a nano... additives are cheap. The warning signs started before the clown perished.

 

I just started feeding SPS and I don't like the fact that it is hard to spot feed as I always end up with food in my water column. Either way I believe my levels are optimal aside from the elevated CA. So it's funny you mention salt (as did the previous poster). I've trown in the towel with Seachem. I wanted to chalk it up to a bad Salifert test kit but that wasn't the case. Mag is perfect, ALK needs to be dosed, but CA is almost 600.

 

I spend 90 minutes testing this morning to determine if it was my Salifert test kits, my salt, or me. I purchased a bucket of Red Sea Pro Reef salt yesterday. I can test and match the Alk included sample. My Salifert test almost match the Ca, Alk, and Mag that is listed on the bucket of Red Sea. So apparantly the Seachem is absurdly high in Ca. I've read posts from others confirming that. We will see what happens with the new salt.

 

So as said, I cut off my fuge before so mabye the bacteria of cyano was present and it returned. I wanted to isolate my fuge to minimize the chance of destroying good bacteria. This time, I'm going to medicate everthing.

 

Albert, asuming the bacteria is present... What is the #1 fuel of growth with cyano? What are the basics it needs to survive? I've been stocking heavily (with coral) so perhaps I brought it along but I doubt it as I primary buy from 1 place.

[albertthiel]

The only thing I may be accused of over feeding is PE mysis. But considering I rinse & spot feed, I should not be seeing excess nutrient production. I run GFO in a reactor and have changed it probably 3 times in a month (along with the carbon in the reactor). I run less then the suggested amount and change it frequently as I haven't established exactly how much I'm going to use or how often I'm going to change it. The only unusual tank issue I've had is a clown that jumped over my false wall. I tried daily to get him out and failed. Eventually he perished. This caused a lot of dirt in my reactor which is why I changed the media again. One of the benefits of a nano... additives are cheap. The warning signs started before the clown perished.

 

I just started feeding SPS and I don't like the fact that it is hard to spot feed as I always end up with food in my water column. Either way I believe my levels are optimal aside from the elevated CA. So it's funny you mention salt (as did the previous poster). I've trown in the towel with Seachem. I wanted to chalk it up to a bad Salifert test kit but that wasn't the case. Mag is perfect, ALK needs to be dosed, but CA is almost 600.

 

I spend 90 minutes testing this morning to determine if it was my Salifert test kits, my salt, or me. I purchased a bucket of Red Sea Pro Reef salt yesterday. I can test and match the Alk included sample. My Salifert test almost match the Ca, Alk, and Mag that is listed on the bucket of Red Sea. So apparantly the Seachem is absurdly high in Ca. I've read posts from others confirming that. We will see what happens with the new salt.

 

So as said, I cut off my fuge before so mabye the bacteria of cyano was present and it returned. I wanted to isolate my fuge to minimize the chance of destroying good bacteria. This time, I'm going to medicate everthing.

 

Albert, asuming the bacteria is present... What is the #1 fuel of growth with cyano? What are the basics it needs to survive? I've been stocking heavily (with coral) so perhaps I brought it along but I doubt it as I primary buy from 1 place.

 

Thanks for the long explanation and all the details. To be honest with you I don't think that anyone knows what causes them to appear and spread except that when they do it usually starts in areas with low flow or hardly any as they do not like oxygen (cyanos are oxygen phobic).

 

When one reads posts here and on other forums it seems that their appearance is attributed to just about anything you can think of and that includes excess nutrients, not enough circulation, light bulbs that are too old and have shifted spectrum, introduction via adding a rock that has a little of them on it already, the salt used, the type of food used, etc. etc.

 

So there really is not way to tell you exactly why but what is suggested is to have well working fuge with lots of algae in it as those may outcompete the slime ones, water changes to keep the nutrients low, using RO/DI water and some say that certain salts will bring them about ... in fact one of the authoritative writers that I post articles of did an analysis on salts and determined that one brand definitely seems to bring them about. But you were not using that brand.

 

So to answer the question some more: yes maybe because the sump was not treated they managed to get a foothold again in the tank and doing another chemiclean treatment would be the best at this point (remember only use the correct dosage so you do not kill off your biological filter or get negative reactions from your corals and fish.

 

I would think that the sooner you do so the better, and then after 48 hours let us know how it all went.

 

Sorry you have to do another treatment but at this point that seems to be the only solution.

 

And if you want to read up some more on what I posted on my thread here is a link that lists all the articles and posts on cyanos :

 

http://www.nano-reef.com/forums/index.php?...2Bcyanobacteria

 

It will show you each post and you can then go to those and read.

 

Albert

[Mstefa1]

Thanks Albert. Just started dose #2. The cyano is very mild right now, not even close to an outbreak like before but the timing was right so I just medicated. I have a lot more to loose in my tank now so don't want the cyano to affect my tank nor do I want Chemclean to affect my coral.

 

By the way, I have not been seeing growth from any other algae.

[uglyfish]

Never had cyanobacteria in any of my tanks, ever, (knock on wood), here's my recommendation based on nothing but pure speculation and a bit of reading.

 

Do not dose liquid carbon products, you are feeding the cyano bacteria. Bio-pellets should be okay if they are already running in the system.

 

Dose Zeobac or MB7 and coral snow product mixed together, (dosages can vary). Add (Zeobac/MB7) bacteria to coral snow in a test tube, mix gently. Wait 5 minutes, just let it sit. Dose mixture at night, lights off. Do this every day. I would dose very small amounts of Zeobac or MB7 and run a good skimmer 24/7. You can turn the skimmer off for 30 minutes after dosing, just don't forget to turn it back on.

 

I do this twice a week for maintenance in my tank. The theory behind this is to out compete the (good) bacteria with the (bad) cyanobacteria. The coral snow gives the bacteria a surface in which to attach before it is dosed. The snow, when added to the tank, helps the (good) bacteria settle on surfaces/substrate in the tank. Over time this will out compete the cyano. It also helps to lower DOC in the tank which helps overall.

 

I have always thought problems with cyano were more of a imbalance of bacteria that lives in the tank. Once the balance is returned, cyano should not be a problem provided you keep good maintenance of the tank and run correct spectrums.

 

I think Nanotopia is right about the zeobac, mb7 and coral snow treatment. I used this combo a year ago (along with zeostart) to overcome cyano. I don't believe liquid carbon is the problem because I recently got cyano while using biopellets. I'm convinced that a build of organics is the primary cause. MB7 contains enzymes to break down organics. Coral snow is a second reducer of organics. Both good products to keep cyano away.

[albertthiel]

Thanks Albert. Just started dose #2. The cyano is very mild right now, not even close to an outbreak like before but the timing was right so I just medicated. I have a lot more to loose in my tank now so don't want the cyano to affect my tank nor do I want Chemclean to affect my coral.

 

By the way, I have not been seeing growth from any other algae.

 

It deals with hair and slime as far as I know, but not with bubble algae, and yes no overdose ...

 

Keep me posted once it is completed on how it went will you? Thanks

[albertthiel]

I think Nanotopia is right about the zeobac, mb7 and coral snow treatment. I used this combo a year ago (along with zeostart) to overcome cyano. I don't believe liquid carbon is the problem because I recently got cyano while using biopellets. I'm convinced that a build of organics is the primary cause. MB7 contains enzymes to break down organics. Coral snow is a second reducer of organics. Both good products to keep cyano away.

 

That is indeed good information ... and yes NanoTopia is hitting it on the mark by suggesting that treatment and staying away from carbon sources.

 

I would even stay away from the bio-pellets, as you say too, as any carbon source is IMO setting one's self up for an outbreak of cyanos.

 

DOC may very well be one of the reasons but what has always boggled my mind is that hobbyists have had issues with cyanos for ages and ages and to-date no one has yet come up with a good and technical explanation on why they actually suddenly appear and then spread.

 

Many reasons have been given ... low flow, light, carbon sources, low pH, etc. etc. but I have yet to see an Authoritative article on the exact reasons .... and believe me I have searched and searched for them, and also own several books on Cyanobacteria and on Phycology etc .... and none of those explain why they appear, only what they are and the species, and what their benefits are in the wider sense of the word ... but nothing on their occurrence in aquariums.

 

Thanks for the post

[SunDrySix]

I'd like to comment on this part:

"2. eradicating them once you have them"

 

I had a bad cyano outbreak i was battling for months.. finally caved in and bought Red Slime Remover from Ultra Life as recommended by my LFS. I have a 28 Gal tank, and out of caution dosed for 15 gallons. All cyano was noticeably deteriorating after 24 hours.. at 48 hours, all cyano was gone with hermits picking at the remnants. Did a 5 gal water change ~72 hours after the dose happened It has been a month and haven't seen a sign of it coming back yet. 0 effect on fish and coral in my tank.

 

Good stuff.

 

-Sun

[albertthiel]

I'd like to comment on this part:

"2. eradicating them once you have them"

 

I had a bad cyano outbreak i was battling for months.. finally caved in and bought Red Slime Remover from Ultra Life as recommended by my LFS. I have a 28 Gal tank, and out of caution dosed for 15 gallons. All cyano was noticeably deteriorating after 24 hours.. at 48 hours, all cyano was gone with hermits picking at the remnants. Did a 5 gal water change ~72 hours after the dose happened It has been a month and haven't seen a sign of it coming back yet. 0 effect on fish and coral in my tank.

Good stuff.

-Sun

 

Thanks for clarifying that. Most hobs seem to use ChemiClean from Boyd Ent. so it is good to know that the Ultra Life one worked well for you.

 

Did you see any reaction from the corals ? Any ammonia spikes while and after treating ? Just wondering.

[Mstefa1]

I think Nanotopia is right about the zeobac, mb7 and coral snow treatment. I used this combo a year ago (along with zeostart) to overcome cyano. I don't believe liquid carbon is the problem because I recently got cyano while using biopellets. I'm convinced that a build of organics is the primary cause. MB7 contains enzymes to break down organics. Coral snow is a second reducer of organics. Both good products to keep cyano away.

 

I'm not convinced. During my first outbreak I had few corals that I almost never fed. Additionally I only fed my fish a tiny pinch every other day keeping the hungry. This time I have been feeding heavier however I do only spot feed. I am very heavy on water changes... Most doubtly more then I need for sure.

 

You would think if disolved organics would be a cause then you would see other signs. i.e. other algae growth, elevated nitrates, heavy skimming. Prime example is that I don't even need to clean my glass of algae. And it's not just a great CUC. I'm sure that will change as the tank ages but here and now is what were referring to.

[neuwave]

Per your request Albert.

 

I think in a slightly different manner as most. Since cyno is caused by different factors in the tank and in this hobby most people try to find a fix. But if the forum discussed the "source" of the cyno we would not need to find a product or a "fix" for cyno in th first place.

For example: a fire, the simple flame needs several things to develop, fuel, combustion and oxygen. Cyno like fire needs fuel(nutrients), combustion(light) and Air(CO2).

As you know I use a CO2 scrubber which eliminates one of the cyno growing elements. Second I use a reverse refugium for nutrient consumption along with a over sized skimmer eliminating cyno fuel and then the light makes no difference since its not enough for it to grow. I go against normal convention and don't use pours us rocks. I prefer rock with little holes and more ridges. It's surface is bumpy or ridged created a lot of surface area like a golf ball, allowing the good bacteria ample space. With little or no holes/rock pores, the left over food and decomposing matter has no where to be trapped thus release excess/gather nutrients. Lastly I use a lot of flow keeping all debris in the water column to be absorbed by rowaphos and chaeto and the skimmer.

So basically don't give it a chance to grow in the first place and you won't need extra products to eliminate it.

 

Hope this helps.

 

Been cyno free for... Gee I can't remember the last time.

[albertthiel]

Per your request Albert.

 

I think in a slightly different manner as most. Since cyno is caused by different factors in the tank and in this hobby most people try to find a fix. But if the forum discussed the "source" of the cyno we would not need to find a product or a "fix" for cyno in th first place.

For example: a fire, the simple flame needs several things to develop, fuel, combustion and oxygen. Cyno like fire needs fuel(nutrients), combustion(light) and Air(CO2).

As you know I use a CO2 scrubber which eliminates one of the cyno growing elements. Second I use a reverse refugium for nutrient consumption along with a over sized skimmer eliminating cyno fuel and then the light makes no difference since its not enough for it to grow. I go against normal convention and don't use pours us rocks. I prefer rock with little holes and more ridges. It's surface is bumpy or ridged created a lot of surface area like a golf ball, allowing the good bacteria ample space. With little or no holes/rock pores, the left over food and decomposing matter has no where to be trapped thus release excess/gather nutrients. Lastly I use a lot of flow keeping all debris in the water column to be absorbed by rowaphos and chaeto and the skimmer.

So basically don't give it a chance to grow in the first place and you won't need extra products to eliminate it.

 

Hope this helps.

 

Been cyno free for... Gee I can't remember the last time.

 

Great info and thanks for posting it Neuwave ... not sure if you posted it to my thread as well but you may want to do so as readers there may not be following this thread.

 

Your input is indeed the best approach : avoidance and setting up the tank in such a way that they do not appear is of course far better than having to deal with cyanobacteria, and the way you describe what you do an the fact that you do not have to deal with its appearance is excellent info for those who read this.

 

I want to add a note but I am not 100% sure that what I am going to write is anecdotal or a fact: I have seen several posts of hobbyists who started to get slime algae when they were using the VSV method of carbon dosing and that those who used Vodka and/or Sugar/Glucose, saw it appear more than those who were using Vinegar mixed with the Kalkwasser they were using.

 

I use KW and I do add vinegar when I prepare it and I have not had to deal with Cyanos ... I think that when the VSV method is used maybe too much carbon sources are present in the tank and that could indeed lead to the cyanobacteria outbreaks, but as I said those observations and posts may be anecdotal and not a fact.

 

The observation on not using "porous" rock is interesting and I wonder why you think that may make a difference.

 

Thanks for the post ... good info indeed.

[Mstefa1]

Albert, just to update you... Treatment 2 was successful. I medicated prior to getting an outbreak - the entire water volume this time, not just the display. Let's hope I got it taken care of this time. I only that cyano doesn't get resistant to treatment.

 

As far as affects on a fully stocked tank... I have a clove polyp coral (not sure exactly what it is) that was showing extreme growth prior to treatment. It was greatly affected by Chemiclean. It is now back to looking OK but not in it's growth stage yet. This was the only thing affected and this includes inverts, clam, SPS, etc.

[albertthiel]

Albert, just to update you... Treatment 2 was successful. I medicated prior to getting an outbreak - the entire water volume this time, not just the display. Let's hope I got it taken care of this time. I only that cyano doesn't get resistant to treatment.

 

As far as affects on a fully stocked tank... I have a clove polyp coral (not sure exactly what it is) that was showing extreme growth prior to treatment. It was greatly affected by Chemiclean. It is now back to looking OK but not in it's growth stage yet. This was the only thing affected and this includes inverts, clam, SPS, etc.

 

Glad to read it and thanks for your remark on the Clove Polyps. Hopefully they will fully recover.

 

I have seen one instance where a hobbyist reported that his GSP did not make it through the treatment, but I have only seen that once, and I am not sure either whether that was actually due to the use of the ChemiClean but that is what the post implied.

 

Thanks for the update and glad things went well and hopefully, yes, they will not come back, especially now that you treated the entire system.

[Mekanic]

I just started feeding SPS and I don't like the fact that it is hard to spot feed as I always end up with food in my water column. Either way I believe my levels are optimal aside from the elevated CA. So it's funny you mention salt (as did the previous poster). I've trown in the towel with Seachem. I wanted to chalk it up to a bad Salifert test kit but that wasn't the case. Mag is perfect, ALK needs to be dosed, but CA is almost 600.

 

I spend 90 minutes testing this morning to determine if it was my Salifert test kits, my salt, or me. I purchased a bucket of Red Sea Pro Reef salt yesterday. I can test and match the Alk included sample. My Salifert test almost match the Ca, Alk, and Mag that is listed on the bucket of Red Sea. So apparantly the Seachem is absurdly high in Ca. I've read posts from others confirming that. We will see what happens with the new salt.

 

Just to chime on on this, Seachem has ABSURDLY high Ca levels out of the bucket. I just helped a reefer on another site who was using it, 2 part, and kalk, and his Ca was over 600.

 

Seachem has a baseline Ca of 540 out of the bucket. Me and my tank have been very happy since switching to regular Red Sea salt with kalk and 2 part. All my corals look much happier.

 

For my cyano, I have a decent outbreak right now isolated to my refugium. I believe it may be the spectrum of the bulb I'm using to light it, just a 6500k spiral CF in a clamp light.

 

Just for your reference...

Salt Product

 

Calcium Alkalinity Magnesium

Aquatic Gardens 430 8 1240

 

Brightwell Neomarine 370 11 1140

 

CoraLife 560 9 1380

 

Crystal Sea Marinemix 340 9 1050

 

Crystal Sea Marinemix Bio-Assay 340 9 1050

 

D-D H2Ocean 450 10 1380

 

Instant Ocean 400 11 1350

 

Kent 540 11 1200

 

Marine Environment 480 7.5 1450

 

Oceanic 580 8.5 1650

 

OceanPure 510 10 1320

 

Red Sea 400 8 1300

 

Red Sea Coral Pro 490 7 1300

 

Reef Crystals 490 13 1440

 

Reefer's Best 420 11 1200

 

SeaChem Marine Salt 500 10 1400

 

SeaChem Reef Salt 540 10 1450

 

Tropic Marin 375 10 1230

 

Tropic Marin Pro Reef 450 8.5 1380

 

Tunze Reef Salt 420 9.5 1350

[albertthiel]

Just to chime on on this, Seachem has ABSURDLY high Ca levels out of the bucket. I just helped a reefer on another site who was using it, 2 part, and kalk, and his Ca was over 600.

 

Seachem has a baseline Ca of 540 out of the bucket. Me and my tank have been very happy since switching to regular Red Sea salt with kalk and 2 part. All my corals look much happier.

 

For my cyano, I have a decent outbreak right now isolated to my refugium. I believe it may be the spectrum of the bulb I'm using to light it, just a 6500k spiral CF in a clamp light.

 

Just for your reference...

Salt Product

 

Calcium Alkalinity Magnesium

Aquatic Gardens 430 8 1240

 

Brightwell Neomarine 370 11 1140

 

CoraLife 560 9 1380

 

Crystal Sea Marinemix 340 9 1050

 

Crystal Sea Marinemix Bio-Assay 340 9 1050

 

D-D H2Ocean 450 10 1380

 

Instant Ocean 400 11 1350

 

Kent 540 11 1200

 

Marine Environment 480 7.5 1450

 

Oceanic 580 8.5 1650

 

OceanPure 510 10 1320

 

Red Sea 400 8 1300

 

Red Sea Coral Pro 490 7 1300

 

Reef Crystals 490 13 1440

 

Reefer's Best 420 11 1200

 

SeaChem Marine Salt 500 10 1400

 

SeaChem Reef Salt 540 10 1450

 

Tropic Marin 375 10 1230

 

Tropic Marin Pro Reef 450 8.5 1380

 

Tunze Reef Salt 420 9.5 1350

 

Thanks for the results you found on the various elements you tested for. Very interesting. What test kit did you use if I may ask?

 

On your Cyano outbreak in the sump : can you just siphon it out and clean out the sump to get rid of it so it does not get into your aquarium, or is the outbreak so severe that you think the bacteria have already gotten into your tank and that you are going to see them appear there too?

 

On the bulb : unless it is very old I do not think that the 6500 K would give rise to red slime. In fact I use two of those bulbs (the 100 watt equivalent ones) over my aquarium and I do not get any cyanos in the tank. The reason has to be something else IMO.

 

Thanks for your response

[Mekanic]

Thanks for the results you found on the various elements you tested for. Very interesting. What test kit did you use if I may ask?

 

On your Cyano outbreak in the sump : can you just siphon it out and clean out the sump to get rid of it so it does not get into your aquarium, or is the outbreak so severe that you think the bacteria have already gotten into your tank and that you are going to see them appear there too?

 

On the bulb : unless it is very old I do not think that the 6500 K would give rise to red slime. In fact I use two of those bulbs (the 100 watt equivalent ones) over my aquarium and I do not get any cyanos in the tank. The reason has to be something else IMO.

 

Thanks for your response

 

A friend on RC, BillyBeau1 performed the tests, using multiple brand test kits then averaging the results.

 

I could probably siphon it out of the sump, it's not very severe. It isn't bothering me though, and I'm partially attributing it to perhaps a small cycle going on in there, as the refugium is only about 2 months old, I left the lights out a couple nights and its almost 100% gone, will turn the lights back on tonight and see how much returns.

 

The light I'm using is also the 100w equivalent, although the spectrum may have shifted as it has some hours on it, as it was originally one of the 6 used on my lightbox (photography) that I stole when I set up the fuge haha.

[albertthiel]

A friend on RC, BillyBeau1 performed the tests, using multiple brand test kits then averaging the results.

 

I could probably siphon it out of the sump, it's not very severe. It isn't bothering me though, and I'm partially attributing it to perhaps a small cycle going on in there, as the refugium is only about 2 months old, I left the lights out a couple nights and its almost 100% gone, will turn the lights back on tonight and see how much returns.

 

The light I'm using is also the 100w equivalent, although the spectrum may have shifted as it has some hours on it, as it was originally one of the 6 used on my lightbox (photography) that I stole when I set up the fuge haha.

 

Good to read that it is subsiding and may not actually become an issue in the aquarium.

 

Keep us posted and yes if that light is kind of "old" you may want to get a new one ... I use the EcoSmart ones 6500 K, 23 watt (100 watt equivalent) over my tank (I use 2)

 

Keeping your rocks and substrate clean helps a great deal too of course as you well know

 

Thanks

[scsdukefan408]

After battling this red slime crap I finally had had enough today(did weekly water changes,use ro-di water & feed lightly)but nothing helps...so today after reading this thread I went out and bought chemiclean..added it about 3ish and I can already see a small change...will keep ya updated...Thanks albert for the thread

[albertthiel]

After battling this red slime crap I finally had had enough today(did weekly water changes,use ro-di water & feed lightly)but nothing helps...so today after reading this thread I went out and bought chemiclean..added it about 3ish and I can already see a small change...will keep ya updated...Thanks albert for the thread

 

Thanks I appreciate it ... You said you added the compound so things should start to change for you but you must follow the directions really well.

 

As far as I have been able to tell, as long as users do not put more of the powder in the tank than what is recommended, there have been no negative effects and the slime algae were all eradicated.

 

You are of course treating the result, so after they are gone you are going to need to deal with the cause to avoid them coming back after a few weeks ... so once your treatment is done and the slime algae are gone,and you have done the recommended water change and put all the chemicals back in the filtration system, start taking some readings on your nutrient levels and post them here, and your pH and alkalinity and also s.g. and the type of lighting you are using and how old the bulbs are, and once all of that is known maybe we can identify why they appeared in the first place.

 

Remember also that red slime algae like areas with either no flow or low flow so it is important to make sure that you have a good flow everywhere in the tank.

 

It will take 48 hours .... so when that time is over let us hear from you again. Thanks

[albertthiel]

After battling this red slime crap I finally had had enough today(did weekly water changes,use ro-di water & feed lightly)but nothing helps...so today after reading this thread I went out and bought chemiclean..added it about 3ish and I can already see a small change...will keep ya updated...Thanks albert for the thread

 

How has it been going for you ... it's been more than 48 hours so if all went well the cyanos should be gone by now ...