Red algae

[dcopeland]

red with hairs streaming off of it??

 

[soccerbag]

Not sure if you're just asking what this is or what to do about it? It is cyano algae and most of us have had it at one time or another. It's typically caused by increased nutrients in the water. Would need to hear more about your system and parameters or specific questions you have.

Thanks

 

[dcopeland]

how do u get rid of it?

 

[soccerbag]

Man of few words I see...lol. What is your current NO3 and PO4 readings? If they are high, you want to start by bringing them down. Once you get them to acceptable levels, you can continue to suction the algae patches out of your tank and do weekly water changes to keep your nutrients low. I would feed a bit less and try the above steps. Once you post your parameters, we can help a bit more.

Did you have any fish / turbo snails die in the tank recently? That can spike your nutrients quickly and cause a cyano outbreak quickly. Is it on your rock or just the sand?

 

[spongebob]

cyano is an indicator of excess nutrients, however it also may be an indicator of poor flow.
What is your nitrate lvl at and what type of flow and tank?

 

[dcopeland]

75 G tank mag 7 return 2 korilla 3 for flow

 

[ilovereef]

make this simple, check your nitrate and phosphate.... if is high, find a way to reduce it., and don't overfeed, if you are using tap water, try RODI instead.

 

[dcopeland]

thank you all

 

[litenyaup]

make this simple, check your nitrate and phosphate.... if is high, find a way to reduce it., and don't overfeed, if you are using tap water, try RODI instead.

+1 for all but the feeding. i feed the crap out of my tank but i have the equipment to clean it all up. i have a monster hurricone cat1 skimmer, and 2 TLF reactors with GFO, and carbon. i like seeing my fish fat and happy.

i think the skimmer is the backbone of your entire system and should not be skimped on...IMHO

 

[litenyaup]

also go to your LFS and get some red slime remover....works to rid of it but you need to get the underlying problem fixed or it will return.

 

[dcopeland]

will the remover hurt my corals?

 

[litenyaup]

no reef safe, just follow the direction to a "T"

 

[Sle3py408]

Brush off and water change..

 

[spongebob]

forgot to mention. sometimes when you test for Nitrates or phosphates, you may not detect much because the outbreak is consuming them as they generate.

Red Slime remover works well as long as you follow instructions. I heard its harsh on clams if you have any, cant recall where I read that.

 

[mike_dani]

I will go lights out for 36 hours then allow my lights to come on as normal and at "midday light" add the red slime remover. I only add 75% of the recommended dose but I don't want to have a mass die off and release all of the N and P back into the tank at once. Make sure you turn off your skimmer when you add the remover.

This is what has worked for me.

 

[dcopeland]

thanks everyone

 

[litenyaup]

I will go lights out for 36 hours then allow my lights to come on as normal and at "midday light" add the red slime remover. I only add 75% of the recommended dose but I don't want to have a mass die off and release all of the N and P back into the tank at once. Make sure you turn off your skimmer when you add the remover.

This is what has worked for me.

yes turn off the skimmer...it will go nuts!! i have found by turning off the lights it is only a temp solution. when they go back to the normal cycle the bacteria will come back. you have to figure out the underlying problem to completely resolve your red slime issue...IMHO

use the product but DO EXACTLY WHAT THE DIRECTIONS SAY! water changes, porduct amounts, everything to a "T" and you will be fine. i have used this in my 90 gallon mixed reef with clams and have not had a problem. also look for any dead spots in the tank water there is no or very low flow because that is what usually is the culprit.

 

[dcopeland]

i am running a corallife 125 skimmer on my 75 but will up grade in 2 days to a euro 180 i am picking up from a club member

 

[litenyaup]

just make sure when you add the red slime product you turn your skimmer off. it will bubble up and overflow your collection cup fast! after you do all the water changes and the product is out, you can turn it back on. should only have to be off for a couple/few days.

 

[meisen]

I like to avoid using the chemiclean if I can....its a general antibiotic and it worries me that its killing other helpful bacteria. It does do a number on the cyano though, usually clears up in 2-3 treatments, always less than a week IME. It doesn't address root causes however which I like to go at first as mentioned above. Flow, water conditions and mechanical removal would be the three pronged attack. If that didnt work then I'd say go for the chemiclean as you are probably dealing with something that has become self sustaining even with return to optimal conditions. The cyano blob .