Substrate questions?

[hammerandy]

I have problem of red slime on my substrate. I have about 3 inchs of substrate and live sand in a old established 4 year old tank. Have no problems with soft corals and have sponge growth through out the tank. I give away mushrooms and button polpys along with star polyps. I usually rake my sand every two weeks with a 15 to 18 gallon water change. Is there something else I need to do maintance wise? I am running two protein skimmers a Romera and Berlin (Red Sea). Only thing I don't like is my temp hovers around 80 to 81 degrees.

Need some advice. Please

[OrionGirl]

Check your alkalinity and calcium levels. Red algae tends to run in cycles, and when these two dip, it takes off. As they stabilize in the higher levels, red algae dies off. You can try increasing circulation, but that doesn't always matter. Having something stir up the substrate will help, but it won't get rid of the underlying cause.

[hammerandy]

I use ESV alk and ca additives. As a matter of fact my Ca was almost 500 last test. If you can believe the test. I use Fastest.
Alk was around 2.3, I do like that a bit higher. I use sent Kent alk additive and pump it up.

thanks
Randy

[Satchmo]

How old are your bulbs? As bulbs age, their spectrum shifts. This can promote cyanobacteria (your red slime). This may be compounding the problem, but I'd agree with Orion, there's probably another underlying cause. What are your water params? What % water change are you doing? Cyano is a symptom of a deeper problem, usually one of nutrient control.

Post your water readings and system specs (size? livestock? Filtration? skimmer?). In the meantime, you can siphon off whatever cyano you can. Do a series of water changes, cut down on feeding, and decrease your photoperiod. Give us some more info and we can help you devise a means of nutrient export.