red slime

[brent6969]

Is there anything in like a household that could cure red slime cause i really don't wanna pay a lot of money for something that i will only use once and it will just sit on the shelf for ever. Any natural ways?

[cullyisgully]

u can go 2 yourLFS and git this it works grate it is called


red slime {remover red slime and it does not cost alot of money like $20.00

[b18sol6]

Ive got the same problem in my tank. Red slime covering one corner of the tank. I got some of the red slime remover (chemiclean) from the LFS but is hasnt helped at all. Its been in almost 48hrs my slime looks the same.

Any suggestions on what I should do? I was going to do a water change tomm and try on syphon most of it out ,just dont know if this will solve the problem or not. What is the cause of this red slime??

[Cichlid Nutz]

Check this out: http://saltaquarium.about.com/cs/microalgae/a/aa092800.htm
Red slime is a cyanobacteria. The key word is bacteria. Most of the "cures" for red slime are antibacterial medications, so unless you have access to a nice pharmacy, don't try anything from home remedies. The address above is mainly to give the reasons why it happens in the first place. Just remember to turn off your protein skimmer with any of the treatments, as it foams a lot.
But also remember.....as with most everything else in the ocean/aquarium, there may always be just a trace of it somewhere. The goal is to keep it in check so it does not grow!

[Cichlid Nutz]

I got some of the red slime remover (chemiclean) from the LFS but is hasnt helped at all. Its been in almost 48hrs my slime looks the same.

You may not have "cyanobacteria". There are many different types of coralline algae and some looks a lot like fuzzy red stuff. If you used the "red slime remover" according to directions, i.e.: removed carbon, turned off protein skimmer and UV then it should have turned brown and started dying off within 24 hours. My complaint on the stuff is so small an amount to dose 300 gallons makes for very difficult measuring.

[Cichlid Nutz]

beginning of previous message was supposed to be quote from b18sol6.

[Cichlid Nutz]

I got some of the red slime remover (chemiclean) from the LFS but is hasnt helped at all. Its been in almost 48hrs my slime looks the same.


Sorry...learning what to delete and what not

[b18sol6]

I did follow all the directions and used proper dose but it hasnt done a thing to it. Should I go ahead and try the water change to get it out?
I just dont want to get it out then it come right back, I want to find the problem. I just dont know what to look for??

[USCavalry19d]

I did follow all the directions and used proper dose but it hasnt done a thing to it. Should I go ahead and try the water change to get it out?
I just dont want to get it out then it come right back, I want to find the problem. I just dont know what to look for??

You should always be doing water changes. Dont wait to do water changes just when you see problems with the tank. The problems that are causing this red slime algae are most likely minor things. There are 3 main things that cause the growth of red slime. Lighting, high Nutrients "Phosphates" and poor water circulation. what is your lighting schedule? The recemmended time for lights to be on is between 8-9 hours. Have you checked your phosphates? In the ocean Phophates are generally around 0.005 ppm. Phosphates are acually one of the top 14 out of 70 trace elements found in natural sea water that are considered to be essential for saltwater aquarium and reef tank systems. However, it is also a primary nutrient source for many forms of algae. As long as you keep your phophate levels to an acceptable level you should be fine. Do you have any form of water circulation? One powerhead doesnt count. Depending on the size of the tank you have you will need more powerheads/pumps to move the water around. Water movement is key to a healthy aquarium, without that you will fail most certainly.

[dorkfish]

What are you running for water movement? Cyano normally grows in low flow areas, so usually having at least a 20x turnover rate will limit this algae to very small (if any) patches.

I personally would strongly recommend against a chemical treatment for cyano... as said above the key ingredient in most "cures" for cyano is an antibiotic... you should know that antibiotics kill bacteria... you should also know there are many types of beneficial bacterias which are essential for success in any aquarium.

[5xevy]

Maybe this will help you:

http://www.reefs.org/library/article/c_bingman2.html

[b18sol6]

Im running my lights at 7 hrs a day. I was running them about 9 hrs a day but cut them back about a week ago. My phosphates are at 0 and nitrates at 10. I have a 55 gal tank runng one seio m620 powerhead.

The LFS told me to hold off on doing any water changes because my tank is stil fairly new. That why Im wondering to do one now or not. I havent done any yet because of what they have been telling me. I still keep a close eye on my water parameters anyways and they all seem good.
I talked to them today, I acually have two, one said to treat again and the other said to do lots of water changes. About 2-5 gal daily for about 2 weeks. Now Im really lost.
I talked with them about water movement they said I should have plenty for that size tank.
Ant suggestions on what I should do? Or anything I shoudnt be doing?

[USCavalry19d]

well no if that powerhead is your only form of circulation that wouldnt be enough. I would recemmend you get atleast one more and put each powerhead at each end of the tank that way you get a cross motion with the water current. I really dont think that the red slime algae would be caused from high nutrients or from your lighting if you only have the lights on for 7 hours. Buy one more powerhead and add it and im sure with in a couple of weeks the red slime should begin to subside.

[b18sol6]

Is there anyway to tell if I am getting good water movement in the tank? If I get another powerhead, How will I know the best place to put it? I know opposite side of the tank, but is there any certain direction I should aim them to get the best circulation?
Sorry for all the questions, but thanks for the help!

[USCavalry19d]

well a good hint as to if your getting good circulation is that your water will be clearer and you should begin to see a decline in that red slime algae. as for placement of the powerheads as i said simply place one on each side of the tank and angle them in towards the middle area of the tank that way they create a crossing motion in the water. It will help to give a more realistic feel for the carals also. If you go scuba diving or even watch a video of the coral reefs you will notice that the corals dont all blow the same way in the water. They have what looks like a "rocking motion". this is caused from the different current directions. also the reason this is good for corals is so the sun light will reach all sides and areas of the coral. most corals feed off lighting, Known as Photosynthetic. the pigment that you see in them is acually living single cell algae within their bodies. These single celled algaes need lighting to survive and this is what the corals feed off of. By creating a mock up of what the corals will have in the wild will be better for their health and coloring. also it will remove any dead spots in the tank for nutrients to settle in at to feed algaes you dont want. hope this helps. And feel free to ask questions anytime. Sorry if i seemed angry or annoyed before i really wasnt, i have just been sick as _____ (well you know).

[b18sol6]

Thanks for the info. I guess its off to the LFS for a powerhead. Again thanks for all the great info!