Red slime

[Dean]

I recently started a reef tank (Feb '03). I am now getting a reddish slime in my tank. This slime has bubbles on top also. Is this hurting my tank, and do I need to get rid of it. If so, does anyone have a suggestion on how to clear this up. Thanks for your comments.

[Yano]

Check your water quality and lighting, poor water quality lighting causes this. When I got it I had to wash it off but I'm sure there are some chem stuff the will get rid of it. Hope this helps and Welcome! :grin:

[::pete::]

I have used Chemi-Clean from Boyd Ent. it worked but the red slime returned a few weeks later. Another thing I tried as I was doing a water change I siphon (vacuum) with a hose the LS where crud is built up. I tried it on the red slime and <<poof>> it was gone. I get little patches here and there but just vacuum as I do water changes.

Adding: it has not re-appeared where I siphoned it from just little patches here and there.

Pete

[Sherri]

Hey Dean...had been fighting the same thing for a while. Everyone told me to use "Chemi Clean" - I did and it was gone in 24 hrs. It will get rid of the red slime...but not take care of the problem. What kind of water are you using? Also, check & see if you have any dead snails, hermits, fish, etc. - anything that could have died and you not know it. When I used the Chemi Clean, I did a 20% water change after a few days. I had red slime with bubbles trapped in it on my rocks and patches on my bed.

It keeps on spreading, so you do need to get rid of it, then look into what is causing it. I'm sure some others that know more than me will help with advice also. Good luck!

Sherri

[Tim Marvin]

Cyano has been around for billions of years. You cannot rid your tank of it, just keep from seeing it. Chemi-clean will remove the visual stuff in 24 hours if dosed correctly. Also you can use sand stirring critters, protein skimmer, but most importantly have enough water flow in the entire tank. I don't think light will have any effect on it one way or the other. You can also blast the rocks with a baster and skim it out and that will eventually remove it. Once you have removed it from sight, use hermits, stars, emerald crabs, cucumbers, nassarius snails, and this type of stuff to move the surface sand and rocks. This will keep it from growing in big patches. It isn't really a problem for the tank other than being unsightly. It can kill corals if you just leave it on them. Hope this helps.

[Richard]

Chemi Clean is a great product but it is only a "quick fix". If you use it be sure and follow the directions and turn of your skimmer if you have one and also do the water change that is recommended after treatment. Then follow Tim's suggestions and also keep up with your water changes and basic maintenance to keep down the level of organics in your tank. I consider an outbreak of cyano just a normal growing pain with newer aquariums and it is nothing to panic over. Remember a healthy aquarium is measured in terms of years not weeks or months.

If anything, changing the lighting without improving the overall water quality would probably only favor a different cyano species (brown, green, blue etc.)

You can also use some chemical filtration to quickly lower the levels of organics, phosphate etc. Too many types & brands to list but I prefer poly filters myself.

Richard
CB Pets

[Charley]

One thing of note with any oxidizer. If you are dosing Tech-I, you must discontinue its use prior to dosing an oxidizer. My Kent Marine representatives (our new one just happens to be an old friend I have known for 4-5 years) were in the store today and we had a long discussion about this. The oxidizer “un-chelates” the Iodine allowing it to become toxic. There is even a warning on the Tech-I bottle about this.
I would assume this would hold true with Seachem’s Reef Iodide product as well, but have no hard data to support that assumption.


Charley

[Richard]

Good point Charley. I had never noticed the warning on Tech I. I have seen warnings against using oxidizers when using chelated copper. Same idea I suppose.

I like most of the products from Boyd Enterprises but unfortunatley they do not provide as much info/warnings on their packaging as Kent does.

[MikeP]

Flow , flow , flow. I have no noticable Cyano in my display but my refugium has a fair amount for the past month or so - I have been peeling it off and throwing it away. These tanks have the same water supply the diffference is the fuge has a very low flow. Some cerith / nassarius or a fighting conch will help keep the sandbed stirred or some hermits are good at it but they tend to be the troublemakers (i.e. bluelegs).

[Isis]

My impatience cucumber did well of keeping the detritus and algae of my sand bed. The comment about water flow is right on. I notice that as well on my tank, so I upgraded my return pump. My fish had a nice current to fight, but the cyano never developed. :-D

[Sherri]

You're right Kim....When I had the same problem...I got another powerhead. At the time I had a dead spot where detritus would collect. By adding the powerhead, got some better circulation going.

Sherri