Red Slime?

[Markster]

This red film is covering everything and killing off the corals. I tried to scrub it and also use chemiclean red slime remover and nada. I had great purple coraline algae group just months before (see pic). The major change was going from 4x65w PCs to 4x55w T5s. I have 2x175w 10k MH that I ran also.

[allan]

Definitely cyanobacteria.

I'm surprised that the redslime remover had no effect. I have had the same problem for quite some time. But I don't let it get too much out of control by adjusting flow, blasting it in the effected areas with a turkey baster or by siphoning it during water changes.

I had planned on trying the slime remover though...

[justahobby]

Since cyano is a bacteria most of the cyano killing treatments (if not all) are antibiotics. Antibiotics are indescrimitive about whether they are killing good or bad bacteria. So dose that stuff carefully because the good bacteria in your tank is helping ward off your cyano by eating up nitrate, phosphate, etc. Make sure you aren't overfeeding the tank (not your fish). If food isnt going uneaten try feeding smaller amount more frequently or shutting off the pumps during feeding. I'm looking at this on my phone so I apologize if my interpretation of the pics is off. The first thing I noticed is the cyano attack the same spots your coralline was growing on the back. This could just mean the cyano is smothering it out, but could also be due to the change in lighting (coralline likes less intense lighting) and will take time to grow back. Alternatively it could also mean your calcium, alkaline, and or magnesium has fallen out of sync. I would test each and see where they are.

[ramsey]

Does it break apart in sheets when you blast it with a turkey baster? I'm not convinced it's cyano to be honest. It looks different than the red cyano I've seen. I could be wrong though.

[allan]

V

[justahobby]

It should feel slimy to the touch and since you called it "red slime" I take it you have felt of it lol. It will probably break off in pieces, but IME it doesn't come off in sheets until it has gotten a foot hold and grown undisturbed.

[ramsey]

I may be confused, are the pictures of the algae/bacteria or of your tank before you got the problem. I was assuming it was on the back wall. To me that doesn't look like cyano but again, I could be wrong. The texture/coloration looks like something else. Also, he said he scrubbed it and it didn't come off. I've never heard of cyano that didn't come off easily (it was back the next day though :P).

[allan]

I thought he said it was choking off his coral which implies the red stuff on the rock which looks like cyano to me.

[justahobby]

I may be confused, are the pictures of the algae/bacteria or of your tank before you got the problem. I was assuming it was on the back wall. To me that doesn't look like cyano but again, I could be wrong. The texture/coloration looks like something else. Also, he said he scrubbed it and it didn't come off. I've never heard of cyano that didn't come off easily (it was back the next day though :P).


Looking from the computer, The texture does look off. I missed the part about scubbing not working too. It almost looks like a fuzzy red algae that I've seen in a couple tanks.