Red Slime Attacks

[Fragen_Unreal]

I was wondering what is the best way to get rid of red slime? I have had my tank up for about a year. Any ideas will help. Or if you have anything that you could sale me would also be grea! Let me know.

[Gonzobob]

two factors will help.

Address the source of excess nutrients / nitrates

Address the places in your tank where the red slime forms. (these are usually places with low flow.

[subsea]

Red slime is a form of bacteria growth that thrives in low flow areas. I think that it is an indicator of high phosphates not nitrates. Once it is established, it can draw its nutriants from the substrates under the slim mat. For that reason, using nitrate and phosphate removal techniques do not necessarily eliminate the red slime. In those cases, it becomes necessary to physically vacume the mat from the substrate.

[mikedelgado]

3 days with no light will knock it down pretty good. It will come back though if you dont correct the excess nutrient problem. I was dosing vodka and got a nice growth going . I stopped the vodka but the cyano remained? 3 days with no light took care of it and it hasnt come back. I havent resumed the vodka because the nitrate problem I had hasnt come back either.

[innate1]

1+ on the no light. I got a media reactor and ran rowaphos, got more flow than any 75 gal should have and it wasn't until I did a week w/o light that the red menace was gone.

[muddybluewater]

Much of this was stated above.

The reason Cyano forms in low flow areas is from waste settling on the substrate and breaking down. I also feel that it is more related to Phosphates than nitrates. The reason carbon dosing can lead to cyano is that it creates a dominant strain of bacteria that does not use the Phos as much. Cyano has photo type properties meaning that it grows More during the day and lessens with out light. This I believe is also helped during an extended period of darkness by allowing other forms of bacteria, that do not need light, to multiply. I think you should increase flow to the areas that have the cyano, vacuum as much as possible, do not use flake food, run some sort of Phosban or GFO and then darkness.

[offroadodge]

+1 for muddyblue, FLOW!!!

[Bill B]

I have had very good luck with a toothbrush rather than vacuuming, if it is in a sheet. The bristles seem to grab and hold the cyano when it is in a sheet. If it is not in a sheet, it is very hard to dislodge anyway. JMO

Bill

[+KeeperOfTheZoo]

I *think* I am nearing the end of a 2 month battle with cyano. I don't have enough experience to say 'X' worked 'Y' didn't. I attacked the cyano on all fronts as close to it's root cause as I could get: nutrients.

I had insane high phates and trates. Had to knock them out so I utelized as many export means as I could. I added a fuge with chaeto. I have been using granular media as well as polyfilter nutrient absorbing sponge. I bumped up to weekly 15% water changes. I hit the area (the entire front susbstrate of my 6' long tank)

where the cyano liked to grow with direct flow.

It's gone from a red film all over the

substrate to one little fading patch! I'm afraid to get to excited.

I agree that phosphates seem to fuel it. My nitrates were easy to get down, still struggling with phosphates.

Oh, I've also been feeding the fish lightly.

I never tried lights out, I was worried

the cyano would come right back if I didn't fix what was feeding it. I think the lights out would probably work well for the periodic random outbreak. I think though that if you are fighting a nutrient build up (I bought an established neglected tank with a big old nutrient load) then you really need to export the nutrients until the tank reaches a point where it's functioning in balance on it's own again.

I'm seeing a reduction of macro pest algae in my dt as well as the massive reduction in cyano. I'm really hoping that I'm getting closer to hitting a

nutrient export balance.

It all seems to boil down to excess nutrients resulting in the growth of something, usually something you don't want. Of course. That said, I've read xenia are good nutrient cleaners. I have two types of xenia that are growing like mad!

Liz

[Derekreefer]

Have you checked your alkalinity levels? I found I had a slight problem with it when the carbonate hardness in my aquarium fell. Also, I added carbon filtration the the system and my problem went away.