Bad Bad Bad

[Dtking]

I have a really bad bacteria problem, and i belive it was caused from my alkalinity being high, now, i have gotten rid of my 10 gal tank, i have transfered everything over to the 44 gal, but i know i am still going to have the same bacteria problem, and i have already noticed more of that slime growing in the new tank, and it hasnt been 24 hours since the change over, i need a quick fix for this problem, anyone have any suggestions?!

sorry for always asking stupid questions, but i need some help, and everyone i have asked has kinda beat around the bush about the subject, and i did realize that when i did the change i wasnt going to get rid of the problem, but i thought it would be easier to deal with it in a larger tank!!

Thanks again,
Dustin

 

[pwhitby]

what do you mean by bacteria? do you mean the red cyanobacteria?

If so, chemi clean or maracin should clear the problem, but it will not clear the symptoms. Having good flow and minimal feedings will really help a great deal.

 

[Dtking]

yes its the red cyano.... what is chemi clean and maracin? I have no fish, so i do not feed at all...

what and where is this stuff your talking about?

 

[pwhitby]

chemi clean is a chemical additive, a couple of stores sell it locally...you can get it online.

Maracin is an antibiotic, it just kills the red slime.....but....that releases all the nutrients back into the water.

I would siphon it out, do a treatment with one of the above, then do a massive water change.

fwiw...I have a similar problem, but mine is related to water flow which is what I am currently working on.

Paul.

 

[Dtking]

thanks paul, but i went to a "critter store" they dont really deal with SW that much, but i was told if i treated my water with a chemical then i have the chance of everything dying off, is this true?? I am glad you replied to this, Jimmy told me to ask you specifically, but i figured i would try to get all the info i could,

is it a long process to get this to go away?! or is it hard?.... so far i have not had the best luck with SW tanks, i hope this works.

Thanks again Paul,
Dustin

 

[Sk8r]

Chemi-clean is one of the only safe treatments you can add to your display tank. It knocks cyano in 48 hours, but you must follow instructions meticulously, or it can cause as many problems as it cures. It is likely to kill off the top layer of your sandbed bacteria as well: this makes it a risk to use in a new tank. It could even provoke a mild cycle, but I doubt it. Your bacteria should have colonized deeply enough to repopulate the upper surface in fairly short order. Just make sure you read all of the instructions before you use it, and have ro/di water and salt ready.

 

[kpk]

I have used Chemi-clean and it works, but being a new tank there is other options. IME I have always just let it go (sounds dumb). I would siphon as much as you can get out and do about 25% water change a week. Your bacteria in your sandbed and rock needs to "grow" or multiply to kick trate and phosphate. Changing water can be the best thing IMO.
I do agree with Paul in that flow has a whole lot to do with cyano.

HTH,
Kyle

 

[djc1026]

DT, your tank is only two months old right? This is the normal progression of new tanks. Mine is a year old and about 2 months ago I added 35 lbs of base rock, and I am dealing with cyano only on the new rock. As Paul and others mentioned, I too believe mine is related to flow, which I have been working on. In the mean time, I let mine go for a week or so, siphon out what I can, and do a water change, empty and clean the skimmer cup more frequently, and wait patiently. Mine is getting better, but it wasn't horrible to begin with.

Dave