Brown slime on substrate

[Charl]

Hi sahin,

You requested the following information please see reply in red.

Can you please post the following details:

1. Tank + Sump volume in Gallons (US) 152

2. Amount of Zeolite?1.3kg

3. Speed of flow through the Zeolite reactor? how many gallons per hour?360l/h

4. Dose of Start3?0.3ml 2x daily

5. Dose of Zeobac?5 drops (M,W,S) (

6. Dosing anything else like Zeofood?When corals started with STN dosed AA everyday 4 drops

Thanks.

Thanks Charl

 

[Charl]

Tested my water parameters and WOW NO3 to high

KH - 9.3 think it's the kalk I've been dosing to get PH up to 8.4
PO4 - 0.04
NO3 - 10
CA - 410
MAG - 1290

Thanks Charl

 

[sahin]

Tested my water parameters and WOW NO3 to high

KH - 9.3 think it's the kalk I've been dosing to get PH up to 8.4
PO4 - 0.04
NO3 - 10
CA - 410
MAG - 1290

Thanks Charl

The STN is definitely due to the KH being too high. I did ask that you keep an eye on Ca, Alk etc because the Kalk can push those too high. 9.3dKH is TOO HIGH on a Zeovit system and is most likely the cause of the STN.

Stop any form of ALK dosing for a day and depending on your stocking and coral growth, it might get back within range by 1 or 2 days.

PLEASE keep a close eye on the dKH. Measure twice a day if needed. With a Zeovit system Alk as you know is a parameter which MUST be kept within a very tight range or you risk losing corals to STN.

When the corals have recovered, I would try the lights out, dosing Special Blend and using UV. If you want to raise pH using Kalk, then you must stop any other Alk source coming into the tank, that way the Kalk wont push the Alkalinity too high.

Hope that makes sense.

 

[Charl]

The STN is definitely due to the KH being too high. I did ask that you keep an eye on Ca, Alk etc because the Kalk can push those too high. 9.3dKH is TOO HIGH on a Zeovit system and is most likely the cause of the STN.

Stop any form of ALK dosing for a day and depending on your stocking and coral growth, it might get back within range by 1 or 2 days.

PLEASE keep a close eye on the dKH. Measure twice a day if needed. With a Zeovit system Alk as you know is a parameter which MUST be kept within a very tight range or you risk losing corals to STN.

When the corals have recovered, I would try the lights out, dosing Special Blend and using UV. If you want to raise pH using Kalk, then you must stop any other Alk source coming into the tank, that way the Kalk wont push the Alkalinity too high.

Hope that makes sense.

Thank you for the reply sahin, I stopped the kalk for now must I stop or dose any zeo products at this stage. Will keep a close eye on the kh

 

[sahin]

Thank you for the reply sahin, I stopped the kalk for now must I stop or dose any zeo products at this stage. Will keep a close eye on the kh

Your Zeolite amount and flow through reactor is fine. You can decrease flow a little whilst the KH is out of Zeovit range.

Your Start3 dose is ok.

Your Zeobac dose is also ok.

Dont stop dosing everything.

It is ok to cut back Start3 dose for a or two. I would dose only 0.3ml once a day for a couple of days until the paramters come back inline.

 

[Charl]

Your Zeolite amount and flow through reactor is fine. You can decrease flow a little whilst the KH is out of Zeovit range.

Your Start3 dose is ok.

Your Zeobac dose is also ok.

Dont stop dosing everything.

It is ok to cut back Start3 dose for a or two. I would dose only 0.3ml once a day for a couple of days until the paramters come back inline.

sahin, thank you for the advice, must I stop the UV and why is the NO3 so high now, is it the brown slime die-off

 

[sahin]

sahin, thank you for the advice, must I stop the UV and why is the NO3 so high now, is it the brown slime die-off

NO3 increase could be from the die off.

Run the UV for around 3 hours late at night...also, lets dose the Zeobac early in the morning every day: so instead of 5 drops M,W,S; dose it 3 drops one day, 2 drops next day, so total drops per week is same. This will hopefully reduce the effect of the UV killing good bacteria as well as bad.

Usually how quickly does the Brown slime start to cover your tank once the lights come on?

 

[Charl]

NO3 increase could be from the die off.

Run the UV for around 3 hours late at night...also, lets dose the Zeobac early in the morning every day: so instead of 5 drops M,W,S; dose it 3 drops one day, 2 drops next day, so total drops per week is same. This will hopefully reduce the effect of the UV killing good bacteria as well as bad.

Usually how quickly does the Brown slime start to cover your tank once the lights come on?

With the light blackout there's no brown slime today with lights on, but normally as soon as the white spectrum lights came on is start to cover the substrate with bubbles and it's brown and stringy. Will run the UV at night for 3 hours and dose zeobak as your recommendation.

Thanks for your help sahin

Charl

 

[sahin]

With the light blackout there's no brown slime today with lights on, but normally as soon as the white spectrum lights came on is start to cover the substrate with bubbles and it's brown and stringy. Will run the UV at night for 3 hours and dose zeobak as your recommendation.

Thanks for your help sahin

Charl

Do this for another 5 days. Hopefully the brown slime will be gone for good.

 

[Charl]

Thanks sahin when must I start the next 5 days

 

[sahin]

Thanks sahin when must I start the next 5 days

Whilst the Brown slime is weak, which is now, run the UV; hopefully it is

The UV wont harm your corals. Neither will the Special Blend.

Its the Alk that you must be careful with. Goodluck.

 

[Charl]

Yes no brown algae at the moment so I must run the UV for 3 hours at night for 5 days is this correct and dose special blend

Thanks sahin

Charl

 

[sahin]

Yes no brown algae at the moment so I must run the UV for 3 hours at night for 5 days is this correct and dose special blend

Thanks sahin

Charl

Yes, try that.

 

[Charl]

Thank you kind Sir,

Will post back and give some feedback

Charl,

 

[Bucaroo]

Your nitrates are fine. In fact wwc has their tanks set to 40. Don't buy into the no nutrient crap

 

[sahin]

Your nitrates are fine. In fact wwc has their tanks set to 40. Don't buy into the no nutrient crap

Yup, I know of WWC's tank. In fact I am subscribed to their 630G Tank thread where they reported:

NO3 = 25ppm

PO4 = 0.09ppm

However, Charls's tank runs on the Zeovit system, and this system WILL drop NO3 and PO4 to around undetectable levels...the system then requires the use of additives to nourish the corals.

Its not my way to maintain a reef tank, but it is a system that works and produces results.

 

[Charl]

Hi Sahin,

Looks like the brown slime is creeping back but not to bad at this stage it not stringy brown stuff, can I run the UV during the day as well?
Will run the light full for 4 hours today

Thanks Charl

 

[sahin]

Hi Sahin,

Looks like the brown slime is creeping back but not to bad at this stage it not stringy brown stuff, can I run the UV during the day as well?
Will run the light full for 4 hours today

Thanks Charl

You can run it. But UV isnt compatible with the Zeovit system as far as I know, hence I advised using it for only 3 hours.

It is possible that this slime will return, so try and use Kalk (BUT KEEP AN EYE on ALKALINITY).