filter bags and red slime!

[Maunus]

good afternoon! I still consider myself a novice with reef tanks.

I have a 120 and a 75 gallon.

the 75 HAD high phosphate levels, lots of "red slime" algae, which I hear is a cyanobacteria.

I feed now every other day, and feed less. red slime still there, and I ordered red slime remover. the skimmer is active, and does remove a lot.

I ordered more felt filter bags for the outflow.
1. how often do you wash or replace your filter bag? I think I ordered the 200 micron size.
2. did you ever try red slime remover? ultralife makes it.
3. how much, and how often feed a 75 gallon tank. ??? one sailfin tang. 2 clowns, lots of corals, 1 scooter blenny, 1 scribbled rabbitfish, snails and hermit crabs. I usually feed ONE pellet of frozen brine shrimp and a piece of algae every other day.

would like ANY helpful hints. I have 2 LED fixtures on the tank
bob:fun2:
,

 

[uncleL]

How much water flow do you have in your tank? How old is your tank in what equipment do you have?

 

[Maunus]

thanks uncle!

the tank is 75 gallons, has an overflow, which goes through a filter sock, 200 micron I think. the main pump is a Danner mag 7, which is old. I think it goes 700 gallons per hour? seems to have a good flow rate

I also have one powerhead to improve flow. I have a protein skimmer I think an aqua C 180 model, also old, seems to work quite well.

have 2 LED strip lights my friend got for me. corals seem happy, frogspawn grows quite well, as does a bubble coral.

would like any ideas you have! thank you . bob

 

[CStrickland]

The easiest things to do for cyano are playing with the flow in the tank, the skimmer, and the lights.

cyano likes to grow in dead spots where food and poop is settling, so a couple of powerheads to keep everything flying around to get eaten or carried to the sump for removal helps a lot. Standard recomendation is around 25-40 times the DT volume in powerheads. So for you: 75 x 40 = 3,000 gph. The sump return doesn't really count for that either.
If you want to try increasing the flow without spending a lot, I really like these cheap powerheads http://smile.amazon.com/gp/aw/d/B00...sunsun+800&dpPl=1&dpID=51JmlQIZNiL&ref=plSrch for $20 you can toss 3 of the 800's in there and see how it goes. Maybe add them slow so the fish don't get scared.

For lights you can make sure the tanks not getting direct sun, cyano loves that.

Also, removing it in chunks as it develops mats.

For the skimmer if you can adjust it to skim "wetter"by raising the water level up the neck by turning the knob, so that the production is the color of weak tea, that can help too.

Cyano is a bacteria, the chemicals that remove it are anti-bacterial. That make people nervous becaus of how much we depend on good bacteria for our tank health. And if you don't address the imbalance that caused it, you are likely to see a return.

 

[JammyBirch]

My experience with Cyano is a little different than what's being mentioned. The Cyano i have in my tank grows right in the front in a high flow area, i can see it whipping in the current.

I have used two (2) methods to deal with it.
1. Lights out for a week will knock it our for sure
2. Short photo period ~7hrs or less and vacuuming the sand bed

I prefer the lights out approach but with wimpy SPS coral it could get ugly quick when the lights go back on.

Method (2) takes longer but it works, my Cyano is almost gone i actually have it growing on my ATS too but i don't know enough about that option yet.

 

[Maunus]

thanks!

thanks!

THANKS! everyone!

bob