Help with red algee, please.

[Masterderrull]

Several days ago i noticed that my h.o.b. skimmer has pumping out micro bubbles. (It has to do with a somewhat low PH) I turned it off, tried to cleaned it out, and did a 10% water change. The next day I came home to a disaster, there was red slime all over everything with little bubbles traped under the slime. There was junk floating on the surface and everthing. At this point it meant war! I cleaned out the entire filter box and all media, did a 20% water change, blasted the slime off the rocks with a turkey baster, and treated the tank with the proper dose of red slime remover. (which lowered my Ph to 8.0) I let the Ph stay low b/c i thought that that might be part of the cure. So today two days later, 4 days after initial breakout, there is still slime on everything and it's still collecting at the surface. I have been beaten, so now i ask for help, does anybody know what the problem could be or how to fix it. Thanks. My s.g. is normal and the ph is still at 8.0.

 

[jamesd74]

ck your phosphates

 

[Masterderrull]

i did they are zero, with a cap. Z

 

[Masterderrull]

there seems to be more bubbles traped all over the place, but i don't no were they could be coming from since the skimmer is still off.

 

[redvicki]

if it's the same stuff i had increasing my ph and decreasing my MH lights seemed to correct it for me.

 

[cloakerpoked]

I've had very small quantities of it in my tank, but never a persistent problem, so I'm not sure what to suggest. Nitrates can also contribute to an algea problem.

 

[Misled]

Your test kits will say zero as the phosphates are bound within the cyno. Do you have a fuge? Do you run any type of phosphate remover?

The bubbles are comming from the cyno not the skimmer. Turn the skimmer back on. Siphon out as much as you can as you do water changes.

 

[cloakerpoked]

Are you using RO/DI water? That and overfeeding are the two most common places for phosphates to accumulate in the water column.

 

[Peccavi18]

I had an outbreak of that back a few yrs ago, I was told it was due to phosphates from my tap water. That is when I switched to RO/DI water and learned to melt down frozen foods first. That with some larger water changes and some added flow cleared it up and I haven't seen it again.

 

[Masterderrull]

Ok thanks guys i will continue to fight. I don't have a fuge yet, i'm working on it. I do use RO water although i don't have the di attachment for it yet, i have to order one i guess. "Misled" what is a cyno, i'm not familiar with that term.

 

[cloakerpoked]

cyno is just a description of a certain type of algea.

 

[bnmir]

cyano as in cyanobacteria.
Definitely use some physical removal like siphoning and blowing off the rock. Increased flow helps with this stuff, too.

 

[cloakerpoked]

How long do you run your lights, sometimes that can contribute to out of control growth?

 

[Masterderrull]

i have the tek 4x48 over a 55gal. tank that is on for 12 hours from 10am-10pm

 

[cloakerpoked]

Maybe try cutting back your light cycle to more like 8 hours and see if that helps too...12 hours a day is a long time to run lights.

 

[miatawnt2b]

yep... keep skimming. How long has the tank been set up?
-J

 

[LDMF]

I had massive quantities of the red slime algae a year ago. I dosed the tank with the red algae remover stuff you get a LFS. Worked like a charm. Did it once and never had the problem again.

I had no adverse side effects from it, but others my warn you against it.

 

[the2ofus]

I had the same problem, red crap all over things about 8 months back......

I changed my bulbs and bought two Hydor Koralia's, a 2 and a 3.

That has worked so far, what I couldn't blow off or siphon out seemed to vanish in a few days.

 

[Masterderrull]

thanks everybody for all your help. i think i'm going to do a little bit of everything. i started by raising the ph back to about 8.3, turning out my lights after six hours, and now i'm going to wait until tom. to get all that crap off everything, then do a water change and get the skimmer working again. I'll keep you all updated.