Red Slim Algae in refugium

[firebirdbandit]

I can't understand why my refugium that is connected to my 65 gallon reef tank is getting an outbreak of red slime. The main tank has none but the connected refugium is full of it although it seems like its slowly retreating now. The 20 gallon refugium passes water through at about 115gph and it has an airstone. The refugium is full of macroalgae and this is covering a lot of that algae now. If it lasts too long it might kill those plants. The only differences to the tank has been the addition of a lot of new corals, glue and epoxy to mount the corals, more live rock. This system has been up for over a year but the sand and rock is over 4 years old. I just think its strange how I see it in the refugium but not in the main tank where the lights are much brighter. On the refugium there is a 28 watt power compact at 6700k. It is on for about 14 hours each day.

 

[graveyardworm]

I have the same thing, I think its due mostly to lower flow, better in the fuge than in the display. I regularly siphon it out - nutrient export -.

 

[catdoc]

Same here--get it in my fuge, but (knock on wood) not in my display. I think/hope that it's low flow. I've seen it when I had some caulerpa go sexual and when I had a dead fish (made for a nice alert so I found the fish quickly). I think it's got to be due to high nutrient levels coupled with the low flow. It does siphon out pretty easily.