Red suff growing in my tank!
- Thread starter Serren
- Start date
kdblove_99
New member
red slime algae. usally appears in areas were flow is very weak also called cyano
airinhere
New member
Siphon it out.
It is bacteria and will continue to spread if you just leave it alone.
Everybody gets it at one time or another. Just make sure you keep your water parameters as 'perfect' as possible.
In extreme cases, some people use antibiotic treatments to get rid of the stuff, but that can cause other issues in your tank.
It is bacteria and will continue to spread if you just leave it alone.
Everybody gets it at one time or another. Just make sure you keep your water parameters as 'perfect' as possible.
In extreme cases, some people use antibiotic treatments to get rid of the stuff, but that can cause other issues in your tank.
kevin95695
Member of the Registry
Up your flow too.
airinhere
New member
Upping the flow in a tank does not really fix the issue. I have experienced cyano growing in very high flow areas. It just grows more stringy in high flow areas and more mat-like in low flow areas.
You want to use the increased flow to suspend the detrius particles that accumulate in your tank.
The suspension is the key element here.
Often this can be achieved by redirecting the existing powerheads or by using a turkey baster with some degree of frequency.
You want to use the increased flow to suspend the detrius particles that accumulate in your tank.
The suspension is the key element here.
Often this can be achieved by redirecting the existing powerheads or by using a turkey baster with some degree of frequency.
MandM
sick yet brilliant
Do some searches for cyanobacteria. Also referred to as red slime algae although it is not an algae, as airinhere said.
There is a ton of information on this topic. Fortunately, cyano is not a disaster. As with anything in our reefs, there is no quick fix. Everyone's solution has things to consider. Come to the meeting tonight and find out more.
There is a ton of information on this topic. Fortunately, cyano is not a disaster. As with anything in our reefs, there is no quick fix. Everyone's solution has things to consider. Come to the meeting tonight and find out more.
jcavanaugh18
New member
i had a foxface eat it...
i also heard check your phosphates, it could be that.
i also heard check your phosphates, it could be that.
There is no single answer on how to resolve a Cyano bloom that I am aware of. IME attacking it from multiple angles has been most effective. It is common to get a bloom between 2 and 6 months, I believe this is because your tank has not yet hit a good point of balance between the nutrients placed in the tank, and the tanks ability to consume/process them. 1st step I take when experiencing a bloom is to remove (siphon) as much as possible out of the tank. 2nd is to take a close look at flow. While it is certainly possible for cyano to grow in high flow areas I have found it almost always starts in areas where there are slower moving pockets of water, which causes excess nutrients (food and detritus) to accumulate. 3rd step I take is to take a close look at my cleanup crew. I have been able to eliminate cyano at times just by adding the right mix of sand sifting/moving animals to a tank. Finally, and this should prob be first but I am an overfeeder, is to cut back on what you are feeding. You'll note I have left chemical solutions out entirely. Some do like them but I believe they are a bit of a crutch that masks the real problem and can be avoided pretty easily.
Good luck!
Good luck!
MayorOfWhoVille
New member
The only thing that worked for me was using a product called Chemiclean, which is specifically for red slime. This may be some kind of antibacterial, although I am not sure. It did not seem to affect anything else in my tank (just had to remove carbon) although this tank was softies only, mostly just zoos. I had great results using this product, but eventually the slime came back (I think it was reintroduced through a frag). I treated the tank again, and since then I have had no red slime (about 3 years). The stuff definitely works, and is worth the price, but I would recommend a non-chemical approach first, if possible.
saltykelly
Member
Red slime remover works better than Chemiclean, but before using I would look at other things:
Water quality- are you using tap water, overfeeding, doing regular water changes.
Flow- look for dead spots
detritus- usually looks powdery. Make sure you're using a clean up crew that can manage it.
If it doesn't clear up, or get better within 2 weeks I would remove carbon and treat with red slime remover.
Hope this helps.
Water quality- are you using tap water, overfeeding, doing regular water changes.
Flow- look for dead spots
detritus- usually looks powdery. Make sure you're using a clean up crew that can manage it.
If it doesn't clear up, or get better within 2 weeks I would remove carbon and treat with red slime remover.
Hope this helps.
Red Slime
Red Slime
I just won a bout with Cyano bacteria. My tank hit full bloom at 3 months old. I increased flow to slow areas, siphoned out the large pieces covering my sand bed and continuously removed the blanket that would form on my rocks by waving my hand over them and causing bursts of water flow. I did this every day for about a week. I then added a phosban reactor and also reduced my feeding. During this same time I added a skimmer. All said and done my tank only has a few small spots left. I was warned by some reef keepers that if you use the chemical/medicine to rid the bacteria you could end up with a super strain so only use as a last resort. There's my two cents. Remember persistence beats resistence! It was already mentioned, but this stuff spreads anywhere it touches. I noticed my snails became covered then passed on to the rocks. Good luck.
Red Slime
I just won a bout with Cyano bacteria. My tank hit full bloom at 3 months old. I increased flow to slow areas, siphoned out the large pieces covering my sand bed and continuously removed the blanket that would form on my rocks by waving my hand over them and causing bursts of water flow. I did this every day for about a week. I then added a phosban reactor and also reduced my feeding. During this same time I added a skimmer. All said and done my tank only has a few small spots left. I was warned by some reef keepers that if you use the chemical/medicine to rid the bacteria you could end up with a super strain so only use as a last resort. There's my two cents. Remember persistence beats resistence! It was already mentioned, but this stuff spreads anywhere it touches. I noticed my snails became covered then passed on to the rocks. Good luck.
Sheldon337
New member
I love how many responses this topic elicits. Everyone has had their battle. The above responses are remarkably accurate. Gotta love the club.
