Weird Red Slime Problem

[joelsaxton]

I recently noticed my RO/DI TDS was getting high, so I changed my filters to bring it down to 0-1 ppm. I also upgraded to a Deltec AP902 skimmer running 50mg/hr ozone.

BUT I have recently been having a growing red slime problem. Not only on my sandbed, but even on the rocks, and it is getting worse daily. Last time I tested PO4 it was almost undetectable, and NO3 was 10ppm. I have a huge block of chaeto in the fuge. I even have four tunze turbelles, yet this red slime persists. My only guess is that my metal halides are getting old. I replaced my VHO's about 6 months ago, but I have been running these MH lamps for 1.5 years (but only 2 hours per day). They are hamilton 14k's. Is this a plausible explanation? And shouldn't MHs last longer before losing spectrum? 2 hours per day for 18 months does not seem like that many hours.

Thanks,

Joel

 

[jmack]

What's your alk? I found when I started raising mine the red slime went away. Makes sense that when you changed filters some of the minerals were removed. Maybe you need a buffer?

Also plenty of flow helps to keep it from collecting in one spot.

 

[joelsaxton]

I will have to check alk.

Are there snails/crabs that eat cyano?

 

[jmack]

red tip hermits will help too..but i'm interested to see if your alk is really low...let me know what you find...hope that's it cause it's easy to fix.

 

[joelsaxton]

I will check tonight and let you know. I will even test with both seatest and salifert. I tested my Ca two days ago and it is 400. Mg is 1250.

 

[joelsaxton]

If it's low, I might use baking soda. I have a Ca reactor, but I am betting my DSB sucks down a lot of Ca and Alk.

 

[joelsaxton]

I just tested Alk with both SeaTest and Salifert:

SeaTest 3.0 meq/L
Salifert 4.0 meq/L

I believe the Salifert to be more accurate.

It seems like the slime is going into an exponential growth phase. I have shut down all 4 MH lamps. VHO only. I guess I will be getting slime remover this weekend. Seems like PO4 must be leaching out of the rock and the DSB. I have no other way to explain this.

 

[jmack]

hard to say but if the alk is closer to 3.0 i would bump it up a little. Definitely repeat the test to be sure. In the meantime get some redtip hermits and a spraybar pointed down at the sand will help. I notice you have Eheim canisters...make sure the media is CLEAN CLEAN CLEAN...I had a relapse of cyano several months ago in just one spot which coincidentally disappeared after thorougly cleaning the filter media in my fluvals. I don't know if that caused it but I haven't seen it since...just a thought. I don't think we know what really causes cyano but it pays to cover all your bases. If you can change the lamps I would also do so. By the way I used chemi-clean more than once but the cyano came back..then resolved on it's own. I still think in my case it was either the alk or the foam media...