The worst stuff about

[oceanreefs]

Hello everybody, I'm sure y'all have been here before. My take is been up since January I know that's fairly new but I have the worst case of whatever in the world. I don't know what it's called I've asked several people and no one seems to know. Some say red slime, red hair, the monster from hell. They don't know. That's all I know is I have to go in with the power head in my hand and blow this stuff off of my corals and live rock about 3 times a day, it's killing me and everything else. I tried red slime remover this stuff just laugh at it. It seems to come on strong once the lights come on. When I suck it all up and turn the lights off it seems to go dormant. The minute the lights come back on within 15 min. it's all over the place it's like it says hey guys free lunch and less go into Phil's tank and just get all over everything. Someone please help me I'm going to try and send a photograph of this thing and if anyone can identify and tell me how to get rid of it I'll give you $100 million just kidding I wish I had$100 million but I sure would like to get rid of the stuff. Plus I'm going out of town Thursday, and the tank will be by itself for 3 to 4 days I can imagine when I come back what it's going to look like
so I need help ASAP please.Phil

 

[Derbird]

Krish has a good write up on algea, I'll see if I can find it for you

 

[Derbird]

http://www.reeffrontiers.com/forums/f14/problem-algaes-causes-treatment-control-63768/

This might be a good place to start

 

[tat2z_21]

Slime algea regardless of the color is a result of nutrients and a lack of flow. What kind of filtration are you using. Alot of people here have sumps with refugiums, the refugiums are used to grow different algeas that consume all of the nutrients in the water column and out compete the red slime and other nuiscance algeas leaving them there to starve and eventually die off. This is theory of course because there are alot of things that can add to this. Like feeding habits and water conditions.

 

[oceanreefs]

Thank everyone for replying, okay I have a 175 gallon red sea max it has more circulation than Niagara Falls is one main pump that circulates the water through the entire tank I think every 10 min. then there is 4 internal pumps that circulate the water within the tank itself so I don't think I have a circulation problem. is for is a filtration I'm using live sand and live rock that's the only biological thing I'm using maybe that's not enough. I like the idea of an algae scrubber that sounds pretty cool from what I've been reading that sounds like it would take care of phosphates and nitrates. I was using of small reactor with bio pellets about 2 weeks ago but I thought it was contributing to the BAD algae. I know there's no quick fix But I have to do something to get rid of this stuff I can't spend a month standing over the tank with the power head blowing this stuff off of everything.4 times a day, should I stop dosing 1 and 2 I've cut back on the food that I'm feeding the fish and the protein skimmer is really working well. Don't know what else to do. I like to think everyone for their comments it makes me feel a little better knowing there's people out there that are trying to help that's a big deal to me thanks again.Phil:usa2:

 

[nata]

Try some chemi pure elite and put some attractive algae in your display like flame algae..even xenia will help with nitrates

 

[oceanreefs]

Hi nata, Thanks.I will:usa2:

 

[oceanreefs]

Hi Krish.That article about the algae was fantastic. by looking at the photos i dentified this crap it's dinoflagellates I think that's how it's spelled. anyway I have to find out the source and Get rid of it. Thanks so much for your help.Phil:lever:

 

[Krish]

Hi Krish.That article about the algae was fantastic. by looking at the photos i dentified this crap it's dinoflagellates I think that's how it's spelled. anyway I have to find out the source and Get rid of it. Thanks so much for your help.Phil:lever:

No problem at all.


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[oceanreefs]

Hello Krish, What do you think about algae scrubber's I was on the forum last night and people said that this stuff gets rid of phosphates and nitrates, that might be something to look into you have any ups and downs about that. right now I only have live rock and sans in a 175 gallon that's the only biological filter I have maybe a scrubber would be something to look into .Phil

 

[Krish]

Hello Krish, What do you think about algae scrubber's I was on the forum last night and people said that this stuff gets rid of phosphates and nitrates, that might be something to look into you have any ups and downs about that. right now I only have live rock and sans in a 175 gallon that's the only biological filter I have maybe a scrubber would be something to look into .Phil

I've never used one, but it's the same principle as a refugium with an algae in it. You use a hardy, fast growing algae in a place out of sight (ie not in the display area) that will use up excess nutrients in the water as it grows (primarily nitrates and phosphates). This way, instead of algae growing in the tank, it will grow elsewhere. Not sure how it is done with scubbers, but with a fuge, every so often you trim the algae back some to export these bound up nutrients. This is what I did on my 75 gal as an example.

I was in the same boat with algae and cyno growing in my tank so I made conditions in my fuge section of my sump more suitable for algae to grow there rather than the tank ( more watts per gal there for more hours a day with less flow etc vs the tank) and as a result the algae started growing in there on it's own rather than in the tank. Each week, I'd suck out all of the algae and just let it grow back. I continued this process until eventually things balanced out and nitrates nor phosphates were an issue and therefore, algae no longer grew in the system anywhere. Once this happened I removed the fuge light and never used it again. Had the algae not grown there on it's own, I would have had to put a competing algae in there, but luckily I was able to harvest/use what I had growing already. I also added a phosban reactor that I think helped as well.

Just some food for thought. I think PaulB uses a scrubber. Maybe get his take on it.

Edit: fixed some typos thanks to my iPhone

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[oceanreefs]

Hello everyone, we just got back from Los Angeles for the Max show had a great time. when I got home I went immediately to the big tank to see what was happening, and it looks like the problem somehow went away on its own,There is still about 10% of the algae hanging around but I'm sure that will dissipate over the next few days I would like to thank everyone for pitching in and giving me their help in trying to solve this problem thanks again. I picked up a very unusual piece of coral at the show is from Vietnam it's a red flowerpot , check it out.

 

[SaltwaterNoobs]

That's one beautiful flowerpot coral! Congrats on the new addition And glad to see your algae problem has been (mostly) resolved!