Sad... yet Funny.

[ed102475]

I have been fighting red slime for 2 months.

The tank is a 55 gal. 10 gal sump, 4 months old.

CSS 65 in sump.

I have GAC in a bag in sump.

260w PC 2 months old.12k on 8 hrs, Actinic on 10 hrs.

As of 4/18

N03 = 20 ppm , I know its a little high.

P03 = 0 ppm

I have always done WWC 10% Past 3 weeks 20% R/O+DI
0ppm tds.

I have been feeding one time per day (in the morning) flake 1-2 small pinch.

LIVE STOCK

2 ) Ocellaris Clownfish

1 ) Scarlet Skunk Cleaner Shrimp

1 ) Six Line Wrasse

4 ) Dwarf hermits

4) Astraea Conehead Snails

2) Turbo Snails

2) Cerith Snails

Many frags of zoas, soft corals, galaxy ect... no sps.

I also have been fighting some hair algae that in the past 2-3 weeks is growing fast. I got all the snails in this 2-3 week span after seeing all the hair algae.
I just did a 20% wc I'll test later to night or in morning.
Well the sad part is easy.
You may find it funny that even the Astraea snails have hair alge growing on them.They look like little troll heads moving around.

:rollface:

[ed102475]

O yea, any ideas?

[davewbush]

Do you have a skimmer on the tank?

[ed102475]

Yes, CSS 65 in sump.

[Hop]

You have a phosphate issue;) It's loaded the rocks and sand. I've been there myself. I had to cook my rock. I did 1/2 the rock at a time and reevaluated my husbandry.

[Flipper62]

You say 10% water changes the past 3 weeks. What were the water changes in the past.....how long in between & how much. You have a phosphat issue going on.

The red slime is most likely CyanoBacteria. One way to help keep cyano away if water flow. Cyano wont grow where there is good water movement. Puff the cyano off with a turkey baster & suck it out. Then add some powerheads or move the ones that you have & get a good flow going.

[ed102475]

No I have always done 10%, past 3 weeks 20% .Sorry.

[ed102475]

I have cyno growing on the Koralias.I blow it off suck it out,scoop it, you name it.

[Sisterlimonpot]

well lets see a picture of this planted tank.

[davewbush]

I gogled the CSS 65 and it came up as something else. That is why I asked. I've had issues with GHA the past 2 years off and on. Did a whole tank tare down and a year later it was coming back. Moved in January, so had to move tank, and had GHA in a few places, then it took off again. I used Algaefix and up graded my skimmer and I almost have it beat.

Do you run any GFO?

[ed102475]

I am not familar with gfo

[davewbush]

It helps to reduce phosphate in the tank. Here is a link to a place that sells it. You can put it a media bag or in a reactor.

http://www.bulkreefsupply.com/Carbon-and-Phosphate-Remover-GFO/c109/index.html

[ed102475]

I have a old sea clone someone told me I could use it as a reactore.anyone try this?

[Ritten]

Are you using carbon and can you try polyfilters?

[davewbush]

I have 2 old seaclone skimmers, but never thought of that. I'll have to look into it.

[dynomight]

Alright you want the fast way, then use chemiclean. You can find it on the doctors website. I had red slime when I first started my tank and it killed it dead!

Also not to bash your setup but the css65 blows bigtime. I would spend the money and get an octopus 150NW. Best $200 I ever spent (with shipping). The pumps on them are junky, but worst case scenario you can get an awesome pump for about $100 way down the road.

Also try to pull some of your rock and rinse it in old tank water when you do a WC. Do it little by little and before you know it you will have done the whole tank. This might help your nitrate/PO4 issue.

[jenglish]

when nutrients are bound up in cyano or algae they cannot be read on a test or removed through a waterchange. If it is cyano then a 3 day blackout and a big waterchange can get you a jump on the nutrients. Skimmers in general are greatly overated in what size system they can handle. You have a relatively low bioload but your skimmer may still be underpowered. At this point I would look at a black out, sand bed replacement, rock cooking, increase in nutrient export, or decrease in import all as options for tackling this. good luck

[wrott]

Yes OD on Chemi-Clean (w/ an airstone), then do 50% WCs every week. You should have no problems w/ cyano after that.
But you have to keep doing the WCs.

[mustang51js]

what kind of substrate are you using, sand,crushed coral...

[ed102475]

(Quote)when nutrients are bound up in cyano or algae they cannot be read on a test or removed through a waterchange.
-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------
I know about the P03 but not being able to remove N03 is new to me.

Well a new skimmer is not in the buget.I have seen tanks without a skimmer that look great. So I know with my bio load, I can beat this.

I have 6" sand bed as my substrate.

[maxheadroom]

reduce the time that your lights are on.

[Flipper62]

All of the above info is good & will help with CyanoBacteria. However, after doing any of the suggestions above the Cyano is going to come back if you dont increase the water flow / movement. Cyano will not grow where there is good water movement. You need to add some powerheads or move the ones that you have, so you can get some good flow going. In back of the rocks between the glass is always a dead spot, get a small powerhead aiming back there. this will get the stagnant water back there moving around the tank.