Losing the Battle to Red Slime and Bubble Algae

[eho72]

My 120g SPS dominated tank has been up and running for about a year now. No matter what I have tried, I cannot seem to get rid of the red slime and bubble algae. They are all over the live rocks and sand floor. Sometime, it's just the bubble algae and sometime just the red slime cyno-bacteria. right now, it has gotten worst and I have both. Any suggestions?

These are the things I've done to try and combat the problem. Not all at once of course, but throughout the last year.


filter sock
turkey blaster to blow off the algae
reduce feeding
reduce lighting
vodka dosing
chemi-clean
phosban reactor
carbon reactor


Parameters:
temp: 78-80 degree
phosphate: undetectable
nitrate: undetectable
calcium: 420
magnesium 1320
alkalinity: 7-9 dkh
salinity: 1.025
ph: 7.8-8.2

[vaporlockv2]

I had the same problem with the slime algae. I was about to give up because I had tried everything you have, until a friend suggested upping my dhk to 11. I did that and it was almost immediate, the algae was gone within three days. It comes back in very little quantities every once and a while. But it might help you some.

[Daniel Reef]

What did you do to up the dhk?

[eho72]

My dkh can go as low at 7 sometime. I thought maybe my calcium reactor may be adding too much CO2 into the system causing the air bubbles. So I might be mistaking the air bubbles for bubble algae. My next try is to shutoff the calcium reactor all together for about a week and manually dose calcium and magnesium. I will keep an eye on dkh to see if that goes up a bit.

[bobparker]

increase your Mg to above 1350ppm for the bubble algae and the best way to prevent the cyano and stop it from coming back is lights out for three days and large water changes. I can not say enough about special blend. after your water is adjust to a maintenance level you will not see the red slime ever again. The stuff will clear the house when you dose it smells so bad but it is the best product out their IMO
http://www.fosterandsmithaquatics.com/product/prod_display.cfm?pcatid=8161

[z@pp]

I had good results with a product called ANTIRED. Only had to use it 2x and most was gone.

[Frick-n-Frags]

increase your Mg to above 1350ppm for the bubble algae[/url]

anecdotal at best, total hogwash at worst

[rick12]

zeovit coral snow works wonders for cyno...along wiht water changes and maintenence

what skimmer are you running?

[eho72]

I use T5 lighting 8 bulbs ATI PM. For skimmer, it's the Euro-Reef 180 RC Skimmer. I used to do monthly 20% water change, but just started going to weekly 10% water change.

[Floowid]

My usual advice. Search your system for hidden payloads of detritus. Bottom of the overflow, slack areas in the sump, bio balls, pump screens, etc. These little collections of gunk can often be the source for the nutrients that fuel problem algae/cyano.

[tkeracer619]

After fighting through dinos my tank decided that cyano would be its replacement. After months of trying it the natural way I dosed chemiclean. Sand bed is finally white. I know you already tried it but maybe its worth trying again.

Confirming your source water is 0tds and phosphate free is also a good idea.

[juicesay]

That's quite a bit of chemicals to be using.

Why don't you just do it the all natural way.

Reduce nutrients and photo periods in the tank and starve the algea attack.

Also try water changes, as water changes are always a plus.

[tkeracer619]

FWIW Cyano is not algae its bacteria.

I just notice you say you turkey basted it. You should be sucking it out when you see it not basting it around the tank.

[juicesay]

FWIW Cyano is not algae its bacteria.

I just notice you say you turkey basted it. You should be sucking it out when you see it not basting it around the tank.

FYI you need nutrients for it to thrive.

Try taking a small pinch of it, and throw it in a container of RODI water.

Guarantee it will be gone in a day, provided it is under normal conditions for any other growth to occur.

Lack of nutrients = lack of growth.

[eho72]

Chemi-clean did not work out well for me. After a couple of hours, my snails were turning upside down and dieing left and right. My sebase anemone started to shrink and crept into the rock crevices. I quickly did a huge water change, turned back on my skimmer so my livestocks don't die. I prefer the natural method.

[bobparker]

That's quite a bit of chemicals to be using.

Why don't you just do it the all natural way.

Reduce nutrients and photo periods in the tank and starve the algea attack.

Also try water changes, as water changes are always a plus.

special blend is not a chemical it's bacteria

[bobparker]

anecdotal at best, total hogwash at worst

Frick-n-***s, elevated Mg works for my algae problems. I got the idea from several threads here on RC. Do your research, I did

[Flowbot]

Red slime remover works everytime. Definitely give it a try.

[Mattik]

Just remember the water changes...ragarless of the method you use to kill it. Without the water changes, you are just dosing your tank with very high nutrients as the algae/cyano dies and decays. It may go away for a while, but without good water changes, other algae problems will likely crop up.

As for the "baster" method, blow the rocks clean, but also try to capture and remove as much of the algae as possible (for the same reason).

[small alien]

So I might be mistaking the air bubbles for bubble algae.

Cyano will make bubbles of gas on its surface. Is that what you are thinking is bubble algae? I don't think bubble algae will come and go as you are describing.

I'd try a decent sized water change every other day or so for a couple of weeks. I'm talking water change after water change after water change. Like it's your new religion. I bet you will knock it back. I think cyano almost always comes down to nutrients even though there are other cultural factors that encourage it. That's what I've seen.

Good luck.

[Frick-n-Frags]

bob parker, you are screwing up in the details.
my response was re: valonia(bubble algae)
show me the documentation that says elev mg kills valonia. or read slower please.

you just say "algae problem" what exactly does that mean? i think you will find the research turns up different algae like bryopsis or w/e it is that IS affected by hi Mg

elevated Mg does zilch for valonia. my research was done in my own tank.i rocked the tech-m and epsom salt to over 1500..all it did was PO everything else. valonia is unstoppable clean water algae. high alk did nothing either except f up my powerheads and heaters when the ca precipitated

i have been battling valonia for over 3 years..its almost gone..by physical removal and rotating LR to be cooked. You WISH valonia was that simple to get rid of

[eho72]

I shutdown my calcium reactor for a week and manually dosed calcium and magnesium. No luck. I am going to try the 3 days light out period and see if this monster cyno-bacteria will go away.