[Lowej82]

So I went out of town this weekend to find a slime algae problem when I returned home, kinda stringy

What would be a safe way to get it removed?

What can I do to help prevent it from coming back?

I bought some gallon jugs of ro water and did a small water change with it on wensday or thursday.

[rlcline76]

John, if you haven't already, check out the sticky RyanG provided at the top of the New to the Hobby forum. It has great recommendations.

[Lowej82]

yea i read that,

The few rocks its on I could easily pull out of the tank with out disturbing sand bed, would it hurt to spray them of with fresh water or mix a bucket of salt water and lightly brush off? or would I be creating another cycle or worse? instead of the turkey baster and sucking it out

[rlcline76]

I'd leave freshwater dipping alone. That would chase off all of the good organisms needed in your tank.

Is it really that bad? How are your parameters? Anyway you could increase your flow to the area or cut your lighting back a little?

[Lowej82]

I am going to pick up a power head for the circulation, I just though it would be easier to use a brush in a bucket, all levels are good except nitrate @ 0.15 which I will be doing a 10% water change every other day till gone.

Should I add my carbon back into the filter? I removed it because I thought you should use them off and on.


for some reason I am not getting emails from your responses, I havent changed nothing though


Thanks

[Lowej82]

OK....... so this is what I did

I did a 10% water change, I will follow that up with another 10% tomarow and then skip a day and do another.

When I drained the water out for the water change I used a small powerhead with a hose, placed LR with the redish algae on them in the bucket of water and used the hose to spray them off,

cleaned everything off good.

I will put the carbon back in after the next water change.

added 3 turbo snails to help out with the algae on the glass in the hard to reach areas, I did have a bunch maybe like 12-15 blue leg crabs to help out with clean up, Noticed maybe
5 of them last couple weeks.

What would be good lighting time lengths? Is 8 hrs to much day light? With the actinics on 2hrs before and after? LEDS 24/7, I need to pick up a couple of timers

PC lighting
2 x 96 watts.
1@ 12000k day light,
1@ true actinic
3 led moonlights

I am in process of switching over to store bought RO water, So far about 8 gallons (29 gal tank). What would be a good amount to change out each time, Would 7-10 gal be to much?

Thanks in advance.

[Lowej82]

So I turn on the lights this morning and found no red slime algae, hope it stays this away I think im going to do a 5 gal water change later today after I go pic up some more RO water and then I will add the Carbon back into my emperior 400 filter and remove the nitrate wheels, Should I remove both at once, or wait a day or so to remove the second one? I will add some LR rubble to this area aslong as it stays completely submerged.

I also will be picking up a powerhead or two

[rlcline76]

I haven't found a turbo that will touch cyano...I hear trochus might.

You said you were switching to store bought RO. Were you using RO before or tap?

An Instant Nitrate Reduction Method - A Multiple Step Water Change Procedure

Make sure you keep testing the water for nitrates and such. I have not heard anything good about wheels.

[Lowej82]

I was using tap water untill a change before the last. Ive had 2 water changes since then with ro water.

the turbo was to help out with the glass in the hard to reach areas, not the cyano though,I belive Ive read that link before but I will again. Thanks


ummmmmmmm.....Why does it say im the totm winner? o wait yours does to

[rlcline76]

Aaaah, that explains a lot. Before you go super broke buying your water for changes and topoff, you might want to look at the MightyMite at Air, Water & Ice LLC Products and answers for your water treatment needs.. Some of us with smaller tanks have been using that.

[Lowej82]

I plan to pick up a unit hopefully really soon before the cost of 78 cents a gal gets to be more than what a unit would have cost in the first place. I just didnt want to use tap water any longer than i already did.

[Lowej82]

ok so I did a total of about 10 gals of water changes in the last 3 days, added 2 170 gph powerheads 1 directly on the LR and the other down the back wall to help keep things moving behind the LR. So far its all good havent noticed this stuff coming back yet!! So far the only fish who doesnt like the new water current it my goby firefish

[marcntara]

Hi there. Well our tank is gotten slimed.. the red slime has started. thanks for all the great advice on it. one more question though.. i determined through your posts that i am giving way too many hours of lighting. i will start leaving tank lights off during day while at work. between 6-9pm are the only hours of lighting they will have; will that be enough for the corals, and other light needing entities? and can i leave the moon lights on? the 4 pretty blue lights?

[rlcline76]

My lights are on from 9 AM to 5 PM daily and everything is fine. I would do more than 3 hours a day. What is the schedule like right now?

[marcntara]

Right now i turn the lights on at 7am and they stay on till 9pm. i want them on when we are home to see them so if i have to sacrifice time i would prefer it to be during the day.

[marcntara]

i also just posted some new photos in the members gallery, you can see the red slime in some of them.

[rlcline76]

3 hours of light daily could spell the end of your corals, though. It is easier on the system to find what is causing the slime in the first place.

[marcntara]

ugh,, ok then we will work on getting a timer.. how many hours is optimal? and what do you think of the moonlighting? is that ok?