Red Slime!! Phosphate Is At Zero..

[noelskii]

anyone around my way that wants to sell me some of those snails/powerheads mentioned above?

 

[lfsmarineguy]

I haven't seen your tank so I can't tell you how to position your PHs but if you point them so they keep good flow around your tank and over the rocks and sand you should be fine.

 

[aaron]

I have some incidental experience that might be worth looking into- I had red slime once in a small 15 gal tank, until I added some buffer (I think it was Kent reef buffer) and my red slime disappeared almost instantly. I'm not sure what the science is behind this, i just know it worked for me and might be worth a try. Does a low PH promote problem algae growth? feel free to jump in with a comment anyone.
Like i said it may have been a coincidence but then again its worth a try, better than filling your tank with lethal algaecide if you dont have to.
I have just skimmed through all the other responses and didnt see anything mentioning buffering, but i may have missed something so sorry if i am repeating someones post.

 

[ReeferGoneMad]

You need to siphon what you can. Do a water change, increase the flow a bit. And then add cerith snails and the such. IMO ceriths snails are kick ass. They eat cyano and they churn the sand over. I would suggest limiting your cleanup crew to just ceriths for now and see what they can do. Ceriths are not finiky either they seem to enjoy eating various algaes. The only reason I say just ceriths is because hermit crabs will take a stab at trying to steal their shells. And other snails will just make it overcrowded and there might be some that starve to death if there are too many.

 

[dylanjs]

I had a little red slime outbreak. It's was pretty bad actually. I did a 20% water change and added a Tunze nano for more circulation and it has nearly cleared up after 3 days. And it's all thanks to this thread. Go, reefers!

 

[EmilyT]

i think im getting that problem now. not on the sand or the glass, but on the lr. they are really small concentrated patches of a dark red color. could this be coraline with different levels of accessory pigments or is it a slime algae i think theres a pic on my tank thread
i have to get my hands on a good phosphate test kit soon

 

[Chiefmcfuz]

Pics?

 

[peterm]

I've had slime outbreaks directly in front of 650gph powerheads (SEIO) so the flow rule doesn't always work. I thought maybe the powerheads were throwing nutrients at the slime. In the two occasions I've had outbreaks, they have finished very slowly. I just make sure I remove as much as possible during water changes (therefore removing nutrients inside the slime), rinse frozen food well, use RO/DI water and hope for the best. I haven't seen any snail or crab attack the slime. Eventually it will receed.

 

[EmilyT]

theres some on the bottom corner of the big rock on top, the bottom center of the big rock on bottoms, and various other places where there is dark red. its not really wispy or slimy its kinda thick and hard

 

[fritz]

Wait etompinks really isn't ink!?

 

[Deanos]

Wait etompinks really isn't ink!?

Only Jhale knows for sure. He claims to have met both :scratch:

 

[jhale]

fred and dean :smash:

emily is a real person, now help the girl :irked:

 

[EmilyT]

Wait etompinks really isn't ink!?

:funnypost loL i reMembeR thAt !!!
and my name isnt tompinks its tompkins
we've got worse in the mail: pumpkins, tomfins, thompkins.