Red slime outbreak... (1 Viewer)

[rxonco]

I've had a recent outbreak of the dreaded red slime.
I seems to be centralized in a couple of low-flow locations so I've adjusted my powerheads to give those areas a bit more circulation.

Nitrates are at about 5ppm, Ammonia is at 0, and Nitrite is at 0. I don't have a test kit for a Phosphate level (I know, I need one). I do run a phosphate remover in my filtration system. After reading about it, I've come to the conclusion that I've been overfeeding over the last few weeks. Definately plan on cutting back on that.

I don't have an RO unit, once again...I know I need one.
I use Ozarka's spring water for my drinking water. Can I use this to do water changes until I get something better?

What should I do? :?

 

[Guest]

I go to walmart and get the Culligan water there. I know it is ro/di and hit with uv light as well. For 25 cents a gallon it works for me. I am assuming you would be able to use the bottled water. I dont see why not you know!

 

[Guest]

I use sparklett's whenever I'm out of RO/DI water and don't have time to make it.

Never seems to hurt.

 

[Guest]

Of course, that isn't very often, I wouldn't use it as my regular water supply.

 

[aqua-nut]

I tell you, Chemi-Clean is the best stuff you'll ever find for red slime algae. I keep it on hand at all times, and the first sign of red slime, I dose the tank.

It's never hurt any of my critters, with or without fins.

 

[rxonco]

Thanks, where can I find it?

 

[fins]

We've seen Boyd Chemi-clean at Global Fish N Pet, Aquarium World and Neptune's Garden.

 

[Guest]

I've had a recent outbreak of the dreaded red slime.
I seems to be centralized in a couple of low-flow locations so I've adjusted my powerheads to give those areas a bit more circulation.
Usually fixing the flow fixes the problem that and adding critters that will eat it like Fighting Conches and Cerith snails.


I don't have a test kit for a Phosphate level (I know, I need one). I do run a phosphate remover in my filtration system.
I never test for phosphates nor use a phospahte sponge and am not fighting cyano.


After reading about it, I've come to the conclusion that I've been overfeeding over the last few weeks. Definately plan on cutting back on that.
Excessive nutrients is not linked to cyano. Cyano is a flow issue and I bet I still feed more than you.


I don't have an RO unit, once again...I know I need one.
Look up this seller on Ebay cheap RO/DIs - soumiknight

I use Ozarka's spring water for my drinking water. Can I use this to do water changes until I get something better?

DO NOT USE SPRING WATER. Spring water has tons of minerals and impurities that are fine for us to drink and make the water taste good but will reak havok on your reed. In fact most city water tests better than spring water in tests. If you don't have a RO/DI, buy RO/DI water from a LFS, Distilled Water from the Grocery store, or use a RO machine at a store like Kroger, Wal-Mart ect.

Although Chemi Clean will work Cyano is a photosenthic bacteria. Cyano is in the air on our fishes gills and every where else. There is no way to keep Cyano out of your tank. If you continue to use Chemi Clean to remove cyano you will be like many others who eventually develop a strain of cyano that does not react to anti biotics.

Solve the problem don't medicate it. Get some critters to eat is and another powerhead or get powerheads with better out put.

 

[Guest]

flow

I am sorta having the start of the same problem, just 2 patches the size of a dime. I got a 150 gpm maxijet 600. My tank is 6g JEBO. I also have a 50 gph power head. How do I tell if I have enough flow everywhere?

 

[fins]

Just got home this afternoon, and the entire tank has an outbreak of cyano. Nothing is opening, and the tank looks awful. I recently put in another power head about a week ago to increase the flow, before the outbreak. I have more flow than I ever had, and now a terrible outbreak. I don't know whats going on, going to test the water. I do know I have had quite a few of the Astreas die off as well as the Emerald crabs. I did a water change as well. We'll see.

 

[Cakepro]

I've heard really great things about Red Slime Algae Remover. My mom used it in her tank and it wiped it out without any problems.

A cyanobacteria outbreak is not caused by a lack of water flow. Please see here for good information.

~ Sherri

 

[Guest]

A cyanobacteria outbreak is not caused by a lack of water flow

From your article:

Cyanobacteria thrive in low circulation, poorly aerated conditions. Hence the call for vigorous water movement and near-saturation levels of dissolved oxygen. Providing powerheads, small submersible pumps, mechanical aerators and directing discharges from outside filters and pumping mechanisms are the best way to accomplish optimized circulation and aeration. Direct these devices to eliminate stagnant areas.

There were a lot of us that heard Eric speak and say that Cyano is linked to flow and some what seasonal in some cases for him and others. I feed more food than most of you that complain about cyano. I pretty much am feeding my fish anytime I am home and they are willing to eat yet I do not suffer from cyano and pest algae. Just because you have a bunch of power heads you may not have enough flow to the sand bed. I adjust the power heads for the first time until they are moving sand. Once they move all the sand out of the way they give a lot of flow to the sand bed.

Damn! I tried to ask Eric but he is gone till mid July. I am right I tell you! I am right! Curse all of you that do not remember that meeting or were not listening.

 

[Cakepro]

Tom, get your panties out of a twist and re-read what I said: low flow is not the cause of cyanobacteria. I never said it isn't a contributing factor. Rather than regurgitate what Bob Fenner said, I gave a link to his article.

If you want to do a quote-by-quote critique, then let's start here:

Excessive nutrients is not linked to cyano.

That's pure unadulterated BS, friend.

~ Sherri

 

[Guest]

You are killing me Sherri it came out of the great Eric's mouth and I have enough antedotal experience proving his therories correct.
I am going freaking crazy. CYANO is linked to flow and to a much lesser extent excess nutrients. I have a 65G no skimmer, no refugium, and an all you can eat buffet for the fish and no cyano. I am going to stalk Eric as soon as he gets back in July and finishes this discussion.

I challenge anyone that thinks it is not flow to a dual. Two cyano tanks you get the person to cut down on nutrients and see if that changes things and I will either change the postion of their power heads or add another power head and increase their feeding. You don't know what nutrients are till you treat your fish to buffets so that they will breed.
FLOW FLOW FLOW

 

[Guest]

WOW TOM YOU ARE SCARING ME!! Wearing panties and talking about stalking people!!
Someone needs to plan an intervention for you my friend!!

 

[sultros]

I had small cyano outbreaks after my tank cycled. Most was on the glass with some in the sandbed. I manually removed the cyano from the glass and used a combination of cerit snails and flow to beat it back. I keep a good flow close to the top layer of my sandbed. Keep in mind I dont run a DSB.

Once I got my sandbed turning, my algae outbreaks in the sandbed quit.

 

[Cakepro]

Okay, so in your last post you copped to the fact that while low flow may be a factor ~ albeit you claim it is the causative factor ~ there are other contributory factors which can exacerbate cyanobacterial outbreaks. This is what I'm saying...flow is a factor but I happen not to believe that it is not the sole cause, which is what you stated in your first post. Even if you do get Eric to say that cyanobacterial outbreaks are caused solely by inadequate water flow and there are no other contributing factors, such as poor water chemistry and excessive levels of dissolved organics or inorganics, I'm not going to believe it because too many other authorities in the hobby say otherwise, as does my own limited experience. *Shrug*

Nobody is saying that flow isn't a factor. I am telling YOU that flow isn't the CAUSE. By the way, even though you've been stuffing your clownfish full of food for the last few weeks or couple of months, I wouldn't be surprised at all if somewhere down the line you run into some serious algal problems. You've only been in the hobby for a year, so it's bound to happen sooner or later.

I'm not trying to be mean, I'm just disagreeing with you.

~ Sherri

 

[Guest]

Disagree all you want thats the only thing that makes this kid of thing fun. Yes over the last year I fought cyano three times in 3 different tanks only to correct the problem in less than a week with power head placement. The excessive nutrient part IMO is the detritus and food that sits on the sand bed because nothing the is not enough flow to keep it moving.

I do seriously disagree with your forcast of algae or cyano out breaks in the future for me. I nip these things in the bud and the only thing that I need to do is get a fore of nassarius snails so that my sand bed doesn't turn into a nutrient soup over the years. However as often as I change things around I don't forsee myself having the same tank set up the same way for more than 2 yrs at any time.

The other trusted sources on the internet you say like Calfo and Fenner that claim overfeeding anenomes often lead to their death in captivity.
The Great Eric and I are right on this one. Again I say RIGHT.