Want to treat red slime, but have snails arriving

[MVALONE]

I have red slime again I just siphoned most of it out and was going to treat with chemicals....Then Aqua Tech called & said my snails have finally arrived. Now not sure what to do? I have just ordered a new membrane for my RO. Maybe that is the problem with the red slime. The weird thing is it always starts at the same spot in the tank. I have not been able to check all levels in the tank. I will this weekend.

I will post another thread about how much I have been feeding when I get a chance.

Thanks for any advise

Michele

[Ellery]

Michele,
Do you have Remote DSB installed? If not I highly suggest it since I place one in my 90RR FOWLR and I haven't have any Red slime in a long time, also increase your water flow as well.

[MVALONE]

I don't have one and not sure what it is!? I did add a 4th power head a couple weeks ago. Should I add another?

Thanks, Michele

[thriceanangel]

I know alot of people here don't like the idea, but I have used red slime remover to great success. I didn't lose anything, nothing reacted poorly, and it didn't come back until a year later when I added some uncured live rock. DUH! But I used it again, and it went away and I lived happily ever after.

[m-fine]

Remote DSB is a Deep Sand Bed that is not in the display tank or anywhere it can get clogged with detritus. Basically it is a bucket (or small tank etc.) with 5+ inches of sand in it. You keep it dark and pump water fairly briskly across the top and it acts as an excellent place for denitrfying bacteria. It is not supposed to get foul like in tank DSB's tend to after many years, but even if it does it can be cleaned or replaced without interfering with the display. Generally you gan build one for $20 worth of parts and playsand if you already have the pumps such as a power head or your skimmer output.


If you have red slime that always starts in the same spot I would wonder what is in that rock or rocks. Perhaps you might want to pull it out can cure it in a dark location (sump?) or poke around to see if there is a predator living in there.

In my experience high flow is useless for eliminating cyano. I have had it grow in the output of my Seio 1100. The best treatment is to eliminate the nutrients causing the outbreak. The chemical treatment can make it go away quickly (which can be nice for the other inhabitants) but it will grow back if you don't treat the root cause.

[MVALONE]

I have used it with no obvious problems too. I'm just concerned about treating at the same time with getting new snails. I also would like to figure out why it returns. All of your advise has been helpful. Thanks

[MVALONE]

The remote DSB sounds good. The red slime always starts on the one end of tank in the sand bed.

[Gary Majchrzak]

Originally posted by MVALONE
I also would like to figure out why it returns. All of your advise has been helpful. Thanks

DOC's. Dissolved organic compounds.
Cyano needs light and food (DOC's) to proliferate.
You need to limit and/or export nutrients in the water to eradicate the cyanobacteria (red slime/smear algae).

[m-fine]

Originally posted by MVALONE
The remote DSB sounds good. The red slime always starts on the one end of tank in the sand bed.

That is probably where the detritus (food source) is collecting. Try siphoning the sand there more frequently.

[MVALONE]

Thanks a bunch guys.

Michele

[MVALONE]

I just tested my water.

CA 480
PO @ 0
PH 8.4
ALK the low end of normal
Nitrate 50
Salinity .025
Temp 78

I have 14 fish, 2 are pretty big. Many SPS & inverts. Here is what I'm feeding. I use most frozen foods from Hikari.

Lunch is a small amt of Spirulina flakes. PM: 3 cubes Mysis, 2 cubes brine, 2 cubes plankton, 2 cubes blood worms & a small chunk of pro green. 1 day a week I add: 3caps coral vite, 1 1/2 cap of tech1 iodine, 3 caps strotium, 3 caps essencial elements. 2x's/week DT'S. 2x's/week cyclop eez.

What do you think? Thanks in advance.

Michele

[Gary Majchrzak]

Don't add what you don't test for.
Immediately stop the use of all those liquid additives!
(Why do you feel you need them?)
You need a better alk test kit so you can post the exact value of your alkalinity.
From what it sounds, you'd have a huge cyanobacteria problem even if you were running a ridiculously large skimmer.

[Gary Majchrzak]

Here's a good article that you should read:

http://reefkeeping.com/issues/2007-04/rhf/index.php

Besides, calcium and alkalinity you might consider dosing magnesium... but only if you test for it!

[m-fine]

A remote DSB will get your nitrates down but it will take a month or so to start working. If you have a lot of animals in the tank you are going to need a lot of ammonia/nitrite/nitrate processing. The first two tend to be a lot easier than the nitrate which is where the DSB seems to excel.

As for food, it seems like a LOT of food for the size of tank to me. Does it all get eaten and if so are the fish fattening up or growing rapidly?

I am less opposed to adding minerals you do not test for especially ones that you know will be depleted like the iodine, but certainly it would be ideal if you could test for everything. I highly doubt they are your problem given the ammount of food going in and the nitrate levels.

Do you have a calcium reactor? I assume no from the PH on the high normal side and alk being low, but if you did have one they do add more trace elements then just calcium which is a nice alternative to dosing liquids.

Finally, you don't have a wet dry or anything with bio balls blocks or floss do you? Back when we thought we needed such things nitrate levels well over 50 were the norm with massive water changes needed to control it. The reason is those things host the bacteria that process ammonia and nitrite but not the kind that process nitrate. If you have anything like that replace with the R-DSB.

[Conesus_Kid]

In addition to Gary's advice, you may want to check out this thread: http://archive.reefcentral.com/forum...readid=1078532

I thought of your post when I was reading this.

Best of luck, and let us know how things pan out.

[Gary Majchrzak]

I'm not a fan of turning lights out to beat red slime. IMO you need to attack it at the nutrient end. IME the unnecessary addition of a liquid Iodine supplement can cause an outbreak of cyanobacteria.
With all the the foods you are feeding it's highly unlikely any of those liquid supplements are necessary, MVALONE.

[MVALONE]

Gary, I will look into a remote DSB. Have not seen one in catalogs.

My fish are healthy & growing. Maybe too fat. They eat all I feed and look for more. I'm sure some lands on the bottom The hermits and serpents seem to appreciate it. Even some certain snails come out for it.

I do not have a Ca reactor. I use to dose withB Ionic...but have not for some time due to high CA. Should I get a CA Reactor?

I only dose with those supplements because A couple people mentioned them ad have also read about it in books. I'am going to buy a Mg test kit and upgrade some of the others I have.

Scott, that was a interesting thread. I might give that a try also.

Michele



I have the Tidepool 11 Filter. No Bio balls. I do use carbon bags.

I will read the article. Thanks.

[PCIALF]

I have about the same amount of fish and only feed 2 cubes a day with nori and a pinch of flake. I had great success with using just bionic and water changes so as far as so you need a CA no but they do make keeping the tank overall easier IMO. The RDS I have recently started myself in a 5 gal bucket and my nitrates >25 are now 0 after only several weeks so far I am a fan.

Here is a read on the RDS if you haven't seen it yet

http://forum.marinedepot.com/Topic20039-13-1.aspx