Red slime

fishmaster818 · Jan 28, 2015

So im battling red slime but i cant figure out why i have no phosphates or nitrates my tank in only 3 months old so could that be why

beaslbob · Jan 28, 2015

red slime and the tank are consuming nitrates and phosphates and keeping them unmeasureable.
I would kill the lights and suspend all feeding until the red slime dies off. then restart with 1/2 lighting and feeding and adjust so the good stuff thrives and the red slime doesn't come back.
my .02

fishmaster818 · Jan 28, 2015

zesty · Jan 28, 2015

Your slime is consuming your intangibles. That's my guess to your test results.

Work on reducing your input of light/food, increase the flow to the slime area and remove as much as you can (slime) physically.

This should get you on a good start

Randy Holmes-Farley · Jan 28, 2015

What are you using to say there is "none"? Most kits cannot adequately test low levels to really make that claim.

Exporting more nutrients, especially phosphate, before the cyano gets it is usually a good plan.

How are you currently exporting nutrients?

TUSI · Jan 28, 2015

zesty said:
Your slime is consuming your intangibles. That's my guess to your test results.

Work on reducing your input of light/food, increase the flow to the slime area and remove as much as you can (slime) physically.

This should get you on a good start

+1
Have you experienced a temp fluctuation before the slime began.

fishmaster818 · Jan 28, 2015

Randy Holmes-Farley said:
What are you using to say there is "none"? Most kits cannot adequately test low levels to really make that claim.

Exporting more nutrients, especially phosphate, before the cyano gets it is usually a good plan.

How are you currently exporting nutrients?

Im using gfo and Refugium and filter socks. I think im still fighting it from when i was cleaning my filter socks as much as i should have been. All my corals are doing great too though

fishmaster818 · Jan 28, 2015

TUSI said:
+1
Have you experienced a temp fluctuation before the slime began.

No i have not

UK_Pete · Jan 28, 2015

Is the slime mainly on the sand? I've often had and seen sheet like algae on top of a new sand bed, I always assumed its because the sand is not yet really live so not really doing any 'processing' of the detritus that settles on it.

fishmaster818 · Jan 28, 2015

UK_Pete said:
Is the slime mainly on the sand? I've often had and seen sheet like algae on top of a new sand bed, I always assumed its because the sand is not yet really live so not really doing any 'processing' of the detritus that settles on it.

Its only on my sand

Randy Holmes-Farley · Jan 29, 2015

It may take a substantial amount of time at low phosphate to remove all the phosphate that may be bound to the rock and sand.

fishmaster818 said:
Im using gfo and Refugium and filter socks. I think im still fighting it from when i was cleaning my filter socks as much as i should have been. All my corals are doing great too though

I actually meant what test kit.

jhoop · Jan 29, 2015

I had this problem. 15 Gallon tank. Red slime would grow in the sand. It would grow overnight. I would pull hand fulls out. I tried chemiclean not luck. Then I tried red slime remover. Two treatment and it was gone. Now two months later no slime.

fishmaster818 · Jan 29, 2015

Randy Holmes-Farley said:
It may take a substantial amount of time at low phosphate to remove all the phosphate that may be bound to the rock and sand.

I actually meant what test kit.

Salifert

Randy Holmes-Farley · Jan 29, 2015

So it cannot read low enough to say there is no phosphate present, and I'd continue with the GFO. Reducing organic matter can also help, but skimming or using GAC or one of the commercial organic binders such as Purigen.

fishmaster818 · Jan 29, 2015

Randy Holmes-Farley said:
So it cannot read low enough to say there is no phosphate present, and I'd continue with the GFO. Reducing organic matter can also help, but skimming or using GAC or one of the commercial organic binders such as Purigen.

I do have a skimmer

beaslbob · Jan 29, 2015

fishmaster818 said:
Im using gfo and Refugium and filter socks. I think im still fighting it from when i was cleaning my filter socks as much as i should have been. All my corals are doing great too though

sound like your system is actually doing well. try the lights/feeding idea and it should straighten itself out. Hopefully your refugium has macro algae in it also?

fishmaster818 · Jan 29, 2015

beaslbob said:
sound like your system is actually doing well. try the lights/feeding idea and it should straighten itself out. Hopefully your refugium has macro algae in it also?

Yes my refugium does. I am actually doing a black out right now. I was think it was just because my tank is newer since my sps is doing well and growing

beaslbob · Jan 29, 2015

fishmaster818 said:
Yes my refugium does. I am actually doing a black out right now. I was think it was just because my tank is newer since my sps is doing well and growing

Just my observation.
One sets up and new tank. Gets things growing, everything is fine, nitrates finally drop down, cycle complete then here it comes---Red slime. A little at first but it just covers everything eventually.
So what you are experiencing is not uncommon. With everything else especially your sps doing well, I think the black out, less feeding will kill it off and then you can make adjustments which will insure the sps thrives and the red slime is held at bay.
but that's just my .02

fishmaster818 · Jan 29, 2015

beaslbob said:
Just my observation.
One sets up and new tank. Gets things growing, everything is fine, nitrates finally drop down, cycle complete then here it comes---Red slime. A little at first but it just covers everything eventually.
So what you are experiencing is not uncommon. With everything else especially your sps doing well, I think the black out, less feeding will kill it off and then you can make adjustments which will insure the sps thrives and the red slime is held at bay.
but that's just my .02

Okay thanks