Red Algae everywhere

[woolfe]

For the past couple of weeks I've had an ongoing problem with red algae in my refugium. I've increased the flow slightly, vaccumed most of it out, and started rinsing the mysis before feeding it to the seahorses that live in there. I added a bunch more snails and a sand sifting cucumber. It just keeps growing back. I've even cut the light cycle down by an hour. I'm all out of ideas. Does anyone have any other solutions I could try?

I wish it was just on the sand. I have a nice plush carpet of it on the sand, on the glass, on the plants, and it has even started to grow on poor Will.(One of my male reidi's)

 

[bluespotjawfish]

I'm going to tag along, I have a bit of it going on too. Sounds like your's is growing on the bottom? Mine is on the glass (mostly where my pump is directed at). My bugs seem to like mine so I haven't messed with it yet. I like the sand sifting stars to stir up the sand. I think they do a better job than my cucumber (who is much slower).

 

[blue_eyes53813]

Red slime algae is normal with a new set up and will slowly go away with good tank maintenance.. How old is the tank?

 

[flyforfood99]

I'm going through your same problem too. Mine is mostly limited to the sand bed though. Here's what I have learned.

It's most likely feeding of heightened nitrates and or phosphates. So you need to work on removing those. Use only RO water for both top off and water changes. Increase your water change frequency and %. Maybe try temporarily reducing your lighting. Make sure you have lots of flow, minimize dead spots. Make sure you have a good clean up crew. I've heard fighting conchs are very good at cyano mowing. Syphon off as much as you physically can. As a last resort (i haven't reached this......... yet), I've read that a product called "ChemiClean" will kill the stuff. I think it's a weak antibiotic that kills of the red slime and pretty quick.

Best of luck! Let us know how it goes-

 

[woolfe]

I really don't want to add any chemicals. I'll do that as a final resort only. I've had the fuge set up for a couple of months but it's plumbed into my main tank that has been running since last August. I'll try doing more water changes first. I'm scheduled to do one tomorrow. I usually do around 15%, I'll up it to 25%. I won't be able to do it tomorrow though. I'll have to wait until Tuesday. I only have 15% mixed right now.