red slime algae
- Thread starter Robbiekrause33
- Start date
How long has your tank been up? It's pretty common for it to pop up in a relatively new system. I had a bout early on that came back up after dosing my display tank with interceptor to kill red bugs, which also caused a nutrient spike, and presumably a mini-cycle.
There are multiple methods of getting it under control via dosing or additional filtration, but your best bet for now is probably to just siphon it out with each water change, and/or do small changes intermittently through the week as you siphon it out if it's growing back rapidly.
What do you use for a water source, and have you checked the TDS and/or phosphates for your source water? I had DI resin start to go bad even though my TDS read zero and was getting cyano outbreaks AFTER every water change. Swapped out the resin and it started receding. I've also had luck with a tiger conch eating cyano...but YMMV on that one.
There are multiple methods of getting it under control via dosing or additional filtration, but your best bet for now is probably to just siphon it out with each water change, and/or do small changes intermittently through the week as you siphon it out if it's growing back rapidly.
What do you use for a water source, and have you checked the TDS and/or phosphates for your source water? I had DI resin start to go bad even though my TDS read zero and was getting cyano outbreaks AFTER every water change. Swapped out the resin and it started receding. I've also had luck with a tiger conch eating cyano...but YMMV on that one.
4 months in...I'd say it's just part of your tank maturing and you should be able to keep it under control by siphoning it off with water changes or as needed.
That being said...it might be worthwhile to invest in an RO/DI so that you can get quality water. I've picked up RO/DI from multiple LFSs, and have had it test anywhere from 8 - 45 ppm...and although your TDS is affected my gas exchange and anything left over in your bucket that was mixed in with the water, that was high enough for me to think twice about what I was doing and get my own filter.
I'd say at least get the TDS of your source water checked. A lot of stores will also test water for you...you can bring in a sample of your tank water or even the RO/DI that you picked up, and get it checked for phosphates, as that's the main contributor to cyano. Figure out how that's getting into your system and you'll have better luck getting it under control. If phosphate is coming in from your source water, you're gonna be chasing your tail trying to get it under control without addressing that issue.
That being said...it might be worthwhile to invest in an RO/DI so that you can get quality water. I've picked up RO/DI from multiple LFSs, and have had it test anywhere from 8 - 45 ppm...and although your TDS is affected my gas exchange and anything left over in your bucket that was mixed in with the water, that was high enough for me to think twice about what I was doing and get my own filter.
I'd say at least get the TDS of your source water checked. A lot of stores will also test water for you...you can bring in a sample of your tank water or even the RO/DI that you picked up, and get it checked for phosphates, as that's the main contributor to cyano. Figure out how that's getting into your system and you'll have better luck getting it under control. If phosphate is coming in from your source water, you're gonna be chasing your tail trying to get it under control without addressing that issue.
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I would check your source water too, it is likely coming from poor quality R/O water. Do you have a refugium? Run GFO? run a skimmer?do you feed "Fuel" or heavily feed your corals? If so these types of things can have an effect in the cause of cyano. If you water quality of R/O results are clean then i would do a substantial water change maybe 15gal or so and see if you see a sharp decline in the algae. If you do then its coming from your system and you can make adequate adjustments to your feeding schedules and possibly add something like a GFO reactor.
