Replaced pc bulbs, red slime out break

[DaytonaConnection]

first off iam new here... i have have my 48gal corner tank set up for about 4-5 years now, just live rock and a few dam,and a bandit shrimp, anyway the other day i messed up bad and did a 20gal water change, and put all fresh water back in, salt droped low it took about 25 gal of salt mix to get it back up, over a weeks time at two gal at a time. after that, i noticed red turf,on some rocks,so i started thinking it has been 4-5 year sence i changed my pc bulbs, so i did, three days later the red turf turned into red slime,iam at a loss ... my tank is at 79 temp nitrate are at 10,ph is 8.2, salt is at 0.25, also i have a 800gph pump hooked to a squid wave maker that has a cross current setup.was it the light, or other factors...thanks Bill

[jerryc]

Will sudden change and old lighting can cause a algae outbreak
i thank your lighting done yours florescent lamps need to
be changed about ever 9 months

[DaytonaConnection]

will this get better it is all over now, i just cleaned it 3 days ago....

[jerryc]

Yes it will are shooed get better but will take a lot of extra work
Do weekly water changes and siphon as much as you can out with the change

Are you using tap water if so you may wont to look in to RODI filters

[DaytonaConnection]

i am using ro water from my lfs, what should i be testing for other than no3 no2 kh ph this is all i have been testing for.....salt 0.23 nitrite 20 nitrate 0 ph 8.4

[davejnz]

You wouldn't happen to be located in Daytona Bch,FL would you?

[jerryc]

Sounds good for fish only id just do my water change weekly and siphon with Chang If you do some comparing you may be able to save some $$ getting a RODI filter over the long run. I was getting RO water at .24 using 10 gallon a week =$124.80 per year The RODI cost me $110.00 on eBay

[DaytonaConnection]

thanks, does salt go bad, on my last water change, i was cheep and used some salt i found in a box that i had, i couldnt tell you how old it was,,,,,also what test should i be doing, and what should i do to get this tank ready for corals,of any kind...my lighting is only 130w pc..

[KG]

Not to repeat what others stated, but I think maybe the better question is (and we know you have a lot of phosphates or you wouldn't have cyano which is actually a bacteria) is what is their source?Low water flow is probably also to blame. Here's some thoughts:
1. It can be in the flood (flake is terrible) or;
2. the water (tap is loaded with them and using an old RO/DI unit with a worn out membrane) or some cheaper salt mixes are high in phosphates as well.
3. Try turning up your skimmer so it makes a wet skimmate instead of a dry foam.
4. Rinse your frozen food really well before feeding with old SW.
5. Try dialing back your lights a little (just a few hours will make a big difference).
6. Increase the amount and frequency of your water changes, and as a last resort;
7. Add a phosphate binder.
8. As you're already aware, change the bulbs.

If you're seeing negative effects to any corals or other inverst whenyou add the binder, then you should add less (only submerge half the bag), leave it in for a shorter period of time, or not at all. Good luck!

[DaytonaConnection]

i see thanks, at the beginning of my first post, most of this started after the salt crash, and the new bulbs i installed, i will try what you said and see what happens thanks so much....you said something about using a phosphate binder? like what? phosphate carbon,or phosphate sponge,iam not sure what it is....

[davejnz]

You wouldn't happen to be located in Daytona Bch,FL would you?
I was just wondering because thats my location as well.

[davejnz]

Most likely,that sudden salinty change killed alot fo organisms in your tank thus resulting in elevated nutrients.that would in turn cause algae/cyano blooms ike u describe.Your sudden change in lighting only helped becuase after 5 yrs,your bulbs weren't producing alot of useable light.You didn't mention if you had a DSB or your alkalinty.5 yrs is a ripe old age for a SW tank and detritus/organic buildup could likely be the cause of the bloom as well.
Since u dont have corals,phos-ban would be ok to use.Although,the cyano is fed more on organic/nutrient level than elevated PO4 levels.Low current will also encourage its growth

[DaytonaConnection]

i forgot to mention, i do have a group of star polyps, and some shrooms,btw the shrooms are coming back great, the polyps are not looking well, what would you sujest me to use, to help fight this,will the system with the help of cleaning, and water changes. fix this, or do i need an additive for the phosphates,btw i live in indiana,, i found this Istarted with this today phos-buster pro...
http://aquariumconnection.com/getArticle.php?ArtID=107 (http://aquariumconnection.com/getArticle.php?ArtID=107#ed_op#/A#ed_cl##ed_op#/DIV#ed_cl##ed_op#DIV#ed_cl##ed_op#/DIV#ed_cl#)