Red Slime

[180reefer]

Ok, so I have some experience here... not in the good way. why wont this stuff just leave me alone! I have battled this many times in my 6+ years with this tank... I have great flow - reading 0 on the No3, Po4, and I am now using Topic Marin Bio actif salt. last week did a 120 gal water change!! then this week followed up with another 30 just to be safe. I have a 180 bow front - and about a 45gal (water volume) sump/refug. a massive skimmer that skims like a beast (Deltec ap 702). I have Ozone on, UV on, I do have the thing packed with rock (and I mean a lot!). Ok, so I have a lot of fish too, but all small. I have only been feeding spiralina flake (sp). and not that much. Since the big change I have another outbreak of red slime - what gives??? I am now in a non - photo period for 2 days, and will not turn on for another to get rid of it. Oh, I have 2 dolphin 3600's on the tank, one for main return and the skimmer feed, the other on a CL. thanks for any help!
Matt

[adalius]

Hrm, no phosphate and it's still growing? That's a little out of the norm, but not impossible I suppose.

What's your normal lighting period? I know you're going dark now, but do you normally run your lights more than 10 hours a day because that can contribute to it. Also how old are your lights as older ones can color-shift and promote algae & cyano growth.

Do you run any macroalgae in the fuge? Using that can suck up any stray nutrients that might be feeding it before it gets to them...

Is your makeup water RO/DI or tap or what?

Have you had your Po4 test confirmed by someone else to make sure your testing reagents haven't staled or anything similar?

[jimsflies]

Have you ever tried adding myacin?

I believe that sometimes you just have to kick red slimes butt with that stuff to finally get rid of it. I've had it on the end of my power heads before, so flow is not always the solution. But I do think once you get it under control you want to make sure the usual suspects (flow, nitrates, phosphates, old bulbs, etc. )are taken care of.

[jimsflies]

I'd also recommend trying microbacter 7. I think with your system that stuff would rock.

What phosphate test are you using? I have the new Hanna pocket meter...it seems to pick up lower range of phosphates pretty well.

[MizTanks]

Chemiclean?? This is what I used and the RSA has never returned.

[kgood1]

tagging along.

[Sir Patrick]

When all else fails- erethromyacin-



http://www.fosterandsmithaquatics.com/product/prod_display.cfm?pcatid=4838


I get the slime alot, under good parameters whenever my sand/rock gets moved around a bit too much.

[180reefer]

Forgot to mention a few things - I did move some rock around before the breakout, and some collapsed when I did the big change (drained down to about 8-10" off the bottom). I have new lights in the fixture (about 6 weeks old) and did not change type (Phoenix 14K 150's x 3 and Hamilton 420NM 96 w actinics x4) I run a hefty amount of GFO and carbon in an MR1 media reactor - and that is rather new (2 months or so, Highest grade from BRS)
I do have Macro in the fuge - that has it on it too... I think that is where it started?? have good movement in there - the 3600 is the return, all that water moves through the fuge.

Sir Patrick - what are the risks of erethromyacin? I have a decent amount of sps, and lps in there...

Jim, Never tried microbactor or myacin??

I just started the Mid west aquatics sulfur dinitrifier about a week now - I want to be careful with what i put in the tank to not F that up either...... any thoughts?

[jimsflies]

I've never had an issue when I used erythromycin/myacin. I only use part of a tablet to start....only use as much as it takes. Red slime will be gone in hours. Red slime is a bacteria and myacin is an antibiotic which is effective against gram-positive bacteria. So happens, that red slime is gram positive. Fortunately most of the good bugs in our systems are gram negative...so it doesn't have much of an effect on the existing biofiltration.

If you decide to try myacin, you'll need to turn off your skimmer for the day and remove your carbon from the system. I would also take your dinitrifyer off line even though I doubt it will be impacted by the myacin...maybe if you can pump water through it using a bucket to keep any die off from occurring due to no flow. Perhaps follow it up with a water change and replace the carbon after a day.

I think the ultimate follow up to myacin would be microbacter which would help replenish any bacteria loss immediately and out-compete any remaining red slime cells.

[180reefer]

Sounds good, I will have to wait until after next week - going to Montreal for a week!

I forgot to answer a couple of replies - I have several test kits for comparison - API, Safealert, and Elos. all read very, very, very low.
Light period is 9.5 hrs on actinics and 8 on MH.
Thanks!