Rust Colored Algae overtaking my tank!!!

[wstubbs]

I was reading advice given to a newbee about using RO water vs. Distilled to start out the tank. because Distilled causes algae problems.

Well guess what I did!?!?

I need some advice on getting rid of Cyano algae. I think thats it. It's the rust colored, fast spreading, choking blanket of algae.

Has anyone come across this? If so how did you clear it up?

My live rock is being overtaken by this Brown algae and I don't want to loose my coraline that's on it. I've allready lost about a third of it. (it may or may not be due to the Cyano, I'm not sure)

I'm gratefull for any help you could give.
THX, John

[ July 15, 2001: Message edited by: wstubbs ]

 

[EnchantedSea]

Check your e-mail

 

[Mike&Pam]

I've had two confrontations with cyano, and my tank has only been running for three months (90 gal). Each time, I used "red slime remover." It works like a charm. It is supposedly safe to fish, coral and invertebrates. However, I have no corals, just live rock at the moment so I don't know how the corals would react (if in fact you have any). Good luck and let us know how it goes!

Mike

 

[jiml77]

I had red slime that would not go away. Tried everything including something from the lfs from Ruby Reef in a quart bottle for 25 bucks. Finally found a post about Chem-Clean from Boyds. Cost me 17.00 for a small vial that had less than a 1/4" of powder in the bottom. I scooped in 10 micro scoops with the included mini spoon and the next day my tank was clean! No affect on corals, mushrooms, fish or anybody. Been 3 months now no return. I highly recommend it. The other stuff took 8 treatments and did virtually nothing.

 

[jdeets]

<BLOCKQUOTE><font size="1" face="Verdana, Helvetica, sans-serif">quote:</font><HR>Originally posted by Mike&Pam:
<STRONG>I've had two confrontations with cyano, and my tank has only been running for three months (90 gal). Each time, I used "red slime remover." It works like a charm. It is supposedly safe to fish, coral and invertebrates. However, I have no corals, just live rock at the moment so I don't know how the corals would react (if in fact you have any). Good luck and let us know how it goes!

Mike</STRONG><HR></BLOCKQUOTE>

Hey guys--no flame intended, but didn't you lose some fish about the time you used the red slime remover? I suspected that it might have been due to toxins released from the dying cyano.

If you've had to use the red slime remover twice in 90 days, you need to identify and eliminate the cause of the red slime. You'll be using this stuff every six weeks for years if you don't figure out what is fueling the growth and correct it.

My tank has been up for about 8 months now. I've dealt with one major cyano outbreak. (I've been using RO/DI from day one, but still had a problem.) I suspect the most likely reason I had a problem was poor nutrient export--I had a really crappy skimmer and no macroalgae. Now that I've started a new system, I've got no cyano. I've got a much better skimmer and harvest about a quart to 1/2 gallon of macroalgae each week. Also, when I moved the LR from the old system to the new, some was covered in cyano and I'm sure my blasting it away left some on the rocks, but it didn't proliferate.

At this point, the only place I've got any cyano is in my refugium. I suspect the reason for that is that the Ca rxr drips into the refugium, thereby disproportionately lowering the pH in the refugium. I also battled low pH in the old system (which is often caused by poor nutrient export), so I also think that the lowered pH favored the cyano as well.

Anyway, wstubbs, I'd be very careful about dumping any chemical "quick fix" into a reef tank. As Mike and Pam's experience shows, if you don't identify and correct the cause, it will come back. IMO, chemical treatments for any reef tank problem should be used only as an absolute last resort.

 

[jmeader]

You may be dealing with diatoms.