HELP!!! Red Slime Algae Taking Over My Tank!

[TropicalRespect]

I have had my 3 gallon reef aquarium for about 3 months now and it has recently developed an outbreak of red slime algae. It grows crazy fast and grows all over the corals and kills them. I have gotten my water checked at the fish store and they say it perfect. I have tryed using red slime remover but it doesnt seem to really make much of a difference. Please help with any ideas you have. Thanks

 

[sen5241b]

I don't care what your LFS said if you got red slime then you got nitrates! Lowering nitrates is a long and involved subject BUT the main things are: live rock, sand (to hold beneficial bacteria), good flow, skimmers, a fuge with plenty of cheato and strong light, water changes, etc. Also do not over-stock.

 

[Northstar24]

I'm betting the LFS didnt check for phosphates, that is also a cause of cyano /dino's

Sen's got you covered though

 

[sen5241b]

I'm betting the LFS didnt check for phosphates, that is also a cause of cyano /dino's

Sen's got you covered though

1+ Yes, both nitrates and phosphates will cause red slime or cyano-bacteria to grow.

 

[little_fish]

Hello and Welcome!

+1 Both of you guys

How often are you doing water changes? How many fish do you have? How often are you feeding? What are you feeding? Are you using tap water? Do you have a crushed coral substrate?

 

[Smitty]

Hello and welcome to the site...
I agree with everyone...how much rock and sand do you have in there, how many fish, how is your flow, how often and what do you feed?

 

[Northstar24]

I'd suggest running gfo, but in a 3 gallon tank its unlikely you have any sort of sump setup where you could run a reactor. I'd to frequent water changes, and make sure you get as much of that crap out as you can with each change. Also, what kind of lights do you have over the tank, and how old are the bulbs?

I know the red plague can be frustrating - I've been fighting it in my 180 since Febuary

 

[Bifferwine]

What type of water are you using, tap or RODI? Do you have enough flow in your tank?

Try sucking as much out as you can with a turkey baster. Then follow some of the advice given above.

 

[TropicalRespect]

thanks for all the info. I dont have any fish in my tank, 4 pounds of live rock, aragonite live sand, 13 watt flourecsent light new bulb, the power filter is 90 gal/hour, which causes a lot of water movement. i use reverse osmosis water.
also, does the red slime algae photosynthesize?

 

[Northstar24]

Here is some information on nutrient export and a nuisance algae id guide with info on cyano / dino's

ReefCleaners.org | Clean Up Crews and Macro Algae - Natural Nitrate & Phosphate Reduction
ReefCleaners.org | Clean Up Crews and Macro Algae - Nuisance Algae ID Guide

 

[Bifferwine]

Cyano is photosynthetic. Giving your tank a blackout for a few days should help.

 

[TropicalRespect]

Ok, so just turn off the light completely for a few days? Its not bad for the corals?

 

[Bifferwine]

No. The corals will be fine. Turn the light off for 3 to 4 days. If your tank gets ambient light, you can cover it with a blanket or towel to make it darker. No fish? If not, you don't have to bother with feeding.

 

[TropicalRespect]

ok thanks, lets se how it goes