I know this is not cichlid related, but I know several of you folks have reefs and maybe, just maybe, you might know the answer to my delimma.
I have been struggling with red slime and hair algae for a year now. I can't figure it out. The tank is a 55 gallon with a 20 gal sump. I have a mass of two types of caulerpa growing in the sump and the light is on all the time to keep it from blooming so much. I also have an Aqua C Urchin protein skimmer and I usually get dark green gunk on a daily basis. I only use RO water, I need to replace its filters, though. I make up the salt water (Instant Ocean) at least a week in advance before I use it for a water change. I have only a few small fish: 1 yellow tail sailfin blenny, a mating pair of bluestripe pipefish, a 3.5 inch yellow carribean tang, a pair of saddle back clowns, 1 zebra cave goby, a scooter dragonet, one cleaner shrimp, one urchin, one brown serpant star, 3 tiger tail cucumbers from small to 7 inches in length, various corals, a few turbo snails and algea hermits. I use a Mag 9.5 to return the water back up to the tank-the stand is 3.5 feet tall. About 86 lbs. of live rock and tons of microcritters, little stars, calcareous featherdusters, and the normal reef critters. The surface is well aggitated. The water flow seems enough, too much will blow the little fish around. I had three times as much fish and coral with way less filtration and no sump in another city and the tank was perfect.
I used antired twice last week and followed the directions exactly, it is a good product and I've had success with it while maintaining other peoples tanks. At first the red slime dimished, today it is comming back with a vengence. I just checked the phosphates with Red Sea PO4 test kit and the levels were between 0 and 0.1, not much has come out of the protein skimmer, either-a first, and the hair algae is also taking over again. I drip kalkwasser. I feed the fish once a day with flake and they have it gobbled up in less than a minute, a few times a week I feed the shrimp, serpant star, and hermits with a few Wardley's shrimp pellets. I've been withholding organic supplements that might further the problem, just sticking to the basics.
I can't figure this out
, I am doing everthing a reef keeper is supposed to do and still I can't beat this stuff. I've discussed this problem with other experienced reef keepers and none of us can figure this out. I haven't added any new fish, snails, coral or other life for almost a year. If anyone knows of something I might be forgetting, please let me know.
PS: It would be war if I add another tang or blenny to the tank because of the ones that already exist in the tank and I am not willing to break apart the tank in an effort to remove them.
I have been struggling with red slime and hair algae for a year now. I can't figure it out. The tank is a 55 gallon with a 20 gal sump. I have a mass of two types of caulerpa growing in the sump and the light is on all the time to keep it from blooming so much. I also have an Aqua C Urchin protein skimmer and I usually get dark green gunk on a daily basis. I only use RO water, I need to replace its filters, though. I make up the salt water (Instant Ocean) at least a week in advance before I use it for a water change. I have only a few small fish: 1 yellow tail sailfin blenny, a mating pair of bluestripe pipefish, a 3.5 inch yellow carribean tang, a pair of saddle back clowns, 1 zebra cave goby, a scooter dragonet, one cleaner shrimp, one urchin, one brown serpant star, 3 tiger tail cucumbers from small to 7 inches in length, various corals, a few turbo snails and algea hermits. I use a Mag 9.5 to return the water back up to the tank-the stand is 3.5 feet tall. About 86 lbs. of live rock and tons of microcritters, little stars, calcareous featherdusters, and the normal reef critters. The surface is well aggitated. The water flow seems enough, too much will blow the little fish around. I had three times as much fish and coral with way less filtration and no sump in another city and the tank was perfect.
I used antired twice last week and followed the directions exactly, it is a good product and I've had success with it while maintaining other peoples tanks. At first the red slime dimished, today it is comming back with a vengence. I just checked the phosphates with Red Sea PO4 test kit and the levels were between 0 and 0.1, not much has come out of the protein skimmer, either-a first, and the hair algae is also taking over again. I drip kalkwasser. I feed the fish once a day with flake and they have it gobbled up in less than a minute, a few times a week I feed the shrimp, serpant star, and hermits with a few Wardley's shrimp pellets. I've been withholding organic supplements that might further the problem, just sticking to the basics.
I can't figure this out
, I am doing everthing a reef keeper is supposed to do and still I can't beat this stuff. I've discussed this problem with other experienced reef keepers and none of us can figure this out. I haven't added any new fish, snails, coral or other life for almost a year. If anyone knows of something I might be forgetting, please let me know. PS: It would be war if I add another tang or blenny to the tank because of the ones that already exist in the tank and I am not willing to break apart the tank in an effort to remove them.
