- Location
- Connecticut
This is a review of almost five years of Reef Central posts that were retrieved with the search term "red slime". The first plot below shows the monthly total number of posts from January 2010 to Septembe 2014. These monthly totals are actually based on the "latest post" which was a short cut for counting. This introduces some error because there is the occasional post that goes beyond a one month duration. Also, I did not find and remove the occasional vendor post that were included in the search results. With those caveats in mind, the plot shows that red slime remains a popular topic.
There has been the occasional claim that red slime attacks are seasonal. If there is a connection between when red slime appears in the aquarium and posting a request for help, then we might see a peak in the monthly posts during the purported "cyano season". The second plot does seem to show a peak in the monthly posts. Peak location is approximate because of the above caveats about the data and an aquarist might not post until after red slime has expanded And because experienced aquarist are less likely to request help dealing with red slime, the data is also likely to be biased toward new aquarists and new aquariums. Interesting all the same.
"What we recommend" to fight red slime is shown in the third chart. These are tactics recommended by members who submitted responses. There is likely to be some double counting because the same members respond to multiple requests for help. The data is also biased in another way. Not everyone in the forum responds. The data likely reflects the tactics of the vocal minority, though it is consistent with the information found in books and online articles. The fourth chart clarifies the data further by combining similar tactics under the recommendation heading "reduce nutrients". This aggregated tactic becomes the most recommended tactic to fight red slime.
Does reducing nutrients really work or does the red slime plague just burn itself out? Hard to say because there is rarely a followup to a post for help. Adding to this, many aquarist will try several tactics at once which then makes it impossible to establish a solid cause and effect link between nutrient reduction and red slime disappearing. While nutrient reduction is a rational approach with no apparent downside to the tactic, it alone does not seem to explain the appearance and sometimes explosive growth of red slime.
New tanks, regardless of low nutrients levels, always seem to be more susceptible to red slime formation than established aquariums with the same nitrate and phosphate levels. A new aquarium or sump, plumbed to an established aquarium with no red slime issues, often has a vigorous growth of red slime soon after the hook up. Clearly, the trigger for red slime blooms is not simply a reflection of bad housekeeping, although sometimes it sure seems that way.
Suggestions always welcome.
Dan
There has been the occasional claim that red slime attacks are seasonal. If there is a connection between when red slime appears in the aquarium and posting a request for help, then we might see a peak in the monthly posts during the purported "cyano season". The second plot does seem to show a peak in the monthly posts. Peak location is approximate because of the above caveats about the data and an aquarist might not post until after red slime has expanded And because experienced aquarist are less likely to request help dealing with red slime, the data is also likely to be biased toward new aquarists and new aquariums. Interesting all the same.
"What we recommend" to fight red slime is shown in the third chart. These are tactics recommended by members who submitted responses. There is likely to be some double counting because the same members respond to multiple requests for help. The data is also biased in another way. Not everyone in the forum responds. The data likely reflects the tactics of the vocal minority, though it is consistent with the information found in books and online articles. The fourth chart clarifies the data further by combining similar tactics under the recommendation heading "reduce nutrients". This aggregated tactic becomes the most recommended tactic to fight red slime.
Does reducing nutrients really work or does the red slime plague just burn itself out? Hard to say because there is rarely a followup to a post for help. Adding to this, many aquarist will try several tactics at once which then makes it impossible to establish a solid cause and effect link between nutrient reduction and red slime disappearing. While nutrient reduction is a rational approach with no apparent downside to the tactic, it alone does not seem to explain the appearance and sometimes explosive growth of red slime.
New tanks, regardless of low nutrients levels, always seem to be more susceptible to red slime formation than established aquariums with the same nitrate and phosphate levels. A new aquarium or sump, plumbed to an established aquarium with no red slime issues, often has a vigorous growth of red slime soon after the hook up. Clearly, the trigger for red slime blooms is not simply a reflection of bad housekeeping, although sometimes it sure seems that way.
Suggestions always welcome.
Dan
that the increase of cyano in the spring months is real at least here in the NE. I also concur that it is a confounding and mysterious thing often disappearing as mysteriously as it appears. Furthermore, pretty much all of those recommendations work some of the time, but none other than antibiotics work all of the time. Fun hobby right? 
