Any comments? I going to run a test and just feed frozen brine shrimp. My red algae seemed under control after scrubbing with electric toothbrush,installing poly marine pad, lots of water changes with r/o water and new retro fit lights upgrade, adding I-Bionic, adding snails and other clean up crew like lettuce nutibranch, emerald crab, serpent star (has hardly moved , put him in too fast, but still kicking) but now the red algae seems to be coming back again.
feeding flake can cause red algae problem?
- Thread starter piscies75
- Start date
well, if you only feed frozen brine, you can kiss the tang goodbye anyway.
What size is the tank? Tangs need lots of food, OSI or other good spirulina flake being a very big plus in their long term care.
If you are opting to decrease nutrients via less feeding, don't try and keep a tang.
What size is the tank? Tangs need lots of food, OSI or other good spirulina flake being a very big plus in their long term care.
If you are opting to decrease nutrients via less feeding, don't try and keep a tang.
as pod and em already stated-frozen brine is alot of shell-and little food value.
i would suggest you also tackle the cyano issue with other methods- proper current,lighting,skimming, etc.
tangs need an almost constant food source-they have a very high metabolism
hth
i would suggest you also tackle the cyano issue with other methods- proper current,lighting,skimming, etc.
tangs need an almost constant food source-they have a very high metabolism
hth
as stated previously tank size 40 gallons, I do put in organic lettuce for the tangs also feed spirulina,and found a new flake as well that they really love , all fish ingriedients (cod, salmon ectra) and no fish meal or other fillers (Oakville Gallery feeding there fish , could not beleive how fat and healthy they were .) The tang is 6 years old and I have recently added a cleaner shrimp again for him. I have spent $400 on this tank in December , upgrading the lights ectra. I am hoping to start adding corals again and in the future set up a bigger tank downstairs for the tang and maroon clown.
I've been battling this red-slime stuff for a couple weeks now, I hate it, It doesn't hurt anything but looks terrible. I went to several LFS and found that they have had their problems with it also. When i figure out what works best to get rid of it, i will post it here. Every one has given good suggestions and i've tried everything except one thing the "phosphate sponge" product from kent marine i believe. So far I have increased water flow in the tank, Decreased lighting hrs, Decreased feeding, Tried manually removing it but it just grows right back a day later, Tried a phosphate pad that is supposed to absorb phosphates, RO water change, and added about 6 mexican hermit crabs. I have a 10 gallon refuge full of culerpa so I shouldn't have problems, but I do, it sprung up about 2 weeks after upgrading my lighting. Cyano sux!
I have two queen conches and one fighting conch. They do eat cyano, just like little vacuum cleaners.
I have a couple of spots in my tank with bad circulation, cyano pops up there all the time.
The snails stay in those little aresa and just constantly bulldoze that stuff.
They're great...
I have a couple of spots in my tank with bad circulation, cyano pops up there all the time.
The snails stay in those little aresa and just constantly bulldoze that stuff.
They're great...
we should do a seperated thread on this but I once used the Red Sea remover (which swears it is reef safe, but it was too late and the red algae had smothered my soft corals ) To clean it now I find my old battery operated tooth brush does a nice job at water change time. Also I have suspected it might help reducing the light period . I had been using tap water and now only r/o ozone and uv sterlizer (Galaxy Water store $5. for 5 gallons imperial). I just bought a Hagen quick filter for more flow.
Red slime is a pain, but to trying to remove it thru starvation is a lost cause, If you remove enough nitrates and phospahtes to starve out the red slime, which is more agressive at getting these nutrients than corals and coralline algea what do you think will happen to them. When ever i have a red slime flare up i use tetracyline. The cyno bacteria are extremely sensitive to this antibotiic and it has no ill effects on corals, livestock or nitrogen processing bacteria. Yes i know it is a not the usual "natural" approach but it DOES work, And ca++ reactors or NNR systems or Kalk dosers are NOT natural either. In fact The moment we put any ocean life in a glass box and attempt to make sea water from a powdered mix we are no longer running anything near "natural".
ARE you using tap water for your water changes? If you are then try RO water. I also read in a magazine that frozen foods are a big culprit for indroducing phosphates to the aquarium. I had a severe algae problem. But i started buying my water from my lfs bought a clean up crew and use phosgaurd along with flake food and ive been algae free ever since. I hope this helps you 
ARE you using tap water for your water changes? If you are then try RO water. I also read in a magazine that frozen foods are a big culprit for indroducing phosphates to the aquarium. I had a severe algae problem. But i started buying my water from my lfs bought a clean up crew and use phosgaurd along with flake food and ive been algae free ever since. I hope this helps you
Vitz: I am sure you would have some die off of your nitirfying bacteria. Most antibotics are only effective against a certain type/species of bacteria. This is why penecillin does not work against all infections. Yes there are gram positive and gram negative bactieria and they are broken down even further within their respective groups. All bacteria are affected by antiboitics to some degree. Nitrifying bacterian are nowhere near as sensitive to tetracyline as redslime. The small amounts of nitrifying bacteria that are lost to Tetracyline are replaced very quickly.
There is a method called "Culture and sensetivity" used in Bacteriology to determine which types of anitbotics are most effecitve against a specific type of pathogen. HTH
I do agree with you that introducing antibiotics into the marine aquarium is not the prefered method for red slime control. It works for me so i use it. Others prefer other methods i go with what works for me rather than what an expert says who has not even seen my tank or have any info of my tanks conditons.
There is a method called "Culture and sensetivity" used in Bacteriology to determine which types of anitbotics are most effecitve against a specific type of pathogen. HTH
I do agree with you that introducing antibiotics into the marine aquarium is not the prefered method for red slime control. It works for me so i use it. Others prefer other methods i go with what works for me rather than what an expert says who has not even seen my tank or have any info of my tanks conditons.
Well .............I never feed frozen brine anymore....pointless when there are so many other more nutricious foods out there. Well........I goofed up.got lazy and started toppin off my tank with my well water. Now I am battlin Red Algae. Just noticed it yesterday and it is spreading quickly. I am doing a water change today and a couple more within the week with distilled water. Probably time to change my Phosphate Sponge too. Won't make the same mistake again.yeh right.LOL I am just a lazy guy sometimes. Comes with Retirement. :lol:
the only froznen food i feed is made by Hikari. it is phospate,nitrate,ammonia free. it is also sterilized. i then use a few food soak with the stuff. i have had great success.
i bet you have a dead spot behind ur rock were all the detritus piles up. or your rock is covered with a thin layer of detritus. try using a powerhead and blasting your rockwork.
setup a hang on filter with a micron cart (marineland HOT magnum) or other filter and pull all of that stuff out of the tank. then do a water change. watch what and how much you feed.
it is a good thing you upgraded your lighting. I have seen a surge of people buying RELUX lighting from other LFSs and an online stores. these bulbs are JUNK. they are only good for building a fuge with Macros.
the fixtures are cheap. Buy the fixture then upgrade to CSL or hamilton bulbs. both CSL and Hamilton garuntee (spelling) that theri bulb will work in these fixtures. (these fixtures use the linear pin german style bulbs)
also - if you are using a phospahte remover and carbon. change them frequently. while your levels are high they will be used up quickly. I have been using a phosphate remover since day 1. And I do water changes frequently. sometimes one extra in a week. I don't see the red slime like a did 10yrs ago. I put myself on a daily maint' routine.....
HTH
i bet you have a dead spot behind ur rock were all the detritus piles up. or your rock is covered with a thin layer of detritus. try using a powerhead and blasting your rockwork.
setup a hang on filter with a micron cart (marineland HOT magnum) or other filter and pull all of that stuff out of the tank. then do a water change. watch what and how much you feed.
it is a good thing you upgraded your lighting. I have seen a surge of people buying RELUX lighting from other LFSs and an online stores. these bulbs are JUNK. they are only good for building a fuge with Macros.
the fixtures are cheap. Buy the fixture then upgrade to CSL or hamilton bulbs. both CSL and Hamilton garuntee (spelling) that theri bulb will work in these fixtures. (these fixtures use the linear pin german style bulbs)
also - if you are using a phospahte remover and carbon. change them frequently. while your levels are high they will be used up quickly. I have been using a phosphate remover since day 1. And I do water changes frequently. sometimes one extra in a week. I don't see the red slime like a did 10yrs ago. I put myself on a daily maint' routine.....
HTH
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