Never ending Red Slime...Please help!!!

Ok, I have been dealing with red slime for the better part of three months. It has me so stumped and fed up that I just want to sell the whole system. I have tried everything I know. First, let me describe my system. It is a 120 gallon acrylic mixed reef tank. I have about a 40 gallon refugium. It is the type that has the 4 socks, then the refugium, then water pools to the area where I have a large skimmer and Mag 9 pump. In the tank I have 2 Koralia 4's on each side of the tank (one on each side wall in the middle and they are pointed 45 degrees in and up), a Koralia 1 in the upper middle pointed towards the front, and maxi-jet with the rotating mod kit on a side wall towards the front of the tank.

I tested my tank and it was:

pH 8.2
Nitrate 0
Nitrite 0
Ammonia 0
Phosphate .50
Magnesium 1260
Calcium 440
dKH 12
Salinity 1.026

The only additives that I add are Kalkwasser, Magnesium, Iron, and Strontium. I have quit adding the Magnesium because I changed from Instant Ocean salt to Reef Crystals, and my magnesium level has been maintained with water changes. I quit adding Iron to experiment if it had any effect on the growth of the red slime as it does help macro algae to grow.

I have a bunch of drama so bare with me while I explain. I have a MH fixture with 2-250 watt MH and 4-65 watt actinics. I didn't realize how long I had had them so they were about 15 months old when I changed them. I had red algae at this time and I began trying to figure out the root of the problem. I purchased 10K lights because I got advise to use those for faster coral growth, since I frag alot. So, I went from either 15K or 20K (I forgot) to 10K, but I did use the layers of screen for 3 weeks, removing a layer every week. I also tested my RO/DI water and realized it was time to replace my filters and membrane. I replaced all of that with new ones and the fresh water has since tested with 0 phosphates. I have maintained red algae through all of this. My phosphates in my tank were at 2 before I got my RO/DI system stuff changed. Now it stays at .50, which I have read/heard is not that bad. In my refugium, I had a 2-inch DSB made of refugium mud. I had a bunch of chaeto and other macro algae in there. It got all covered in red algae, but was also growing like crazy.

This is what I've done over the past two weeks: I shut off the flow of my tank and took everything out of my refugium. Macro and mud were ditched. I washed the socks as I normally do about once a week or two at most. I took EVERYTHING out of my tank except fish and sand. I thoroughly cleaned sand as I did a water change. The water in the tank was a brownish by the time I was done. This resulted in a 30 gallon water change, plus everything I sucked out of the refugium. My tank is not covered in red slime, but it does film on the walls of the tank and I have noticed it on rocks and a couple corals. I have also noticed it on the front of my tank in the sandbed. I have done water changes and also been using Ultra Life Red Slime Remover and Chemi-Cleam Red Slime Remover (not at the same time) to no avail. Oh, and I have noticed Rapid Tissue Loss (RTL) on several of my SPS corals to include: Pink Stylophora, Lime Green Porites, Digi, and Millepora.

I replaced 2 of the 3 lights in my refugium that were 6500K and now are 10K, there is still a 50/50 in there that I need to change, but there is nothing but water flowing through there for now. I didn't want to buy more macro right now just for it to get covered in red slime again.

I can't figure out what is going on or what I am doing wrong. My test kit readings are dern near perfect. I do water changes every 1 to 2 weeks since this red algae started. I have 4 PH's in the tank, plus my Mag 9 pump. I also use a turkey baster to blow off the rocks every couple days just to make sure the detris is suspended. I have 5 fish (2 Damsels, 2 Clownfish, and a Lionfish) and a boat load of corals. I don't think I'm over stocked though. I have never dealt with red slime before but I don't know what else to do to get rid of it. Any help would be greatly appreciated.

Also, should I get more Chaeto now or not?

 

It might just be that you are over feeding. You can try to manually remove some of the red slime, it helps a little but ultimately you might want to cut down on your feedings. That is usually what causes red slime.

 

You have to remember the algae is using some of the phosphates, so the actual level may be higher. Lost of people have algae problems and say there phosphates are at 0, but that's because the algae is using it all up. So you might want to add some phosphate remover, it cant hurt and usually helps. You can get a reactor, or put a media bag in the sump with good flow. JMI

 

I was in much the same spot as you. being all parameters and WCs kept up and everything. Nothing worked. It still would creep back, sometimes within a day after i siphoned most of it out. I got this stuff called red slime remover (reef safe) I was concerned about adding stuff, as I usually like to try to keep it all natural. However, this product works like crazy. It was a godsend. Mix it up in a little aquarium water (I did less dose than suggested) but it still worked, dump it in. It then disappears. Then I did a 10 % water change and have had no problems since. (knock on wood) If you have tried everything the natural way, then I would suggest this stuff.

 

I had a very bad time with cyano & Brynosis it took 3 months to get ontop of it and like you all my params read at 0 but like people have already said this is a false 0 due to the cyano eating it up in order to stay alive in your tank.
Cyano is not simply a algea its also a bacteria so cutting light will not help as soon as you put them on it will just grow back so you have to get your hidden nutrients down.
Alot of people told me strong flow gets rid of it but i found this to be untrue in my tank! I ent out & got a tunze power head & dirrected it straight at the stuff & it didnt batter a eye lid! It grew as you can see from the attached pics like a thick puple/red carpet over the floor , rocks..... well over everthink & like you i just wanted to get rid of my tank.
But with everyones help form many people on here i won the battle & now my tanks crystal clear!
1. I had two filters so i use live rock rubble in my fluvale 405 but switched my 305 from carbon & bio balls + rowa phos to Just carbon & rowa phos and packed it full to the brim!
2.i did a major skimmer clean pipes & all
3. I reduced feeding to once every 3 days ( although i did unfortunatly starve my scooter blennie in my obsession with starving out the cyano!)
4. Uncle jed advised me to take the plunge & use a chem product but i couldnt find it as i was in the ul so i found one made by aqua medic called Antired. I started by removing as much cyano as possible so the dye off wouldnt pollute my tank then added the product but had to retreat again with a second dose 3 days later as the cyano was still hanging on.
Now people say dont JUST use the product as it will just come back after a couple of months as it acts as a band aid so you really need to work on getting the nutrients out of your tank or it will not work.
5. uncle jed also advised me to get halematilda algea (cant spell it!) & that if i did get anymore nutrient this would use it up before the cyano got the chance to come back but i did already have a small patch of this in my tank that was fading due to the cyano eating all its nutrients so once i used the product & got rid of the cyano it gavbe the halimatilda a chance to grow back strong which it has done & looks stunning in my tank.
Hope this all helps and keep ypur chin up, I no its hard but you will beat it in the end....... take a look at what i had to deal with!....
Thanks K

 

I'd try a phosphate reactor, and keep the nutrient export plants going. The worst thing that could happen is that the red slime could starve... And if that isn't working as fast as you'd like. You can always use a red slime remover and then implement those two items right afterward to get a handle on the primary cause.

IME once you get red slime it takes a long time to go away unless its directly treated with something chemical. I've run an ATS and chaeto to take everything to 0 and it still took about 8 weeks before it all died off and the snails and crabs ate it.

 

i went with ultra life slime remover it works great i dosed twice and now i haven't seen it since then

i would try it if all else fails. remember it effects oxygen levels so adjust your skimmer so it doesn't overflow, and you might want to throw in an air stone

 

Does having a macro alage like chaeto in a fuge help keep red slime down?

 

It helps in using the same nutrients the cyno does, so yes it helps, but doesnt always prevent it.

 

I understand the over-feeding and I know that I used to because I would feed everyday. But now I feed twice maybe 3 times a week and it is only enough that they finish within 30 seconds. I don't want to starve them out. My lionfish is already doing a pretty good job of eating the fish. So, he will wait at the front of the tank when he is hungry and I feed him if I see him. If not he starts prowling around the tank. I'm fine by that because those damsels are aggresive pains. I even started straining the frozen krill and silverside pieces I give him just so that some of those odds and ends pieces aren't floating in my tank.

I took my protein skimmer out and cleaned it. I washed the filter for it and the one for my Mag 9 pump on "sanitize" option in the washing machine, along with the socks to get them extra clean. I then let them sit out to dry and soak them in Prime water before returning to the tank.

I have no where near the problem as the pictures listed previously and other reefers have looked at my tank and not even noticed. I keep my sand bed stirred, so it doesn't film up on there and I keep the walls cleaned with the magnet. It is barely visible on some of my rocks and I tried scrubbing them with a tooth brush to no avail. It doesn't feel slimey when I touch it. It feels hard and thicker, more like coralline, but it is that deep blood red color. The stuff on my walls and sand bed is the reddish/brown/purple color that cyano normally is.

As far as the natural way I have added more PH to the tank and redirected them all so that there aren't any dead spots, hopefully. I think I need to move some of my rock work and put one blowing across the back of the tank behind all the rocks (???). I don't have enough room with all of the rocks and corals to make big arches like I used to where water flow wasn't an issue at all. This tank has been running since 2006.

Over the past three months, I have used Chemi-Clean and Ultra Life (at different times) but only got temporary relief.

I don't understand what is making it come back. That is what I need help finding. I understand false readings, but what readings? I checked the phosphates in my fresh RO/DI barrel and it read 0. The tank is reading .50 to 1 and used to be 2. So, is the false reading the .50, 1, or 2 because it is much higher than that but the cyano is making it read lower because it is using it up????? I also run Phospure pads in there about once a week and have used Phosphate removing pads and the granulated stuff. I still can't get below .50. If I hadn't tried all this stuff already I wouldn't be so frustrated, but I read the cyano articles, part I, II, and III that the guy from RC put out. I have done all kinds of research about it and have tried what was said, which is all basically the same. I did read a couple things that maybe me wonder. One was on the long term use of Kalkwasser, which I have used since the beginning. It advertizes that it precipitates phosphates, but the article I read mentioned that over a long period of time it can add to the phosphate level. I don't understand that and can't remember where I read the article, since I've been researching non-stop. I also, read somewhere that I could be getting a false nitrate reading, which mine is 0, but that I should put nitrate sponge in there?

I read about the Halimeda algae and it grows in well Calcified and medium light tanks. I have areas I could put it in the tank and I guess in my fuge, but it says it is intolerant of high nitrates, phosphates, and iron (all which I have had, or maybe do have, but have false readings).

Also, I thought about getting a phosphate reactor, but I have no where to put one in my refugium/sump. The protein skimmer is so big and takes up all the space except enough for my pump. I guess I could find a hang on one, but I hate the thought of anything hang on.

I couldn't figure out the multi-quote, so to save space I just responded one reply at the time. I appreciate all of the help, I've gotten so far, but is there anymore advice from this other information I've provided. I hate the thought of selling my tank because of this. Like most, I spend more time watching my tank than the TV. But, my husband is also tired of fighting the cyano battle, as it has shown to be an expensive one.

I have the phospure pads in the refugium right now. Mind you that I have no macro because I ditched it all. I quit adding the Iron supplement to the tank and for the past week or more, I haven't added anything but Kalkwasser and Strontium.

Also, I didn't get a response about Rapid Tissue Loss (RTL). Is there anything I've said that could be causing that because I have lost several SPS so far. My pink bird's nest is currently bleaching at the tips. I'm not sure what else to do, besides keep up with the water changes, put the power head blowing across the back of the tank, and getting some more macro, oh, and hope I get rid of the cyano