Red Slime Algea

I have red slime taking over my tank! Its starting to cover the complete crushed coral bed and coming up the glass a little too! I have a two powerheards pumping water around as well as my mag7 runing the fuge/sump... the tank never had this much in the last year yet.. what is going on?

 

Welcome MM!

You've got nitrates and phosphates coming from somewhere. Are you over feeding or using a lot a flake food?

How old are your lights. When my MH lights get a year old the cyano will sart to crop up.

When I got my circulation equal to 20 times my tank water volume, voila, no cyano.

 

my phosphates usually stay around 1.0 or a little less. I also have about 20 for nitrates. No flake food just some Frozen formula 1 and some formula 2 pellets.. frozen scallups and sometimes a few Hikari Marine A pelets....
I have 3 Reg. output bulbs which are about 8 months old.. 50/50 10,000 and a 03
maybe its my water movement? Should I cut my lights out for some time? IT ALL SEEMED TO START IN THE FUGE

 

What is your times turn over rate? Mine is about 2,600 GPH or 20x per hour.

 

Im really not sure.. I have a Mag 7 in a 90gallon
How do I figure it out?

 

You need to calculate the combined flow of return pumps and powerheads, and anything that moves water in your tank... eg...if your return pump is 500 gph, figure out what it is minus the feet of head, and lets just say it comes to 400 gph. Plus the flow rate of you powerheads in the tank, say you have 2 powerheads at 150 gph. So far you have a turnover of 400 plus 150 plus 150 ..or total of 700 gph. You want to be at 1800 gph, according to the recommendation of 20 times turnover rate....

 

Ok thanks! let me figure this out

 

Wow that seems like a lot of current. Do we need that much. Mabey I need to rethink my powerhead configuration. I have a 1200 and a 900 powerhead in my 60 Gal and a 1 med strength powerhead plus a magnum 350 canister in my 30 gallon.

Jay

 

Just think of how much turn over or flow there is in a natural reef, eh? 15 to 20 times is good.

 

Well. I have a Hagen 802 ( not sure of the gph rate) and a Penguin 1140 which is 300 and a Mag7 pumping about 5 feet up...
How much flow do you think I have