Red algae

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[BrianRN]

I just noticed that I now have some red algae growth on the sand that was not there this morning. It is red and has lil bubbles....I am thinkingthat is bad, do I scoop it out? Wondering if it's the result of finding my scarlet crab dead...arrow killed it and ate the insides last coupl within last few days.

[abushr]

I'm guessing it's the dreaded Cyano bacteria aka red slime algae....  It will spread rapidly.  I usually remove as much as I can from the top of the sand and then treat with Chemiclean Red Slime Remover.  I've read that it only shows up when you're water perameters are off....but I've had it show up when my water was perfect as well as when it wasn't.  The only places in town that carry red slime killer is Aqua Tropics and Petland (when they aren't sold out).  Otherwise you can get it online or at other LFS if you are out of town.  I've found that if I keep the slime killer on hand....when I first see an outbreak....easy to treat (one treatment) if I wait to long and it goes a bit nuts.....it took more treatments to eliminate it.

Good Luck!

Angie

[BrianRN]

Ok I had removed it but now it is back. My water is fine, although I had a drop in temp and had to bring it back up...outlet stopped working so tank dropped to 72-74 over night. I will get the red slime remover stuff and hopefully stop it in it's tracks. so far it is just a slight "dusting" on the sand in two spots. Thank you for your advice

[fogish]

If it is Cyano, most likely, then you want to cultivate some real algae in your tank or refugium, it will compete for the same nutrients the cyano is living off of. You will want to increase water flow to the areas where the cyano is showing up as well. What do you mean by your water is fine? How well is your skimmer working? Are you pre-rinsing your food before feeding? Are you over feeding?

Quality lighting with new or newer bulbs and correct output for tank depth. Filtration other than skimmer, higher dissolved oxygen in water. Wipe it off the glass if it shows up there, siphon out with a thin tube from rocks and gravel. There is a lot that can be done but the most important things are lack of nutrient competitors, not enough dissolved oxygen in the water, stagnant water and presence of phosphates and nitrates.