is red slime and sometimes green ones good or bad?

[kuxion]

hi is red slime or cyano bacteria good or bad? i heard they r good.. but they seem to be spreading all over my tank even deep into the sand bed.. green one too.. but i dunno wat is the name for the green algae.. r they good or bad? pls advise...

and how to stop them from growing

cheers

[shiraz]

cyano is not really that good... sign of poor water condition.. too much phosphats in the water. there is this product.. Red Slime Remover... 1 dose of this powder and i tell u, all your cyano will be gone! u can ask around here if any1 has any leftover that u can purchase... does the green algae look like hair? if it does, then its a sign of high phosphates as well..

[FuEl]

If I'm not wrong the powder is Erythromycin? It's an antibiotic...can be purchased from the clinic. Used it on my planted tank once...works like a miracle...green cyano never came back.

[seamonkee]

Does it kill off the "good" bacteria???

[FuEl]

Don't think so..different bacteria have different epitopes that are recognised by their own different antibiotics that are specific for bacteria that have similar epitopes.

[IanJ]

Erythromycin is a quick fix, but it fails to address the problem of water quality.

Without additional steps to improve nutrient export, it will come back.

[Tanzy]

The fact that dosing erythromycin causes an ammonia spike suggests that it does affect beneficial bacteria. It's not getting at the root of the problem but temporary suppressing it.

[seamonkee]

Yup. I have upgraded to a better skimmer (Black coffee everyday!) + lessen feeding + siphon out what's left...

Just want to kill off what's left...

[kuxion]

i am using a wei pro..but it seems to lose it efficiency.. prob it is with the pump... is skimmer very crucial?

[seamonkee]

skimmer is the one equipment that all reefers cannot do without... it is the first defence... skimming away detritus stuff even before it got chance to turn into ammonia, nitrite or nitrate...

[seamonkee]

BTW, my weipro ok leh... making kopi-o.... u must adjust your flow rate carefully...

also what pump u use? what's it flow rate?

[newfisher]

by the way... who has the red slime removal??

my tank also has lots of red and green hair like algae...

or how to reduce phosphates?

use of rowaphos?

[FuEl]

Reduce phosphates by resins...Or by reducing feeding and increasing water changes....increase water circulation......Reduce photoperiod...

[terryansimon]

i am using a wei pro..but it seems to lose it efficiency.. prob it is with the pump... is skimmer very crucial?

you need to do periodic servicing to equipment to ensure it operates in tip top condition. (= sucky thing eh? but look at it this way, even cars need regular servicing before they can work at their optimum range. even the mighty Ferrari or fiesty Subaru WRC isn't excused from that!

and well. skimmers. to a certain extent it MAY NOT be necessary. low bio load. two small kuching kerak *hope I got the spelling correct* fish *meaning super small lah. * and live rocks. shouldn't need it. but then again, prevention better than cure right? (=