Beating the Dreaded Red Death!

No I am not talking about Carrot Top, although he was referred to the Red Death a few times by many comedians. I am talking about the slime that only Slimer can appreciate. It is… Cyanobacteria, AKA Red Slime Algae, AKA Red Death.

First we must define what Cyanobacteria (reef term Cyano) really is. This is taken from Wikipedia:

Cyanobacteria, also known as blue-green algae, blue-green bacteria or Cyanophyta, is a phylum of bacteria that obtain their energy through photosynthesis. The name “cyanobacteria” comes from the color of the bacteria (Greek: κυανός (kyanós) = blue). They are a significant component of the marine nitrogen cycle and an important primary producer in many areas of the ocean, but are also found on land.

So……………………….

Is it good or bad? For our purposes, it is extremely bad. It can without control, smother corals in a way that they suffocate. Yes, corals can suffocate. It is like putting a plastic bag over your head…. not good.

 So what do we do? First we must find the cause of your problem. I always start with the food source. Algae, like Cyano, feed on nutrients. The more you have them, the more they grow. Its like a fat kid that won’t stop eating brownies… as long as you keep making them, the kids is going to eat. So lets stop making the brownies! Stop overfeeding your tank. Lets get it on a diet plan.

Secondly, we must find a way to export these nutriets. The most known way to do that is to buy the biggest protein skimmer that you fit in your house.. I mean in your sump. Just don’t tell your wife that I told you that. If your wife won’t let you have one, then you must setup something that I religiously preach to new reefnecks….. maintain a collossal refugium. Refugiums are the best source of nutrient/metal export. I can go on forever as to why you need one, but I will save that for another entry. Until then, trust me… get one started up.

Lastly, you must improve the flow in your aqaurium. Cyano thrives in low flow, high nutrient areas. So by increasing your flow, you are managing to but your battle in half. Get the biggest pump you can without trying to recreate The Perfect Storm in your tank.

(This should be done by pros only)

If this has not resulted you in a Cyano-free tank, then buy Red Slime Remover and watch your algae dissapear. Novices should not attempt to use this method as it will kill off your entire tank! I will post on this more later on, so stay tuned.. (or just subscribe to our blog).