bjhubb

I was wondering if anyone has used API Algaefix and if it works good on red slime and also what brand of trace elements do ya'll use?

sgould

I've not used Algaefix, so I can't help you there, other than to say that in the long term you will have better luck with slime in finding and addressing the root causes (excess light and nutrients, inadequate water flow) rather than using chemical treatment. The chemical may well work, but if the conditions that allowed it to grow to begin with are not corrected, it will eventually be back.

The only thing I add to my tanks is calcium. If you are doing regular water changes, you will keep your trace elements up that way.

nemo addict

red slime algae can be caused by poor lighting or extended lighting periods combined with high nitrates wot are you reading s for nitrate ammonia phosphate nitrite ,
if you have algae there is normally a problem and using API Algaefix could have affects on your corals ,, has your tank cycled properly yet

bjhubb

Yea my tank has cycled. It is almost three months old and I haven't had really any problems other than losing one fish about a week after I added my first fish. My water tests have been 0 on everything other than Nitrates = 10 and of course pH = 8.0. I don't have a phosphate test. I think that I am leaving my lights on for too long, about 12 hrs. Do you think that I should only leave them on for 8-10 hrs?

sirdarksol

I agree with the above. AlgaeFix isn't necessarily a good idea. Most of those anti-algae chems have copper in them. The reason that copper works to get rid of algae is that it is death to pretty much anything with a simple biology. This means that plants, as well as inverts, die when exposed to anything more than really minute amounts of copper. Your coral, as well as most of the critters in the live rock, may suffer from using an anti-algae chemical.

As Sgould said, finding and addressing the cause of the problem is a more permanent solution, anyway.