What is the cause of red or slime algae and how do I get rid of it?
Red algae is usually a sign of cynobacteria. Many marine salts contain silicates/silicon or other impurities. This is a major cause of red algae. As with other undesirable algae, siphon it out of the tank, off decorations, and siphon clean the gravel. Make water changes with a quality marine salt. Do not use algae stimulants in a futile effort to turn brown, red, blue or slime algae into a beneficial green culture. This will not work. Some products claim to remove or control red slime algae. Avoid these as they only change water chemistry and cost you money. Just use the proper marine salts and red, brown, blue and slime algae will not be a problem. NITRATES Q: How can I lower nitrates? I am using power heads with an undergravel filter. A: With your present equipment, periodically siphon clean 1/3 of your gravel. In two weeks, make a 25% water change with a quality marine salt. Do this every month for three months. Avoid cleaning more than 1/3 of your gravel at a time. This will retard
