Many new saltwater aquarium keepers have had red slime algae appear in their once pristine tanks. And once it appears this algae can literally make a tank look terrible which is why so many marine aquarium keepers wonder how to get red of red slime algae in a reef aquarium?

What Is This Red Stuff Anyway

Red slime algae is a naturally occurring growth that is actually a cyanobacteria and not an algae. It is common in nature and in saltwater tanks. While it can and does appear in older tanks it is more prevalent in newer marine systems that are under six months old.

What Makes It Appear

This red goo is the result of to many nutrients like nitrate and phosphate in the aquarium water from uneaten fish food and fish waste. In newer marine aquarium systems it is a sign that biological equilibrium has not yet been reached in your system.

If you are experiencing red slime algae in a newer system give it some time as it will more then likely disappear in a few short weeks. If it is appearing in an older established system it may be a sign that something is not right and needs attention

How To Get Rid Of Red Slime Algae In a Reef Aquarium

The first method many people turn to to fight the problem is chemicals. While they will work they are only a temporary fix and can actually make matters worse. The algae is feeding off of something and be killing it off temporarily you are allowing the food source to accumulate in the tank. Once the red slime grabs a foot hold it will be much worse then before because the of the build up in the water.

To avoid this problem the best methods are to make sure your saltwater tank is not overstocked with fish and that you are not overfeeding.

The next thing is to make sure you clean your filters and protein skimmers every month and do not let them become clogged up with gunk.

Vacuuming the gravel in your tank will also help to remove fish waste uneaten food and other pollutants that are in the tank that can lead to red slime growth

One often overlooked contributor is the water you use to make your saltwater,. If you use tap water you could very well be adding phosphates into the tank with every water change. This is because most communities put phosphate in the water supply to stop pipe corrosion in the delivery system. To get around this you can use reverse osmosis water systems or buy distilled water.

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Having the proper lighting for reef aquariums has been a debate that is as old as the hobby itself. Everyone seems to have an opinion on what the best lighting is. Often times they are basing this opinion on their own set up.

Probably the most important factor when picking your reef tank lighting is to have your mind made up as to what kind of corals you want to keep in your reef aquarium. This is a step that many new saltwater enthusiasts miss.

Instead many set up their mini reef systems based off the opinion of others or what they think they may need and then only later discover that the reef tank lighting they bought will not support the types of corals they like. Or worse yet be to powerful for the coral they like. This will end up costing the person more money to get their set up right.

Types Of Reef Tank Lighting For Different Corals

Soft Corals- Many soft corals will do well under power compact lighting, T-5 lighting and 175 watt metal halide bulbs. There are however some species of leathers that need bright lighting so keep that in mind if you want a tank full of soft corals. Some soft coral like mushroom polyps actually thrive in lower light and some of the brighter systems may cause them to not fully open.

Large Polyped Corals- LPS corals are common in the hobby and also have a wide range of lighting requirements, as a rule of thumb many can do just fine under power compacts,T-5 lighting and 175 watt metal halide bulbs. If you are interested in this type of coral research the lighting requirements for the type you like and choose your lighting from there.

SPS and Clams- Small polyped stony corals and clams are gaining more popularity as the hobby improves. Once thought impossible to keep alive many people are now growing these and selling or trading them. This type of coral will demand the most intense lighting you can afford.

Many will do well under 250 watt metal halides but some may actually require 400 watt bulbs in order to keep their color and grow well.

When choosing proper proper lighting for reef aquariums keep in mind that each lighting system also has its own positives and negatives that may also affect your final coral decision.

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Nothing is more stunning then the color and movement of the natural reef. Many people have brought this beauty into their own homes with a mini reef aquarium system.

What Is a Mini Reef Aquarium

This type of aquarium setup is designed and built to replicate nature in the best way possible. Though this artificial replication of nature live corals and other marine animals like fish, shrimp crabs and others are able to live and even reproduce.

What Is Needed To Replicate Nature

Obviously you will need a tank and synthetic seawater to fill it but in the mini reef aquarium there are some other pieces of equipment that you will absolutely need in order for your system to thrive.

Adequate Lighting- On the natural reef the light from the suns rays helps keep corals alive and growing. To replicate this you will need a high intensity lighting system. There are many different methods to lighting a reef tank and all of them have drawbacks and benefits.

Water Motion- In the wild the water that crashes over the reef crest helps to oxygenate the water, carry away coral and fish waste and bring food in for the reef inhabitants. For a successful reef tank you are going to have to supply strong water movement in order to keep corals clean and debris in suspension so it can be removed by the filters.

Natural Environment- Replicating the wild reef is easy with liverock. Liverock is actual rock from the wild reefs that break off. This rock is collected and sold to reef keepers around the world. It will provide a natural looking display and make your inhabitants feel more at home. Good liverock can also help with natural nitrate reduction and improve water quality.

Water Quality- In the wild the water quality is superb, new water is constantly being washed over the reef so nutrients never accumulate. In the mini reef aquarium this is not possible so special equipment like protein skimmers and other filtration methods have been designed to scrub your water and remove harmful pollutants.

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Setting up a new coral reef aquarium can seem like a huge task and one that frightens many new or would be hobbiest’s away. But if you can grab yourself a good reef aquarium book you can increase your chances of success and enjoy the hobby. But with so man out there what should a good reef aquarium book contain?

Information You Need To Have A Great Reef Tank

Any good informational material on reef aquariums is going to need to contain the following in order for you to fully understand a salt water system.

Lighting Systems- There is a wide variety of choices when it comes to mini reef lighting and a good book should explain those options to you so you can make the right choice.

Filtration Methods- There is more then one way to filter the water in your reef tank and you should be made aware of all of them and how each one can benefit your set up.

Livestock Overview- You will need to be aware of what are good reef fish and what are not. You will also need to know what fish are good for a beginners tank and what ones will get along together. You should also be educated on the different types of corals and their care.

Maintenance Practices- Any good mini reef will only stay good is it is properly taken care of. A good reef aquarium book will explain maintaining your tank to keep it in top shape.

Set Up Tips- Setting up your tank correctly is very important . You must be fully educated on proper locations for new reef tanks as a well as many other tips and tricks that will make your reef something to enjoy

How The Systems Works- All the explanation in the world will not help if you are just not sure how it all comes together and works to keep fish and corals alive and thriving

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Maintaining proper PH in a reef aquarium is one of the more common challenges. A low PH can negatively affect coral growth and lead to problem algae. There are however a few easy ways to make sure your PH stays at or above 8.0

Good Water Circulation

Maintaining good water movement in your reef tank is critical to keeping your PH high in your reef aquarium. A tank circulation level of 15 to 20 times the tank volume is a great starting point. This means that if you have a 55 gallon tank you want to have a circulation amount of 825 1100 GPH.

You also want to make sure that this flow causes surface agitation. Increased surface agitation will transfer the carbon dioxide out of the water and bring fresh oxygen into the tank.

Proper Stocking Levels

Low PH in a reef aquarium can also be a sign of ow oxygen levels. If increase the surface agitation and water flow levels fail to help you may have to look at your tanks bio load. Fish are one of the biggest users of oxygen in your tank and having to many will have negative effects.

The standard rules of one inch of fish per gallon for stocking freshwater tanks do not apply to marine aquariums for a variety of reasons, this is especially true for reef aquariums. As a good rule of thumb keep your tanks fish load to one fish for every ten gallons of tank water.

The Right Substrate

One easy way to increase your reef tanks PH and hold it steady is to use aragonite sand or gravel in your tank. Aragonite will dissolve at lower PH levels and during this dissolving process it will release minerals and elements back into the tank that will in turn raise the PH. This is why it is critical you only use gravel or sand that is meant for reef tanks and not freshwater based material.

Chemical Additives

If for whatever reason you just cannot raise PH in a reef tank or hold it steady you may have to turn to chemical additives designed to help you out. There are many two part additives on the market that will raise calcium and alkalinity and at the same time increase your tanks PH levels.

A cheap alternative is kalkwasser set up to drip into your tank every few seconds. While it is a pain to mix up and apply it will do a great job at maintaining calcium, alkalinity and PH. But like any chemical you add to your tan start slow and work your way up, and always test the results!

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What makes a reef aquarium stand apart from a standard saltwater fish tank is the live coral. Nothing can compare to the natural movement colors and beauty that live coral can bring to an aquarium. While there have been recent advances in the reef aquarium hobby that make keeping corals alive easier not all of them are as easy to keep and some are almost impossible and left to the advanced hobbiest. There are however some very popular good beginner aquarium corals that are not only easy to care for and hardy but that will provide both beauty and enjoyment to your reef tank.

Good Beginner Aquarium Corals

Mushrooms- This is by far the easiest to keep and care for and the most long lived of any of the beginner corals. They come in a wide variety of colors and will thrive in lower light conditions so a large expensive lighting system is not needed. They will often grow very fast and can cover a patch of your tank quickly.

Bubble Corals- This is a large polyped stony coral or LPS as it is referred to in the hobby. It is easy to care for, will eat solid foods and will tolerate lower light levels. Do not place this coral in to high flow of an area or it may never fully open. They come in white, tan and green. The LPS family is also full of many other aquarium corals that are easy to care for and beautiful.

Soft Corals- This family is full of some very fast growing and easy corals to care for they are great for the new reef keeper and provide slow rhythmic movement to your reef aquarium. Most will thrive in medium light setting s so power compacts will usually be fine they are also very tolerant of water conditions.

Green Star Polyps- These are beautiful neon green polyps that thrive in virtually any system. They do need good water flow in order to keep dirt and debris off of them. Other then that they grow well under medium light and grow fast. They grow so fast that they often spread to the back of aquarium walls further adding to the tank’s beauty.

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Many new reef aquarium keepers are usually familiar with aquariums and may have kept freshwater tanks in the past. Mini reef systems like freshwater tanks need to cycle in order to maintain fish. But the cycles and what happens are totally different, this article will help explain what to expect cycling reef aquariums.

Ammonia And Nitrite Spike

Like freshwater tanks the first thing that will happen in your tank is there will be a ammonia spike. This ammonia is the by product if decaying fish waste or food. Within the tank bacteria will grow that will feed on this ammonia and convert it to nitrite. The nitrite will then be converted to harmless free nitrogen.

Both ammonia and nitrite can kill fish and coral so it is wise to not have any tank inhabitants in your system while this is going on. However many reef keepers often use damsel fish to cycle their tanks. While this does work it will be hard to get these fish out if you do not want them in your tank after the cycle, plus its just plain inhumane.

Instead a pinch of fish food can help speed up the process, or if you can get a scoop of sand from a seasoned reef tank or a piece of live rock. Both of these will already have the nitrifying bacteria on them and will jump start the process.

Algae Blooms When Cycling Reef Aquarium

No one really mentions this much but you will have to expect some algae blooms when cycling reef aquariums. This is because as the system stabilizes many chemical and physical shifts are occurring. This will normally result in brown slime algae on the sand bed and rocks of your tank. The best thing to do is remove it by hand or let it be. Once the tank reaches equilibrium the algae will vanish faster then it appeared, that is of course assuming your tank is set up properly.

The cycle of a mini reef systems can take a week two for the ammonia and nitrite parts but can often take six months for a new tank to reach equilibrium. The key during this time is to add livestock slowly and maintain good tank maintenance and you will have a gorgeous reef tank you can be proud of.

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Mini reef systems are some of the most interesting and beautiful aquarium systems around. While some what complex they are actually easy to set up and maintain as long as you get a few things right.

Three Things All Successful Reef Aquariums Need

Proper Water Circulation- This is probably the area where most people fail to get it right and the results are a bad looking tank. First you must understand that water flow will help oxygenate your water, keep coral and rock work clean and provide a natural environment for your animals.

The average flow amount mini reef systems is roughly 15-20 times its volume per hour, so a 100 gallon tank would need 1500-2000 GPH of flow. This can be accomplished with a variety of pumps and or power heads designed for reef aquariums.

Proper Aquarium Lighting- On the natural reef the light of the sun helps to keep the photosynthetic corals alive and growing and you need to have intense light in your reef tank as well. You cannot put a standard aquarium fixture over your tank and expect your corals to grow. Instead stick with aquarium lighting systems that have been designed for reef tanks. Your choices are many so it is best to read and research the various types of reef lighting and determine what one will work best for your system.

Nutrient Removal- The natural reefs have tons of water crossing over them every second. This massive water helps carry the wastes inland and away from the fragile reef.

In mini reef systems this waste cannot be carried away so it has to be removed by filtration methods. The most popular water filtration method for reef tanks is the protein skimmer. A protein skimmer is basically a large tube full of tiny bubbles. The bubbles attract waste in the water and collect a s a foam at the top of the protein skimmer. This foam eventually bubbles over into a collection cup and can be discarded. A good protein skimmer is essential to healthy reef aquariums and again there are hundreds of choices so research the different kinds and determine what one will work best for your reef aquarium.

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A reef aquarium tank allows anyone to have a slice of the ocean sitting in their living room. But just setting up a tank and putting animals in it will not cut it, especially with a reef aquarium. While it will be impossible to explain everything about a reef tank this article will look at the four main components a reef aquarium needs to be successful.

Good Water Movement- In nature the amount of water that crashes over the natural reef in one second measures in the thousands of gallons. This water movement helps to remove debris and other pollutants from the reef area and carry them inland where they can be removed by other parts of the ecosystem.

Nutrient Export- In nature there is inland areas that use the excess nutrients to support plant life. In your reef aquarium you need a method to extract nutrients as well.

Some of the popular methods include protein skimmers, frequent water changes and algae filters.

Adequate Lighting- Most of the corals found on the reef are photosynthetic and live from the light of the sun. While it is impossible to replicate the intensity of the suns rays you must choose strong enough lighting for the coral you want to keep in your reef aquarium tank.

Reef aquarium lighting can be a complex subject so it is best to research the different types available and see what ones work well with the corals you are interested in.

Proper Stocking Levels- In nature the space on the reef that animals claim for their own is often defended to the death. If your reef aquarium tank plan does not take this into consideration you could have on going battles between fish.

To avoid this you must research any animal you want to add to your reef tank. Even some of the most docile looking fish can be real terrors when confined to a tank.

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Arguably one of the most important parts to a successful mini reef tank is picking the right reef aquarium lighting for your system. The corals that you will be able to keep will be directly affected by your lighting system so getting it right the first time will not only save you money but also frustration and dead animals.

Two Popular Types Of Reef Aquarium Lighting

Power Compact Fluorescent Aquarium Lighting

Power compact fluorescent lighting is a very popular from a reef tank lighting for a variety of reasons,

large Selection Of Products-Because of this popularity many manufacturers have focused on this type of lighting system. This gives the reef keeper a huge selection of affordable lighting systems to choose from. Many systems have built in moonlighting and cooling fans and other neat features.

Low Price-Power compact lighting provides adequate light for basic corals and is relatively inexpensive to purchase and operate. It also does not transfer alot of heat into the water like some lighting systems can.

Metal Halide Reef Tank Lighting

Metal halide lighting is by far the most powerful forms of reef aquarium lighting on the market. It offers the brightest most intense light for your tank.

Metal halide bulbs range from 70 watts all the way up to 1000 watts. It is recommended that 1 metal halide bulb be used for every 2 square feet of tank space so a 48″ long tank would need two of them.

These lights will allow you to keep virtually any coral you want but they do have some negatives associated with them.

High Price-metal halide lighting is expensive to purchase and because of the higher wattage bulbs it is more expensive to operate. The bulbs must also be replaced every 9-12 months and many metal halide bulbs cost well over $100.

Extreme Heat- the heat given off by the bulbs can easily increase the temperature in your tank to dangerous levels. If this is the case you will have to buy a more expensive chiller unit to keep the water temperature stable.

They can also heat up any enclosure they are in to skin burning temperatures so always use caution when working around them.