Substrate Cleaning Question

[DustinKeating]

Lately i've been just scooping out the top layer of crushed coral in order to get rid of the big patches of red slime algae. I take the cc out, rinse it until there's no more red globs left and then leave it in cold freshwater to try and kill anything that's bad.

Do you forsee any problem with this, like will there be a lot of die off so that i'll be adding too much ammonia? or do you think it's alright?

 

[1979camaro]

i think that would be fine...what you dont want to do is turn the sand over and burry the algae...that can lead to problems with toxins/nutrient release

the good thing about removing the algae the way you are is that you are taking the nutrient supply with it rather than if you scraped it off and it floats around in the tank and 1) re-attaches itself or 2) dies and releases the nutrients back into the system

 

[dbacksrat]

can you try increasing flow on the areas that are affected by the red slime algae? this will literally "blow" it away