I read that the maintence dose was when you 1st notice a drop in nitrate and at that point - don't increase the dosage - this is when the maintence dosing starts. Hold this dose til nitrates and PO4 dissapear then back off 5 mil a week. It's not slime algae - it's actually coraline - where the diatoms died off on the agronite the colors are no longer rust , mostly purple with a few specs of yellow pink and green