Back at it! Peroxide vrs cyanobacteria

[RMS18]

Day 6 no change it is getting worse than ever before. Gonna pick up chemiclean today.

 

[twilliard]

I don't think the active part of chemiclean can be identified at least not with the current equipment I have.

 

[joshkirkland83]

I don't think the active part of chemiclean can be identified at least not with the current equipment I have.

Just brainstorming...

 

[AllSignsPointToFish]

Sorry for the double post. For some reason, I can't see the first post in the list when I scroll back through. Very weird!

 

[RMS18]

The last pic kind of looks like diatoms, no? Does the mat just go to dust when disturbed?


Looks like diatoms. Do the mats dust when you disturb them or clump together?

Clumps a bit

 

[AllSignsPointToFish]

Clumps a bit

Is it reddish purple or brown? Looks brown in the picture.

 

[twilliard]

I would discontinue h2o2 use as it is not cyanobacteria

Send a sample my way and I will tell you exactly what you are dealing with.

 

[RMS18]

Is it reddish purple or brown? Looks brown in the picture.

It's red... like a red brick. I just spot hit a area with h202 and turned flow off. The area is bubbling.

 

[Randy Holmes-Farley Verified Community Expert]

I don't think the active part of chemiclean can be identified at least not with the current equipment I have.

It is the antibiotic, erythromycin, if that is what you mean.

 

[joshkirkland83]

It is the antibiotic, erythromycin, if that is what you mean.

I wonder if you could just dose that?

 

[AllSignsPointToFish]

It is the antibiotic, erythromycin, if that is what you mean.

Has that been confirmed? I could find nowhere definitive confirmation.

 

[AllSignsPointToFish]

I wonder if you could just dose that?

Yes, if you can get it from your veterinarian. I used to use it in my old tank to control cyano since I couldn't install a good skimmer in that setup.

 

[joshkirkland83]

Yes, if you can get it from your veterinarian. I used to use it in my old tank to control cyano since I couldn't install a good skimmer in that setup.

Is it reef safe?

 

[AllSignsPointToFish]

Is it reef safe?

I never had any issues as long as you dose correctly and have plenty of aeration. You will need to remove any activated carbon so it doesn't remove the antibiotic from the water.

 

[joshkirkland83]

I never had any issues as long as you dose correctly and have plenty of aeration. You will need to remove any activated carbon so it doesn't remove the antibiotic from the water.

Whats the dosing ratio?

 

[AllSignsPointToFish]

Whats the dosing ratio?

I believe the API erythromycin product dosage is 200 mg per 10 gallons of water volume. I'm not sure you need that much for cyanobacteria since it seems to be particularly susceptible to erythromycin.

 

[Randy Holmes-Farley Verified Community Expert]

Has that been confirmed? I could find nowhere definitive confirmation.

We always suspected it was just because they said, weirdly, that it wasn't erythromycin succinate:

"Contains no phosphates, algaecides or erythromycin succinate"

Not that it doesn't contain erythromycin or that it doesn't contain antibiotics. Sort of like saying an aquarium additive has no copper chloride in it, when folks are asking about copper and couldn't care less about chloride.

Claude of Fauna Marine comments here that it was analyzed by the government in Germany and found to violate rules due to having erythromycin in it:

http://www.ultimatereef.net/forums/...a927103af5d83f0abccefb2&p=4792950#post4792950

 

[twilliard]

What he is dealing with is NOT cyanobacteria as h2o2 would have been clearing it up by now.
This thread is not about using antibiotics
I just showed that chemiclean has an affect on spirulina in a rough test

 

[AllSignsPointToFish]

This article confirms the dosage for treatment of cyanobacteria:
http://www.fishchannel.com/fish-health/saltwater-conditions/red-algae.aspx

 

[AllSignsPointToFish]

Whats the dosing ratio?

One quick question...do you have any sand-sifting gobies in your tank? When I added a yellowheaded sleeper goby to my tank, he kept the sand so stirred up that the diatoms and cyano didn't stand a chance. I'd try that before any antibiotics. Just a thought.