ChemiClean Works! BUT

[Neo Jeo]

Hello Reefers!

I used Chemi Clean last Wednesday. That was 1 week ago! It worked really well! It's something that actually WORKS!

BUT

After my water change my protein skimmer still overflows. I added carbon a few days ago but no resolution.

What else should I do?

 

[Big G]

Hey Neo! Did you take any before and after pics of your tank?

 

[Mical]

Whenever I use Chemiclean I pull the skimmer cup off and let it overflow into sump until it settles back down. It usually takes 24 hrs.

 

[nautical_nathaniel]

Let it overflow for a few days, be sure to keep an eye on your parameters as well

 

[JDowns]

If your skimmer has a drain tube, I always just set the skimmer to drain through the tube then either in a bucket or out the door until the skimmer settles down. This has always been the quickest way to clear it out of the system after use. This is usually equal to a water change for me.

 

[Sarah24!]

Hello,

One thing you need to make sure you do is add some air stones to this. Chemiclean will suck the air out of your tank and that’s not good. Make sure you watch your parameters and inport and export since cyano is where that imbalance comes from. If you use chemi clean and don’t know what actually caused the problem it will just come back in a few weeks.

I would definitely suggest testing your nitrates and phosphates to see where they are at. My tank is use to 2-5ppm nitrates, but if I go over ten I will have a major outbreak. Some tanks I have seen have nitrates around 30ppm and no issues. So each tank is different, but when I used chemi clean I opened the drain tube and let it drain into a bucket. As I filled the bucket I added more water to top the tank off. I probably did close to 70 gallons when I used it on my 125. My current 240 had cyano but I used other methods to get rid of cyano instead of chemiclean.

 

[Neo Jeo]

Hey Neo! Did you take any before and after pics of your tank?

Before and after. It’s been gone since. It works well! All the stuff on my rock is also gone also in my refug all gone

Just realized that conch hasn’t moved wonder if it’s dead

 

[Neo Jeo]

Hello,

One thing you need to make sure you do is add some air stones to this. Chemiclean will suck the air out of your tank and that’s not good. Make sure you watch your parameters and inport and export since cyano is where that imbalance comes from. If you use chemi clean and don’t know what actually caused the problem it will just come back in a few weeks.

I would definitely suggest testing your nitrates and phosphates to see where they are at. My tank is use to 2-5ppm nitrates, but if I go over ten I will have a major outbreak. Some tanks I have seen have nitrates around 30ppm and no issues. So each tank is different, but when I used chemi clean I opened the drain tube and let it drain into a bucket. As I filled the bucket I added more water to top the tank off. I probably did close to 70 gallons when I used it on my 125. My current 240 had cyano but I used other methods to get rid of cyano instead of chemiclean.

I ran my skimmer durning the treatment. I removed carbon and UV .

Now my skimmer is just going crazy I let it overflow for a few hours no resolution I think I just have to do a few more water changes possibly

 

[CMO]

Took mine over a week to settle down even with water change and letting skimmer drain into bucket once per day for about 2-3 gallons. I also ran fresh carbon. I think the draining of skimmer overflow to a bucket is the best bet. And I didn't over dose so not sure why it was so hard to get out of the system.

 

[Neo Jeo]

Took mine over a week to settle down even with water change and letting skimmer drain into bucket once per day for about 2-3 gallons. I also ran fresh carbon. I think the draining of skimmer overflow to a bucket is the best bet. And I didn't over dose so not sure why it was so hard to get out of the system.

I just don’t understand why drain the skimmer into a bucket. It’s just a ton of bubbles from a reaction. Those bubbles to me is just saltwater not like a perfect “skim” would be. If that makes sense

 

[CMO]

I just don’t understand why drain the skimmer into a bucket. It’s just a ton of bubbles from a reaction. Those bubbles to me is just saltwater not like a perfect “skim” would be. If that makes sense

The excess bubbles are caused by the med so by draining them you are removing water highly concentrated with chemiclean. Now I'm no scientist but that's my assumption based on the fact that draining the excess skim is what really helped me gain traction. Regular water change did next to nothing nor did fresh carbon.

 

[Sarah24!]

The excess bubbles are caused by the med so by draining them you are removing water highly concentrated with chemiclean. Now I'm no scientist but that's my assumption based on the fact that draining the excess skim is what really helped me gain traction. Regular water change did next to nothing nor did fresh carbon.

Hello,

This sums it up the best (which I totally agree with the quote above). You have a chemiclean in he water system, so basically a drug per say. A protein skimmer gets rid of waste by reacting with air. So by you just letting it overflow, your not even getting rid of the chemiclean at all. Yes carbon will remove it but it will take more than 24 hours.

By draining the bubbles into an empty bucket etc your basically flushing your system water with fresh water. Which also diluted the chemiclean in your system water to help the skimmer and carbon. The skimmer overflowing with bubbles is not enough air to provide the tank if your using chemiclean. That’s why they say to add more air stones because it depletes it. It uses the oxygen molecules to help get rid of the cynao and other forms of bacteria.

If your not flushing the system with clean water (I’d do 20% a day but that’s me), it can take up to a week or longer for the skimmer tk slow down. Another idea would be for you to take a plastic jar lid like 1.5 inch wide roughly. Now the skimmer intakes water on the pump. If you add two more air stones, in the display not the sump, take the skimmer and empty it out and clean it. Then turn where you normally have least amount of bubbles on a normal day. My eshopps has a white dot that’s like 0 and 180 degree is 10. I normally run at 5. Anyway the concept is the same but just make yours where it’s at zero. Put your skimmer back together and turn it on. Then take the lid and slide it over the intake on the skimmer completely. Then watch the bubbles go down to nothing. It does this because there is no water coming in. (Don’t leave it like that). Slowly move the lid and the suction from the pump will hold it in place. If you move it a tiny bits at s time you can make the bubbles just like normal. It will fill up the cup much slower, then empty it, then put it back on. Each day you will move the lid more and more and soon it will be off. Works great when I had to use it on my own system and when I helped the local aquariums. Just make sure you have some water coming into the skimmer and extra air stones. But it will skim the chemiclean out this way and it’s faster.

 

[Neo Jeo]

Hello,

This sums it up the best (which I totally agree with the quote above). You have a chemiclean in he water system, so basically a drug per say. A protein skimmer gets rid of waste by reacting with air. So by you just letting it overflow, your not even getting rid of the chemiclean at all. Yes carbon will remove it but it will take more than 24 hours.

By draining the bubbles into an empty bucket etc your basically flushing your system water with fresh water. Which also diluted the chemiclean in your system water to help the skimmer and carbon. The skimmer overflowing with bubbles is not enough air to provide the tank if your using chemiclean. That’s why they say to add more air stones because it depletes it. It uses the oxygen molecules to help get rid of the cynao and other forms of bacteria.

If your not flushing the system with clean water (I’d do 20% a day but that’s me), it can take up to a week or longer for the skimmer tk slow down. Another idea would be for you to take a plastic jar lid like 1.5 inch wide roughly. Now the skimmer intakes water on the pump. If you add two more air stones, in the display not the sump, take the skimmer and empty it out and clean it. Then turn where you normally have least amount of bubbles on a normal day. My eshopps has a white dot that’s like 0 and 180 degree is 10. I normally run at 5. Anyway the concept is the same but just make yours where it’s at zero. Put your skimmer back together and turn it on. Then take the lid and slide it over the intake on the skimmer completely. Then watch the bubbles go down to nothing. It does this because there is no water coming in. (Don’t leave it like that). Slowly move the lid and the suction from the pump will hold it in place. If you move it a tiny bits at s time you can make the bubbles just like normal. It will fill up the cup much slower, then empty it, then put it back on. Each day you will move the lid more and more and soon it will be off. Works great when I had to use it on my own system and when I helped the local aquariums. Just make sure you have some water coming into the skimmer and extra air stones. But it will skim the chemiclean out this way and it’s faster.

Thanks for all the info

 

[Alexreefer]

What I did was gave my skimmer a vinegar bath and raised it up a little bit. settled right down after 15 hours.

 

[Neo Jeo]

Interesting to see my phosphates raised from 0.03 to 0.15 in a week.

Any reason for this after using ChemiClean?

 

[Land Shark]

Interesting to see my phosphates raised from 0.03 to 0.15 in a week.

Any reason for this after using ChemiClean?

Definitely. A side effect of chemiclean is it reduces your population of bacteria. It doesn't eliminate it but it does reduce it. Since bacteria consume phosphates, nitrates and carbon, you will see the rise in PO4 that you are seeing. Lots of folks experience the same and fortunately it is a temporary side effect.

 

[jd371]

I was able to get my skimmer working quickly by sitting next to it and dumping the cup when it fills and adding fresh mixed water when the level got too low. Took me about 30 mins. of dumping and adding water but it's better than waiting for days for the skimmer to work properly.

 

[Neo Jeo]

I was able to get my skimmer working quickly by sitting next to it and dumping the cup when it fills and adding fresh mixed water when the level got too low. Took me about 30 mins. of dumping and adding water but it's better than waiting for days for the skimmer to work properly.

True! I finally got mine back online with some water changes.

 

[Scubadoo4u]

Interesting to see my phosphates raised from 0.03 to 0.15 in a week.

Any reason for this after using ChemiClean?

Yea, I would think because you no longer have cyano/algae taking up PO4 which would give a false reading to begin with.

 

[Reefnjunkie]

Next time you use the chemi clean ( there will be a next time, there always is LOL)
Get a small valve you can add to the silencer rubber tube that attaches near the pump.

Restricting the amount of air that comes in will help control the skimmer from going crazy. Usually after the first day you can slowly start increasing the air and soon after removing the valve. I’ve done it this way for years and recommend it to many friends with sucesss.

Hope that makes sense