ChemiClean

[CastAway]

This week I plan my second dose of ChemiClean.

I played it safe with my first dose, not doing quite a full amount according to the instructions. My cyano seemed to fade a little, but didn't disappear. After my water change, it was right back to where it was.

This time I will again do as much manual removal as I can, dose a full dose, and I was thinking a going lights out for a couple days, right up to a water change.

Any thoughts or advice on ChemiClean use? Any tricks or best practice?

 

[cee]

Watch your skimmer, it is going to foam like crazy for a couple of hours and will overflow in minutes. May have to open the valve a lot to prevent this from happening.

 

[fragit]

+1 on the skimmer that thing is gonna go crazy. Last time I used it, I tried to syphon as much out as I could. Then baste really good with a turkey baster or powerhead get as much as you can into the water column. Then let it do it's thing.

 

[CastAway]

I experienced the skimmer reaction on my first dose. CrAzY!

I expect to simple crank it down to almost nothing, and ween it back up over the 48 hour treatment period.

 

[Reeflogic]

Hey Jeff, I've used it over the years. Did the same thing you did, leaning on the side of caution, but had the same results. When I used it as it says to use it, full dosage, it worked. I shut the skimmer off completely, used extra filter pad in the sump and did fairly large water changes after it did it's thing. I still find that it is a "band-aid" to the real problem, possibly a flow issue, nutrient issue, and in my case, I narrowed it down to bio-pellets or, at least I felt it was the BP's, because it eventually returned after chemiclean dosage and I was determined to figure out why. I changed flow patterns (returns and MP-40's), did larger water changes, had perfect nitrate and phosphate readings, fed less, but once I took the BP's offline it went away on it's own. Could have been coincidence, I may have had too much BP's in the reactor, I really don't know, but it went away after that. Good luck with it, I know it's a pain!

 

[CastAway]

The stuff is primordial! It can live off anything! Carbon. Light. Organics. Whatever!

I know I have some improvements I can make to flow; reducing and splitting my returns to address dead areas, maybe some eductors, adding a couple more power heads, maybe even tuning my lighting schedule. I've already stopped carbon dosing, and am keeping my GFO very fresh.

Indeed, it is a pain! I'm hoping it's a cycle, like most else I've dealt with.

 

[CodyRVA]

+1 on finding the root of the problem. You already said it yourself this is your second go at it. My general rule of thumb is never to add a chemical, no matter how dang reef safe it's claimed to be, unless I absolutely have to. Any number of those things you mentioned could be the culprit. Try not using the chemiclean and finding the source... you'll know when you've figured it out when the cyano starts to die off on its own. How long have you been carbon dosing btw?

 

[saltyfilmfolks]

The stuff is primordial

Yes, Yes it actually is.

 

[Esage]

When I had a major outbreak of this the only solution that worked for me was changing lights. It was the last thing I did because I didn't want to believe it was the lights and maybe it wasn't, but after changing lights the problem went away

 

[CastAway]

+1 on finding the root of the problem. You already said it yourself this is your second go at it. My general rule of thumb is never to add a chemical, no matter how dang reef safe it's claimed to be, unless I absolutely have to. Any number of those things you mentioned could be the culprit. Try not using the chemiclean and finding the source... you'll know when you've figured it out when the cyano starts to die off on its own. How long have you been carbon dosing btw?

I dosed vodka for a couple months, but weened off and quit several weeks ago.

 

[CastAway]

When I had a major outbreak of this the only solution that worked for me was changing lights. It was the last thing I did because I didn't want to believe it was the lights and maybe it wasn't, but after changing lights the problem went away

If it's my lights, I think I'll just have to get out of the hobby! LOL

However, I did change my spectrum and duration at peak some time ago, coincidently just before my cyano issues perhaps.

Any particular aspect of light tied to cyano?

 

[Reef_a_holiks]

I would start with a 20% percent water change siphoning out most of the cyano that you can. Then do the Chemi clean treatment followed by another 20% water change.

 

[fragit]

Why did you change your lighting regime? Your tank looks fantastic! If it aint broke don't fix it!

 

[MPH2]

Is it your water. It's odd that it came right back after the water change.

 

[CastAway]

Within hours of the water change, not quite a full day anyway, it was coming back.

 

[MPH2]

Do you make your own or get it from one of the local stores.. I Remember someone saying one of the two in knoxville does not run di resin someone correct me if I'm wrong.

 

[fishroomlady]

I have used chemiclean twice with great results. As all have said, it's a temporary fix but it does work. Finding out what is causing it needs to be done but I found that implementing the solution had a head start with the chemiclean (I hope that makes sense lol)

 

[cee]

Tell us about your lighting. When I went to straight blues on my led I had no cyano. At 20% whites it was back. Strange thing is I've run these lights before and no issues on prior tank's. My current is pretty strong so I doubt that's it. In the past I've removed reds and greens so maybe it a spectrum thing. I'll try to get some cool whites and swap.

 

[rock_lobster]

Chemiclean works great if you can get enough oxygen into your tank. I put circulation pumps at the water surface so that they basically suck in a lot of air and bubbles all throughout the tank for 24 hours. The tank will be filled with micro bubbles. cyano is usually gone next day and do a large water change. Only downfall is its very loud to listen to the pumps bubbling in the tank.

 

[cee]

Chemiclean works great if you can get enough oxygen into your tank. I put circulation pumps at the water surface so that they basically suck in a lot of air and bubbles all throughout the tank for 24 hours. The tank will be filled with micro bubbles. cyano is usually gone next day and do a large water change. Only downfall is its very loud to listen to the pumps bubbling in the tank.

That's why I feel it is very important to keep the skimmer running or dissolved oxygen can drop to dangerous levels.