Using Bleach (NaClO) in a reef tank

[Randy Holmes-Farley Verified Community Expert]

While I do not know for sure, and I’d pick to not use it on rock, if I had I’d just rinse it well. If you want to be more sure, give it an acid rinse. [emoji3]

 

[Gareth elliott]

The part that says biocidal agents, would copper be one of those agents? I know that acrylic fibers( Polyacrylonitrile ) that use biocides, is usually a copper complex. Would this be a worry with PECs?

 

[Randy Holmes-Farley Verified Community Expert]

The part that says biocidal agents, would copper be one of those agents? I know that acrylic fibers( Polyacrylonitrile ) that use biocides, is usually a copper complex. Would this be a worry with PECs?

I don't expect it has copper in it, but do not know that 100%.

 

[Royy13]

How do you know that?

Unfortunately, from 1st hand experience. I was dosing no problem, and then started a new bottle of bleach. Only took one dose to kill all but my clown and royal gramma. The RG was touch and go, but I loaded up on carbon and he recovered. Everything died within a day other than those two. I started looking into this bleach, saw the Chloromax label on it and found on a pool site that it is a polymer and is not recommended to even use as a chlorine source for a pool. I also found another post that a reef tank owner doses bleach with polymers in it and his fish died. He didn’t specify if it was Chloromax or not.

Roy

 

[domination2580]

Unfortunately, from 1st hand experience. I was dosing no problem, and then started a new bottle of bleach. Only took one dose to kill all but my clown and royal gramma. The RG was touch and go, but I loaded up on carbon and he recovered. Everything died within a day other than those two. I started looking into this bleach, saw the Chloromax label on it and found on a pool site that it is a polymer and is not recommended to even use as a chlorine source for a pool. I also found another post that a reef tank owner doses bleach with polymers in it and his fish died. He didn’t specify if it was Chloromax or not.

Roy

How much did u dose?

 

[Royy13]

I don’t recall, but it was whatever everyone else was stating. It was a few months ago, but it may have been 1ml in a 20 long with sump.

Roy

 

[Randy Holmes-Farley Verified Community Expert]

Unfortunately, from 1st hand experience. I was dosing no problem, and then started a new bottle of bleach. Only took one dose to kill all but my clown and royal gramma. The RG was touch and go, but I loaded up on carbon and he recovered. Everything died within a day other than those two. I started looking into this bleach, saw the Chloromax label on it and found on a pool site that it is a polymer and is not recommended to even use as a chlorine source for a pool. I also found another post that a reef tank owner doses bleach with polymers in it and his fish died. He didn’t specify if it was Chloromax or not.

Roy

Thanks.
I'm not certain that I concur that it must be the chloromax polymer ingredient (I've very familiar with polymer technology), but it's certainly fine to avoid it.

FWIW, it is still recommended for putting in drinking water, so it is not a highly toxic compound.

 

[Royy13]

I thought the drinking water instructions were odd considering they do not recommend Chloromax in a pool. Maybe it has a negative effect on the metals or parts of pool equipment.

 

[Northern reefer]

Hi guys, posted this one on - Dinoflagellates – Are You Tired Of Battling Altogether?
Thought to share it here aswell:


Dinofree for 4 months (ostreopsis ovata)

Decided to share my experience
Here's my take:

I believe raising ph and nutrients is a good overall plan. Things to consider are fresh air for the skimmer, dosing kalkwasser, baking soda etc, increase water movement, use coral food and feed more.

Now here is the trick to get the upper hand fast:

Turn off absolutely all the flow for about 10 min, you will then see the dinos release into the water, now this is where you make your move: dump 5% bleach in the overflow and turn back on your flow, once the bleach circles back to the tank it will bomb and kill all the dinos in the water collumn instantly.

Now, I don't take either credit or risk, try this at your own caution. My dose was 10 ml once a day (when they are most noticeable) continue til you cannot find them with the microscope, in my case about a week. No injury to either fish or corals.

My tank is about 650 l including sump with livestock holding mainly acros, hammerhead, montis, clowns and surgeons.

Best of luck all

 

[kecked]

That was followed by me freaking out and then reading this entire thread! I’m interested but still want to go the natural balance route. However....I’m considering trying this for a few days to knock down the population and then read in bacteria and some Fiji mud. This might tip the scales so I can achieve the goal of balance. I have two infected tanks. It’s a 29g and I can mice all the coral to the other tank and then bomb the tank. When I move the coral back it will bring dinos again but that will be after I reestablish the balance and raise nutrients. I can then add uv as well. Might work. No fish to kill no inverts but two snails. So sounds like 1ml dose twice a day? Is it an all at once dose or Can I dilute it and dose over several hours? I could even make it continuous. Ie put in 1/12ml per hour in for a 2ml/24hr dose. I can dilute ten times so I add one ml per hour roughly. Might need to dilute 100 times to get any accuracy in doser. Then 10ml/hr. Of 1ml household 3% bleach in 100ml DI water. 0.03%/hr bleach?

 

[kecked]

@Randy Holmes-Farley
It should be possible to take sodium hydroxide and salt and a power supply to make your own supply. You just need a good test kit to find the concentration you make.

Might be as simple as taking some tank water and adding electrode in a jar. Make sure to use something other than copper! I think those titanium ground plugs would be ideal.

No going develop this for you. Randy want to comment? I fear hydrogen for the non scientist could be a hazard.

 

[Randy Holmes-Farley Verified Community Expert]

@Randy Holmes-Farley
It should be possible to take sodium hydroxide and salt and a power supply to make your own supply. You just need a good test kit to find the concentration you make.

Might be as simple as taking some tank water and adding electrode in a jar. Make sure to use something other than copper! I think those titanium ground plugs would be ideal.

No going develop this for you. Randy want to comment? I fear hydrogen for the non scientist could be a hazard.

You are suggesting people make their own bleach? Sounds like a lot of work for little benefit, IMO.

 

[kecked]

Sure since people are worried about additives and you need a dilute solution to use anyway. Not cheaper that is for sure but for those inclined to projects and play why not.

Add tank water to jar add electrodes come back in couple hours, test, use. Hummmm. Wonder if you could add the electrodes to the sump and titrate like ozone.... if you keep the current low not much hydrogen risk either.

 

[Gareth elliott]

Sure since people are worried about additives and you need a dilute solution to use anyway. Not cheaper that is for sure but for those inclined to projects and play why not.

Add tank water to jar add electrodes come back in couple hours, test, use. Hummmm. Wonder if you could add the electrodes to the sump and titrate like ozone.... if you keep the current low not much hydrogen risk either.

Wouldnt just adding ozone be easier? If the goal is to change the oxidation potential, and ozone being the tried and true method for this. Along with the multiple redundancies available through orp probes and the like.

 

[Deezill]

So I am curios. Has anyone else had success getting rid of Dinos with NaChlo? I am desperate at this point and I have been dosing 1.5 mL in my 150 with today being the second day. I will post my finding when I get any results even if they are bad.

 

[domination2580]

So I am curios. Has anyone else had success getting rid of Dinos with NaChlo? I am desperate at this point and I have been dosing 1.5 mL in my 150 with today being the second day. I will post my finding when I get any results even if they are bad.

Be prepared for die off...including bacteria, get some bacteria in a bottle stocked up ready for after treating. Also, be ready for water changes after the treatment. There might be side effects with nutrients so be prepared for that....(meaning nitrates rising). If a sand bed is present, I would suggest stirring the sand when your doing it to make sure you get them all in the sand....

 

[Deezill]

Excellent suggestion I will do this. Am I supposed to keep my skimmer running while treating? I am trying to get rid of Dinos so far looks like some green algae is disappearing along with the dinos that was attached to the green hair algae. I am dosing 2mL at 6:30Am when the light are off and 2mL in the afternoon around 4PM and I turn on the light at 4:30Pm. I am cutting my photo period down to 4.5 to 5 hours. I am beginning to see my rocks again because it was covered very bad with dinos and algae. To resolve nutrients if they are rising I will get an algae scrubber soon. Bulk Reef Supply informed me that Dino X was in stock but I have heard that this stuff really does not work and I won't put that stuff in the tank while I am dosing NaClO. So far no casualties. The few Coral I have are ok and the 17 fish are doing great. I had to find Chlorox without that added ingredient of cloromax. I will keep you guys up on my progress. Last but not least.
has anyone had success with the product listed below the DIno X stuff?

Dino X:
https://www.bulkreefsupply.com/fauna-marin-ultra-algea-x.html

 

[domination2580]

Excellent suggestion I will do this. Am I supposed to keep my skimmer running while treating? I am trying to get rid of Dinos so far looks like some green algae is disappearing along with the dinos that was attached to the green hair algae. I am dosing 2mL at 6:30Am when the light are off and 2mL in the afternoon around 4PM and I turn on the light at 4:30Pm. I am cutting my photo period down to 4.5 to 5 hours. I am beginning to see my rocks again because it was covered very bad with dinos and algae. To resolve nutrients if they are rising I will get an algae scrubber soon. Bulk Reef Supply informed me that Dino X was in stock but I have heard that this stuff really does not work and I won't put that stuff in the tank while I am dosing NaClO. So far no casualties. The few Coral I have are ok and the 17 fish are doing great. I had to find Chlorox without that added ingredient of cloromax. I will keep you guys up on my progress. Last but not least.
has anyone had success with the product listed below the DIno X stuff?

Dino X:
https://www.bulkreefsupply.com/fauna-marin-ultra-algea-x.html

I would not suggest adding the scrubber till after the treatment, if you do run it during, high chance that stone dinos get on the algae and come back. The skimmer you want to take offline. I took mine offline and did a bleach bath on it to be safe... took everything apart...if you have a reactor I'd suggest taking it offline and bleach bath as well as new media.
Also, @randyholmes-farley posted that he doesn't have a solid concern as to cloromax in bleach.... I have not tried that theory... but I trust him fully on the subject. I have rinsed and bleach bathed with it some things and no I'll effect....

 

[edosan]

Hello Guys, its been a while...
Just to say hi, all good, and my tanks are ich free, velvet free, dinos free...
I keep dosing bleach, for prevention mainly, but at lower dose 0.5ml x 100lt once a month

So basically

1ml x 100 liters for treatment (dino, bacteria, velvet, ich)
0.5ml x 100 liters as profilactic measure once a month, you can check my DT on my signature

Remember I use 5% bleach only, no aditives.

 

[Dj City]

I know this thread is kind of old but I'm looking for help.

I have a 15gallon column display tank with a hob refugium.
I probably have 15 gallons total water volume or close to it.

How much bleach should I use in a tank so small?