Chemi clean anyone?

[skyedolphan]

looking for peoples experiance with chemi clean to remove red slime"cyno " algea fromthe tank
I keep getting it although I have tonsof flow in the tank changed all lights 3 months ago
if I add any more flow I will have nothing but sand storms someone suggested the chemi to me and I fear it due to it being a chemical so please post away good and bad experiances with it

 

[smcnally]

I've used it 2 or 3 times and never had any issues with it whatsoever. Everything in my tank acted normally and the slime went away.

 

[marco67]

I've used it many times in many tanks, never a problem. One word of caution..make sure you use a good limewood airstone during treatment, as it does rob the tank of O2 and with the skimmer off you will need the extra air.

Also I've noticed they went through a package change fairly recently, I've been meaning to make a call and make sure no product change accompanied it. Might be worth the "dime" before taking the plunge.

 

[starrfish]

Dawn - I've used it many times without a problem. As a matter of fact, I just did my 20% water change after adding it on Friday. It's great stuff and definitely gets rid of the cyano. I don't use the full strength suggested on the package though - I use enough for 300 gallons and I have about 500 gallons total. You might want to start slow using less your first time around to see how it goes.

 

[S Hunter]

I've used it a couple of time, i let it sit in the tank for 48 hr's with the skimmer off, no carbon... followed by a good water change, skimmer on carbon in... has never hurt anything at all

 

[Greg Hiller]

Ah, the dirty little secret....no.....I would never use such a thing!! A chemical, in my natural tank!!

Seriously. I have used this chemical several times, though as yet never in my main reef. Sometimes it does help to kind of 're-boot' a tank. The problem is that many times the cyano just comes back a few months later. I've also (FWIW) have come across a few forms of cyano that do not respond to the stuff. Usually the red cyano dies quick with it though. I used it recently on my seahorse tank, and everything looked really good afterward, but things went WAY downhill a few weeks later. Sometimes just siphoning the cyano away multiple times will kind of break the cycle. You have to be patient though!

FWIW, for years I've been trying to figure out what the actual chemical was in this stuff.

 

[S Hunter]

FWIW, for years I've been trying to figure out what the actual chemical was in this stuff.

Crushed Bayer Extra Strength Asprin takes all your pains away....

 

[SherryQ]

I am a user of chemi clean in all my tanks. Never a problem as far as I can tell and it works. I always follow up treatment with a water change - usually I do one before treatment as well siphoning away all the cyano I see. I figure there is less breaking down in the tank that way.

 

[Clam Man]

come on dawn I would never tell you to somthing that would be a risk to that beautiful tank.I have used this for four years never had a problem just follow the directions,shut your skimmer down add the chemical wait a week do a big water change start the skimmer back up.
fwiw,I have noticed the outbreaks are caused by the change in seasons what do you think greg?I can not explain why but with my tank its like clock work.

 

[smcnally]

A week? I thought you were only supposed to leave it in for a day or two before doing a 20% water change?

 

[Clam Man]

did that but it never did a total kill off, like greg said it would come back in a week or so.I have gone a week with chemical and no skimmer and redosed and gone another week with no skimmer and have never had a problem.if this chemical was dangerous to a reef the first thing that would go would be your pods imo.side note I have a fish boi load around the same as greg has and I have never lost a fish either from this chemical.

 

[SherryQ]

Greg - I thought you were a chemist or something - can't you analize the stuff and figure out what is in it?

 

[ReeferMedic]

I've used it many times in many tanks, never a problem. One word of caution..make sure you use a good limewood airstone during treatment, as it does rob the tank of O2 and with the skimmer off you will need the extra air.

Also I've noticed they went through a package change fairly recently, I've been meaning to make a call and make sure no product change accompanied it. Might be worth the "dime" before taking the plunge.

I just used it with the new packaging Marc and all is well.

This is probably the only thing I'll add to my tank besides ca,kh, and mg. I've never had an issue with using it. I usually use it at night while the fish are less active, because it reduces the O2 saturation in the water. Make sure you shut your skimmer off and remove all carbon while treating.

 

[Clam Man]

I just used it with the new packaging Marc and all is well.

This is probably the only thing I'll add to my tank besides ca,kh, and mg. I've never had an issue with using it. I usually use it at night while the fish are less active, because it reduces the O2 saturation in the water. Make sure you shut your skimmer off and remove all carbon while treating.

(adding to this)also remove filter bags and any foam you may be using.I remove my skimmer and give it a good cleaning at this time.

 

[Greg Hiller]

>Greg - I thought you were a chemist or something <

Chemical engineer, but even if I were a chemist, I don't think it's completely trivial to figure out the composition of a chemical what you have no idea what tests to start with.