Chemiclean

[faulkincanyon]

So I have been battling an outbreak of red slime for a couple months and was advised to try chemiclean. I put the correct amount in for my tank size and added airstones for extra aeration and removed carbon from my hang on filter. Well woke up this morning and all my fish are dead and coral is retracted but all inverts are fine. Anyone had any problems like this?

 

[SaltWater226]

sorry for your loss it sounds like they ran out of air.

 

[ingtar_shinowa]

Its not uncommon.

 

[degibson84]

I just ran chemiclean a few weeks back i did not add airstones only removed the collection cup on the skimmer so it would just foam over. didn't lose anything except the red slime.

 

[ReefDabs710]

I've used it a few times to battle cyanobacteria, if thats what your mean by red slime, ive heard it called that aswell
I just made sure to run the skimmer still but not high enough to skim, just to add oxygen. Aswell as added air injection right by the the sump return pump so it dispersed it all through the tank.
Then did the recommened amount of water change. Cleared right up.

The last time it happend it was relentless the recommended dosage didn't work, two different times, so I increased the dosage and inconjunction with an increased dosage, syphoning sand when doing water changes aswell as replacing the light bulbs, it cleaered it up.

But I've never lost livestock when using chemiclean.
Old bulbs can contribute to cyano outbreaks.

 

[ReefDabs710]

When's the last time you replaced your lighting?

 

[faulkincanyon]

lighting is about 3 months old...I know the causes of cyanobacteria and have used chemiclean years ago but am more concerned with the dead fish...all fish are gone but all inverts are just fine...seems weird to me that the package says completely safe for fish and coral and then wake up with an empty tank...got the hang on back stuff going along with powerheads and put the extra air stones in..not much I can do about it now I guess..

 

[AcroporAddict]

I've used ChemiClen at least 8 times over the last 6 years or so on different reef tanks and have never had a problem. Just treated a 465 gallon SPS tank and a mixed 100 gallon reef tank a couple months ago and it worked like a charm as usual.

Did you siphon out as much cyano as you could before treatment? What is the net volume of your system, and how much ChemiClean did you add?

 

[Reefnub]

Could be from all the die off cyano or just lack of oxygen.

 

[faulkincanyon]

I got as much out as possible before I added the chemiclean....the tank is 40 gallons and used the one level scoop per gallon as indicated on the package. I have never had this issue until now and with airstones going that are not normally even in my tank going I just dont know how there would not be oxygen especially seeing how it was just two clownfish and inverts. I am thinking it must be the die off but still who doesn't get die off when using the product..kinda the point of using it.

 

[beachguy]

I lost some inverts last time I used it.

 

[Sk8r]

Oxygen depletion, likely. It is a known problem.

 

[beachguy]

yeah that is what I figured.

 

[AcroporAddict]

I got as much out as possible before I added the chemiclean....the tank is 40 gallons and used the one level scoop per gallon as indicated on the package. I have never had this issue until now and with airstones going that are not normally even in my tank going I just dont know how there would not be oxygen especially seeing how it was just two clownfish and inverts. I am thinking it must be the die off but still who doesn't get die off when using the product..kinda the point of using it.

Bud,
You used 10 times the recommended dosage! The dosage printed on the package is one level scoop per 10 gallons.

See, this is the problem when you get these reports that "chemiclean nuked my tank." User error is the issue, not the product.

 

[AcroporAddict]

Oxygen depletion, likely. It is a known problem.

Overdose is the problem, not oxygen depletion.

 

[faulkincanyon]

I used a total of 4 scoops...1 per ten gallons of water...miss worded that...like I said I have used this stuff several times in the past years with no issues.

 

[faulkincanyon]

No offense but I would not be dumb enough to put 1 scoop per gallon when the container is the size of a thimble...lol

 

[AcroporAddict]

Hey, just responding to what you wrote. Sorry you had issues, but I never have, for whatever reason. For me, ChemiClean is one reef product that always does what is says without any ill effects, used as directed.

 

[faulkincanyon]

Yes I know I did write it wrong and just wanted to clear things up..I also have never had problems but when you do use it as directed and lose about 500 dollars in livestock and coral it is a big deal...I did not mean to be rude or anything just wanted you to know that I did write that wrong and did in fact use as directed and actually probably to a degree more than most..(I know a lot of people who have claimed to not of added air stones or anything even though the box has in bold it is a must)...just upset about my loss really and not understanding seeing how I never had problems before.

 

[AcroporAddict]

No problem. Not sure about anyone else, but I have always used Vortech pumps for circulation in my reef tanks, so maybe I get a bit more oxygenation using high flow pumps.

Is your setup an all in one, and do you have a sump? What type of in-tank circulation do you have?

I wonder if there could be a correlation between AIOs with maybe less water flow through them vs a setup with a sump where you have water cascading down an overflow, etc, 24/7, and/or the use of Vortech flow capacity pumps in the tank?

My two reefs (465 gallon sps and a 100 gallon mixed) both have sumps and Vortech pumps for circulation. I have four MP60s and two MP40s in the 465 with about 45,000 gph peak flow, and a single MP40 at about 40% flow in the 100 gallon tank, maybe 1500 gph on that one.