Dr. Tim's Refresh?

[aceofspadeskb]

For users of Dr. Tim's Refresh product...

I'm thinking of using the Refresh and Waste-Away products approach to eliminating a cyano problem I am having. Refresh has a warning to remove snails and shrimp from the aquarium prior to use. This seems a bit crazy... Have any of you had problems with invertebrate death when using this product? The description of the product makes it sound like overdosing the product would kill invertibrates. If I use a half dose or 3/4 dose, would I be okay to leave them in the aquarium? Would it be responsible to do so?

I'm not interested in using chemiclean or other medicated approaches so please keep this discussion focused on Dr. Tim's products.

Thanks in advance.

 

[AirForceAquariu]

From their website:

Note from DrTim's Aquatics As we try to make clear, using Re-Fresh only, will not stop red algae (cyanobacteria) or other nuisance algae from coming back because the dead/decaying material will just be re-cycled as more nutrients for the algae to grow back. You need to use Waste-Away bacteria after the Re-Fresh to degrade the dead material and have a skimmer and good mechanical filter that you clean often to get all the dead and decaying material out of your tank. Continue to use Waste-Away to consume organics, phosphate and nitrate. Finally, evaluate your system - are you feeding too much, not cleaning often enough? Excess organics and nutrients will lead to cyano and nuisance algae.

This is not good stuff to just go dumping in a reef. If you have coral it will not enjoy this either. You could do serious permanent damage to your reef (or FOWLR) with this.

Cyano can be defeated by adding flow where needed and a 3 day total blackout. Much cheaper and 100% effective if followed on by removing excess nutrients with regular water changes.

 

[aceofspadeskb]

They do make a "reef safe" version of the product. Perhaps you are looking at the wrong thing. Corals should be fine and I can't find any evidence to the contrary. Do you have experience with the product?

Blacking out the lights will not address the actual issue. I have as much flow as my tank will allow. I've tried about everything you could learn in a Killing Cyano 101 course. Adding competing beneficial bacteria seems like a good step and the product has great endorsements from big names in the reef hobby(i.e. Mark Callahan for one).

Has anyone used this product? Please chime in.

 

[AirForceAquariu]

I understand that. That was a comment they left on a poor review of their product. Essentially they are saying this product will not address the underlying issue either. It will have the same effect as the 3 day black out, which I also said would not address your underlying issue.

If you do have proper flow then you are not getting proper nutrient export. What is your water change schedule? If I fall off because of work I will see it creeping and it will vanish after a solid water change.