i have a solution for cyno-bacteria

[LOTUS50GOD]

A friend of mine who owns a LFS had an idea to get rid of cyno. I was skeptical at first, but it does work.

He explained to my that cyno-bacteria is a BACTERIA....
And like all bacterias it can be killed with anti-biotics.

So I had some medical grade eurithamycin (sp?) in the medicine cabinet. I put 2 crushed up pills in the tank the 1st day. And 1 the second.

I turned off my carbon, but left the skimmer and ozone running.
Within 48 hours ALL the cyno was gone.

There is no doubt in my mind that it killed the GOOD bacteria too, but the point is that all corals & fish are doing fine.
All paramters are testing in acceptable ranges.

 

[mdrc]

wow that's something to think about

 

[reefergeorge]

Did you put the pills right into your 340? If so you are one brave individual. I would like to see someone do some side by side experiments on a smaller scale. Great idea though.

 

[liverock]

works

works

Has been my cure for folks for years...

don't freak if the tank turns blood red for a day or two...happened to me...

adjust dosage by gallons..

no more cyno...ever!

Richard TBS

 

[unbreakable]

whats the difference between this and chemi-clean?

 

[LOTUS50GOD]

<a href=showthread.php?s=&postid=13220119#post13220119 target=_blank>Originally posted</a> by reefergeorge
Did you put the pills right into your 340? If so you are one brave individual. I would like to see someone do some side by side experiments on a smaller scale. Great idea though.

Ya.. I crushed up the pills and put them in. I was really getting desperate trying to find a biological solution. There is 0 phospates in the tank due to my GFO reactor.

I am sure the cyno was consuming some phosphates, so I am hoping that the GFO and the cheato (sp?) will take up the slack.

 

[LOTUS50GOD]

<a href=showthread.php?s=&postid=13220137#post13220137 target=_blank>Originally posted</a> by unbreakable
whats the difference between this and chemi-clean?

Not sure, but I had to have a perscription to get my eurithamycin.
So maybe its purity

 

[LOTUS50GOD]

Re: works

Re: works

<a href=showthread.php?s=&postid=13220121#post13220121 target=_blank>Originally posted</a> by liverock
Has been my cure for folks for years...

don't freak if the tank turns blood red for a day or two...happened to me...

adjust dosage by gallons..

no more cyno...ever!

Richard TBS

Today is day 4... tank didnt turn red.... Thank God.. cause I would have freaked.... LOL

 

[atvdave]

I'd really like to get a Chemist view point on this issue.

I'm going to post a link from the Chemistry forums to see if anyone knows of any negative effects.

 

[ChuckLawson]

I remember people doing this with Maracyn I (which at least used to be erythromycin) years ago, but I also recall a lot of discussion about it inhibiting nitrification under some circumstances. You might want to watch your ammonia levels for a few days, just in case...

 

[Agu]

Antibiotics have worked for years to kill bacteria, red slime remover comes to mind. Your skimmer will also go crazy and overflow if you aren't careful.

It works and I've used antibiotics so I'm not throwing stones. However if the problem is caused by bad husbandry practices the slime will just return.

 

[flashyleopard]

Re: i have a solution for cyno-bacteria

There is no doubt in my mind that it killed the GOOD bacteria too, but the point is that all corals & fish are doing fine.
All paramters are testing in acceptable ranges. [/B][/QUOTE]


This is the problem. For a stocked tank, now you have no bacteria to manage the fish waste and untilt he antibiotic dissapates, no new bacteria can establish. The entire cycleing process has just been restarted, but now you have sensitive fish and corals in there to weather the woes of an unestablished biological filter. Maybe you will be fine and have no side affects, but the facts still don't add up. Also, some antibiotics target certain bacteria. Not all antibiotics will kill all types of bacteria. metronidazole for example, is affective for treating C.diff, which is a pathonogenic bacteria that takes hold in the gut when the good gut flora and fauna have been disrupted by other medicines or illness. The metronidazole works, b/c it does not harm the good gut fauna. I don't think we know enough to be dosing atibiotics in our tanks this way. You also be potentailly creating drug resistant bacteria in your system, b/c any bacteria not killed, will reproduce and be resistant to treatment. Antibiotics work by sustained levels, not usually a one shot does. I am not preaching at you, just pointing out that this is not a ''first choice cure''.

 

[LOTUS50GOD]

I would have to agree that this was a little extreme. The LFS store owner had done this before, and used this technique for several years. I have never seen ANY cyno in his tanks ever.

I have heard of too many stories of chemiclean nuking tanks, so I wanted to try something different. It appears to be working. My skimmer is going nutz... and the cyno appears to be gone. My sand is nice and white, like the day I put it in. ...

My tank isnt overstocked with fish, but I do have 400 gallons total water volume. To be honest its kinda hard to screw up a big tank due to the amount of water.

Anyway.. figured I would share my experience.

 

[seapug]

I used this method once when I first started. Killed the cyano but tank took a general downward spiral about 3 weeks later. Could have been the death of all the nitrifying bacteria or could have been the rot caused by the dying bacteria... I really don't know.
Hopefully you'll have better luck than I did.

I've found running a phosban reactor and keeping my Alkalinity in the proper range keeps it in check nowadays.

 

[Sk8r]

Chemiclean says it does not use 'erythromycin succinate" but does use "another antibiotic."
Surviving the use of any such treatment depends on the seriousness of the cyano and the efficiency of the tank skimmer, plus fish load and oxygenation. If your tank sandbed is compromised at the very time all this dead bacterial load (plus its own) has to be processed, the result can be a tank crash, ie, tank loses capacity to oxygenate and heads back into a cycle: all fish die, starting with tangs and angels (highest oxy requirement) and proceeding to others. The only thing to do at that point is get all fish and inverts out to clean water and let the tank cycle again.

 

[flyyyguy]

if y ou have cyano ......there are some basic fundamental issues that need addressed as far as tank set up, husbandry habits or both.

Putting a band aid over them is not going to fix them, and while it may make the cyano go away temporarily or otherwise, it will not be doing you any favors in the long run as the problems still exist, and will affect every coral you try to keep one way or another.

fix the problem, dont cover it up with duct tape

 

[BuddhaKiss]

Keep an eye out on your nutrient level. With the cyano gone you might get an outbreak of green hair algae.

 

[LOTUS50GOD]

I have a little hair algea now. I will take H/A over cyno anyday.

 

[ostrow]

Chemiclean says it does not use 'erythromycin succinate" but does use "another antibiotic."

Where does it say that? I have an old bottle I never used and it doesn't say that anywhere.

 

[prickles]

how is this different from using any commercially avail "red slime remover?" They are all antibiotics, aren't they? You treat, wait 5 days, turn skimmer back on and do a 25% water change. Skimmer goes nuts for about 4 cupfuls and then you're done.