Away for 3.5 days wish i never left

Kingsley_Reef · Nov 30, 2025

Away for the holiday came back to a cyano outbreak and my yellow watchman stuck to the powerhead

I been battling nutrient swings for a little bit now due to a crashed refugium all the cheato died and was growing hair algea I wound up removing everything so nutrients have been higher then preferred when I left in the 26 I tested N-17 p-0.11 I had small patch of cyano in the sandbed 4inch square max I’ve been siphoning weekly trying to remove it probably due to the issue I just mentioned but it has completely take over most the rock and sand now within days corals are are slightly stressed (mostly small sps frags) all fish seem okay the yellow watchman is old 6+ years not sure how he got stuck to the side of the powerhead or how long he was there he’s still alive and swimming around but i doubt he’s going to make it has a large laceration on its side and it’s eye is damaged nitrate and phosphate are elevated even more making water now for a large water change but I really need advice to gain control of the cyano outbreak do I go straight for the chemiclean treatment?

Nitrate22.9 (Hanna)
Phosphate0.13(Hanna)
Alk8.54(trident)
Cal430(trident)
Mag1366(trident)
Nitrite0(salifert)
Ammonia0(salifert)

KrisReef · Nov 30, 2025

The watchman looks very skinny. Not sure if that’s a result of the powerhead problem or a symptom of poor health and old end of life age?

rowenaad · Nov 30, 2025

I’d say go for chemiclean. I never had any ill effects using them and its my goto solution, quick and easy. However, cyano can occur at all nutrient levels and i dont think yours are too high, but i dont see any cuc?

Kingsley_Reef · Nov 30, 2025

KrisReef said:
The watchman looks very skinny. Not sure if that’s a result of the powerhead problem or a symptom of poor health and old end of life age?

He has always been elusive in this tank we don’t see much of him so it’s hard to say

Kingsley_Reef · Nov 30, 2025

rowenaad said:
I’d say go for chemiclean. I never had any ill effects using them and it’s my goto solution, quick and easy. However, cyano can occur at all nutrient levels and i dont think yours are too high, but i dont see any cuc?

There’s tons of snails and blue leg hermits there’s even a conch

Kingsley_Reef · Dec 1, 2025

Update moved watchman goby to a isolation box and he survived the night breathing has improved some color returned still in bad shape overall the laceration shows improvement but his eye injury is pretty bad LFS gave me melafix but said it’s probably a lost cause also said I probably shouldn’t start chemiclean until he passes

KrisReef · Dec 1, 2025

Kingsley_Reef said:
Update moved watchman goby to a isolation box and he survived the night breathing has improved some color returned still in bad shape overall the laceration shows improvement but his eye injury is pretty bad LFS gave me melafix but said it’s probably a lost cause also said I probably shouldn’t start chemiclean until he passes

Actually, for eye infections erythromycin is a common medication used in marine fish treatment. ChemiClean active ingredient is E micin.

https://www.reef2reef.com/threads/whats-in-chemiclean.348538/

Kingsley_Reef · Dec 1, 2025

KrisReef said:
Actually, for eye infections erythromycin is a common medication used in marine fish treatment. ChemiClean active ingredient is E micin.

https://www.reef2reef.com/threads/whats-in-chemiclean.348538/

So what do you think it’s safe to start the chemiclean process?

KrisReef · Dec 1, 2025

Kingsley_Reef said:
So what do you think it’s safe to start the chemiclean process?

The treatment is fish safe.

Kingsley_Reef · Dec 1, 2025

KrisReef said:
The treatment is fish safe.

Any advice on using it I have never used chemiclean before

I got air pumps and stones I plan on taking the cup off the skimmer and let it do its thing

Should I blast the cyano first with an turkey baster and siphon as much out at possible during a water change then dose it I know I have to do another large water change 48 hours after

Dom · Dec 1, 2025

KrisReef said:
The watchman looks very skinny. Not sure if that’s a result of the powerhead problem or a symptom of poor health and old end of life age?

In my experience, healthy fish don't get stuck to power heads.

Kingsley_Reef · Dec 1, 2025

Dom said:
In my experience, healthy fish don't get stuck to power heads.

Agree not sure how it happened or why exactly but im betting more it’s end of life stage since it is nearly 7years old and all other fish are fat and healthy

KrisReef · Dec 1, 2025

Kingsley_Reef said:
Any advice on using it I have never used chemiclean before

I got air pumps and stones I plan on taking the cup off the skimmer and let it do its thing

Should I blast the cyano first with an turkey baster and siphon as much out at possible during a water change then dose it I know I have to do another large water change 48 hours after

I don’t recall the directions for using chemiclean. I just followed the directions, but I do recall that both times I used it I did Two Treatments, and then used wet skimming to do a 25%(?) water change.

I have a drain port on my skimmer cup.! I ran a hose from the skimmer port to a 5 gallon bucket, and topped off the tank with clean saltwater and allowed the skimmer to remove 5 gallons, and repeated that process until the skimmer stopped over flowing.

vetteguy53081 · Dec 1, 2025

Kingsley_Reef said:
Away for the holiday came back to a cyano outbreak and my yellow watchman stuck to the powerhead

I been battling nutrient swings for a little bit now due to a crashed refugium all the cheato died and was growing hair algea I wound up removing everything so nutrients have been higher then preferred when I left in the 26 I tested N-17 p-0.11 I had small patch of cyano in the sandbed 4inch square max I’ve been siphoning weekly trying to remove it probably due to the issue I just mentioned but it has completely take over most the rock and sand now within days corals are are slightly stressed (mostly small sps frags) all fish seem okay the yellow watchman is old 6+ years not sure how he got stuck to the side of the powerhead or how long he was there he’s still alive and swimming around but i doubt he’s going to make it has a large laceration on its side and it’s eye is damaged nitrate and phosphate are elevated even more making water now for a large water change but I really need advice to gain control of the cyano outbreak do I go straight for the chemiclean treatment?

Nitrate22.9 (Hanna)
Phosphate0.13(Hanna)
Alk8.54(trident)
Cal430(trident)
Mag1366(trident)
Nitrite0(salifert)
Ammonia0(salifert)

Was watchman fed while you were gone?
As for cyano, likely causes were
- Protein skimmer which fills water with air bubbles which form from the reaction chamber allow dissolved organic compound molecules stick to them. Foam forms at the surface of the water and is then transferred to the collection cup, where it settles as skim-mate. When a protein skimmer is ineffective or absent or cant keep up with the tank, the air bubbles created might be insufficient and can trigger this outbreak .
- Using Aminos can actually feed cyano.
- Overstocking / overfeeding, your tank with nutrients is often causes cyano
- Adding live rock that isn’t completely cured will be a breeding ground for this red slime .
- If you don’t change your water regularly, you’ll soon have this red substance as regular water changes dissolve nutrients which support cyano
- Using water high in nitrates or phosphates are a base for cyano. . . . . Tap water is an example of po4 and no3 introduction.
- Inadequate water flow is often a chief cause of cyano as slow moving water combined with excessive dissolved nutrients creates red slime algae

I recommend to reduce white light intensity or even turn them off for 3-5 days. Do a good vacuuming of sand and blow stuff loose with a turkey baster at same time. Add liquid bacteria daily for a week during the day at 1.5ml per 10 gallons. Add Hydrogen peroxide at night at 1ml per 10 gallons. Add a pouch of chemipure Elite which will balance phos and nitrate and keep them in check.

After the 5 days, add a few snails such as cerith, margarita, astrea and nassarius plus 6-8 blue leg hermits to take control.

Kingsley_Reef · Dec 2, 2025

vetteguy53081 said:
Was watchman fed while you were gone?
As for cyano, likely causes were
- Protein skimmer which fills water with air bubbles which form from the reaction chamber allow dissolved organic compound molecules stick to them. Foam forms at the surface of the water and is then transferred to the collection cup, where it settles as skim-mate. When a protein skimmer is ineffective or absent or cant keep up with the tank, the air bubbles created might be insufficient and can trigger this outbreak .
- Using Aminos can actually feed cyano.
- Overstocking / overfeeding, your tank with nutrients is often causes cyano
- Adding live rock that isn’t completely cured will be a breeding ground for this red slime .
- If you don’t change your water regularly, you’ll soon have this red substance as regular water changes dissolve nutrients which support cyano
- Using water high in nitrates or phosphates are a base for cyano. . . . . Tap water is an example of po4 and no3 introduction.
- Inadequate water flow is often a chief cause of cyano as slow moving water combined with excessive dissolved nutrients creates red slime algae

I recommend to reduce white light intensity or even turn them off for 3-5 days. Do a good vacuuming of sand and blow stuff loose with a turkey baster at same time. Add liquid bacteria daily for a week during the day at 1.5ml per 10 gallons. Add Hydrogen peroxide at night at 1ml per 10 gallons. Add a pouch of chemipure Elite which will balance phos and nitrate and keep them in check.

After the 5 days, add a few snails such as cerith, margarita, astrea and nassarius plus 6-8 blue leg hermits to take control.

What Bacto you recommend I have been dosing microbater7 off and on haven’t really seen any difference