Chemiclean question

[Ksmmike]

Hello,

I used chemiclean recently to fend off some cyno. The product worked as described and it cleared out 99% of it within 2 days. I then did a water change after 2 days and added carbon as recommended but my skimmer was still going bonkers. I waited 4 more days and did another 25% water change earlier today. The skimmer is still going bonkers. Not quite as bad but its still overflowing no matter what I do.

Is this common? How many water changes will I have to do? Has anyone else run into this problem? I know I didnt add too much chemiclean, if anything, I only did about 80% of the recommended dose. I've noticed some dinos starting to grow now too since either because my skimmer hasnt been taking anything out or its a result of using the chemiclean.

Thoughts anyone? Is it matter of doing water changes until the skimmer goes back to normal?

thanks
Mike

 

[Troy V]

This has happened to me as well. I have figured out a way to superficially skim the tank while dosing chemi-clean. I take the skimmer pump off the skimmer. Place it in the drain portion of the sump. Foam will accumulate in the chamber, and simply remove the top layer of foam. Which will be dark brown. This will make it much faster and easier to use your skimmer again.HTH

 

[W1ngz]

Turn down the skimmer to it's lowest setting, maybe even raise it in the water (or lower the sump level a bit) and empty the cup as often as you can. It'll settle down eventually.

 

[Terry Mattson]

I lowered the water level in the skimmer and reduced amount of air in the intake. Chemclean really worked well and did not kill anything including pods. Took about 3 days and then slowly opened the air intake and then adjusted skimmer level back to normal.

 

[Ksmmike]

thanks all. I'll give the ideas a try.

Mike

 

[Terry Mattson]

I lowered the water level in the skimmer and reduced amount of air in the intake. Chemclean really worked well and did not kill anything including pods. Took about 3 days and then slowly opened the air intake and then adjusted skimmer level back to normal.

thanks all. I'll give the ideas a try.

Mike

I want to add that when I used chemiclean I ran a womd air stone in the sump ro keek o2 levels up.

 

[Ksmmike]

Thanks Terry,

I ran an airstone too. I tried to follow the instructions all the way. I've been emptying the cup every couple of hours and that seems to working.

thanks again
Mike

 

[jd371]

I've dosed chemiclean a few times in my tank and the last time I tried something different and had the skimmer working normal quickly. I sat next to the skimmer with a bucket of freshly mixed water and when the cup filled up I'd dump it and add fresh water from the bucket to the sump. I did this for about 30 min. and the skimmer stopped overflowing.

 

[Ksmmike]

I've dosed chemiclean a few times in my tank and the last time I tried something different and had the skimmer working normal quickly. I sat next to the skimmer with a bucket of freshly mixed water and when the cup filled up I'd dump it and add fresh water from the bucket to the sump. I did this for about 30 min. and the skimmer stopped overflowing.

Thanks, that's a good idea. Was it salt water or RODI? I would assume salt but want to make sure. Its been days and mine is still overflowing.

 

[Terry Mattson]

Thanks, that's a good idea. Was it salt water or RODI? I would assume salt but want to make sure. Its been days and mine is still overflowing.

Did you do a 20 or 30 percent water change? I ran fresh carbon after that and it was back to normal in a few days.

 

[vetteguy53081]

yes, this stuff makes the skimmer go nuts. I let the agent work a few more days after disappearance then do a water change and add carbon. You may have to turn the skimmer down and bring it back up slowly

 

[Ksmmike]

Ive done 2 20% water changes and added carbon. I ran chemiclean once close to a year ago and didnt have this problem. I followed all the directions and the skimmer returned to normal in a few days but this time its been over a week and its still not right. Ive turned it way down, almost to off. I've tried what someone else suggested in continuing to empty the cup (though I'm going to try adding water to the skimmer that someone else suggested) I bought fresh carbon. I've mixed fresh salt twice now. The skimmer is getting close to normal, meaning its barely overflowing now, but its still not working as it should. I know its heading in the right direction, but its taking much longer than it did the first time and I think I added less of the chemical this time. Weird. Welcome to reefing

thanks to everyone for trying to help.

Mike

 

[Ksmmike]

Hey all,

To close the case and everyone knows, I used Jd's suggestion of allowing the cup to fill and sit there and keep removing the water in the cup and adding water to the sump ( I added it to the same section as the skimmer) IT WORKED.
It took about 3 gallons of freshly mixed salt water and removing the water in the cup maybe 7-8 times and about an hours time, but it worked. The skimmer is back to normal.

thanks much for all the tips and to you JD. It worked great.

Mike

 

[homer1475]

Just dosed it 2 days ago, about to do my 20% WC and put the cup back on my skimmer. Curious to see what happens.

I'll certainly post back when I get the WC done and skimmer cup replaced.

 

[hsingh]

I've dosed chemiclean a few times in my tank and the last time I tried something different and had the skimmer working normal quickly. I sat next to the skimmer with a bucket of freshly mixed water and when the cup filled up I'd dump it and add fresh water from the bucket to the sump. I did this for about 30 min. and the skimmer stopped overflowing.

I followed this after doing a chemiclean dose. After the large water change (30%), got carbon going and then with the skimmer at its lowest setting, put a pipe in the cup that was sending the "skimmaate" to an external bucket. Switched off the ATO and manually added in salterwater. Amazingly after about 2 gallons, everything started to normalize and i took off the pipe connected to the cup and normalized everything. I was surprised that it worked so quickly! I had been running carbon for 2 days and was not seeing much of a change. Perhaps that also removed some of the chemicals hence it did not take much for the skimmer to complete the job? - Once again thank you for this suggestion, got my reef back to normal