Chemiclean vs the skimmer!

[slythy]

I got done with using chemiclean to clear up some cyano in my frag tank which is connected to my main tank for a total of 280gallons. I treated the whole tank.

Now i have let my skimmer overflow for 40gal and have stopped because i ran out of FSW. I put Rox carbon and turned my uv on so hopefully that helps overnight but any idea on how many more gallons to expect to change?

Thanks!

 

[edsbeaker]

I’m not sure I’m understanding exactly, so forgive me if I’m assuming wrong! It sounds to me as if you are taking out the overflowing skimmer water? I think you are supposed to just take off the skimmer cup and let the skimmer overflow back into the sump during those first 48 hours. You shouldn’t be taking the overflowing skimmer water out of the tank. You are just taking the chemiclean out with it. Also, the overflowing skimmer helps to maintain oxygen levels. Usually a water change of just 20% is all you need to do after the 48 hours is up. The skimmer might continue to go crazy for a few days.

 

[areefer01]

I'm also not following as @edsbeaker noted above. The skimmer will go a bit nutty during the treatment. I can't speak for all hobbyist but typically you just remove the collection cup and let it continue to run. It will overflow into the sump which is fine. Also you turn off UV, ozone, and carbon. Then do a 20% water change 48 hours after. Instructions below.

 

[slythy]

Sorry i weote this while walking to do something else. Im done with the treatment but using my skimmer to pull out the chemiclean having it overflow into the bucket. Im at around 40gallons pulled out through my skimmer. Is the 20% about what id need to pull out before skinner works agsin?

 

[Saltyanimals]

Sorry i weote this while walking to do something else. Im done with the treatment but using my skimmer to pull out the chemiclean having it overflow into the bucket. Im at around 40gallons pulled out through my skimmer. Is the 20% about what id need to pull out before skinner works agsin?

How did it eventually go? Your last response was about 6 months ago I assume you're back to normal and got all the chemiclean out. I'm in the same boat. I've folks ended up pulling out many many gallons of foam after treatment. I'm in a 180 and on day 6 (2 back to back chemiclean treatments) and just booted up fresh carbon in a reactor and starting to work on the chemiclean removal.

I still have cyano even after 2x treatment, but I don't see myself doing a third round so getting it out is inevitable and will take days anyways. I did notice my PO4 did go up from zero which is good because it tells me the tank is starting to come back into balance and maybe less cyano that was keeping it at zero for last several months. I know it'll take awhile before normal, but how long did you end up take out the chemiclean?

 

[slythy]

How did it eventually go? Your last response was about 6 months ago I assume you're back to normal and got all the chemiclean out. I'm in the same boat. I've folks ended up pulling out many many gallons of foam after treatment. I'm in a 180 and on day 6 (2 back to back chemiclean treatments) and just booted up fresh carbon in a reactor and starting to work on the chemiclean removal.

I still have cyano even after 2x treatment, but I don't see myself doing a third round so getting it out is inevitable and will take days anyways. I did notice my PO4 did go up from zero which is good because it tells me the tank is starting to come back into balance and maybe less cyano that was keeping it at zero for last several months. I know it'll take awhile before normal, but how long did you end up take out the chemiclean?

I think i ended up at around 60gallons. I used it again recently and only had to pull out about 10g and it was fine.

Mines around 280g total

 

[DatReefGuy]

Sorry i weote this while walking to do something else. Im done with the treatment but using my skimmer to pull out the chemiclean having it overflow into the bucket. Im at around 40gallons pulled out through my skimmer. Is the 20% about what id need to pull out before skinner works agsin?

Yes you are supposed to shut off your skimmer during treatment. Then, do a 20% water change at the end and turn your skimmer back on. I wouldn’t let it overflow and empty it that way. You might have to retune the skimmer to compensate for the chemiclean still being in the water. This will eventually go away and you’ll have to adjust again.

 

[edsbeaker]

Yes you are supposed to shut off your skimmer during treatment. Then, do a 20% water change at the end and turn your skimmer back on. I wouldn’t let it overflow and empty it that way. You might have to retune the skimmer to compensate for the chemiclean still being in the water. This will eventually go away and you’ll have to adjust again.

During treatment It is best to leave the skimmer ON, but with the collection cup OFF letting the foam overflow back into the sump. You want the extra oxygenation that the skimmer provides when dosing Chemiclean, and this way the skimmer is providing that without filtering out the chemiclean.

 

[Saltyanimals]

I think i ended up at around 60gallons. I used it again recently and only had to pull out about 10g and it was fine.

Mines around 280g total

wow. 60g out of 280. there's your 20% WC coming through as skimmer overflow. The larger systems is where the WC is a PIA which is why I asked how much foam you actually collected. I'm technically still "in treatment" with skimmer head-less. 5 days from last dose so not sure how much chemiclean is still active anyways.

I'm running fresh GAC expecting it to bind hoping to reduce the total foam collection when I eventually start. BC I'm lazy to do the large WC, I may just run 2x GAC for another week before attempting to skim out. Maybe a couple reactor cans of GAC can be an alternative to WC.

 

[Saltyanimals]

Reporting back to share. My post above was 4 days ago and my skimmer is back to normal. I have not done a WC. The canister of GAC is cheaper bituminous, but seemed to really remove the chemiclean if I'm using the skimmer as a gauge. I opted to save my rox and used the cheaper stuff expecting to go through several cans, but 2-3 cups did it through a reactor. Still headless, but it stopped overflowing and back to normal operations. At this point, I'm assuming my GAC is fully exhausted and planning to run another fresh can today as a precaution to finish it off.

Take away? Maybe WC isn't needed after all.

And while on chemiclean... did it work? I think so? I did 2 total rounds back to back. Tomorrow would be day 14 since I started the first treatment. 4 days after first treatment cyano didn't seem to budge hence my 2nd treatment. I started daily big dose of Bacter7 the same day I started GAC (4days after 2nd treatment) to replenish the bacteria that was nuked by chemiclean. Hard to say which was the cure, but together it seemed to work for my at least anecdotally. It's still there, but significantly improved. Planning on continuing the daily bacter 7 for another week or so to help repopulate. Note I am a long time carbon doser via biopellets so that may aid in the repopulation boost. I really wasn't expecting cyano to go away in the 24/48 hrs that I've seen other comment here maybe bc of a 180g system. 2-3 weeks is a winner in my books as things happen slowly in this hobby.