Chemiclean

[Cscultho]

Thoughts from the fellow reefers on the use of chemiclean to treat Cyano? Yes or No? Recommendations please.

The algae is red/rusty brown with stringy tentacles..no bubbles.

Tank: 32g / 6-m old.
Nitrates are zero and I’m trying to increase slightly to 0-3ppm.
Phos approx 0.25
Only on fish -6 line wrasse
A couple zoa and a firework clove polyp

 

[bluemon]

It is mostly regarded to be reef safe with only a few freak crashes here or there.

I would only use it as a last resort.

I find that a lot of cyano problems can be solved with proper flow. What is the flow looking like in your tank?

It is also on the newer side of things so it should also go away a bit in time

 

[jda]

Make sure that it is bacteria instead of algae. Photo could help. Cyano is a matting bacteria.

ChemiClean is antibiotic, so it will affect more than matting bacteria. It is unknown what kind, but has been tested as Erythromycin in the past so make sure that nobody in your life is allergic.

I recommend that you try the BlueVet CyanoRx (or something like that). It does the same thing, but they have told us what is in the product. This type of antibiotic does not affect nitrifiers... and I at least like that company is trying to be honest.

Either is usually safe if you follow the instructions. I would still siphon out as much as you can - less to kill and die off in your tank.

 

[Doctorgori]

if you do use it be prepared for skimmer overflow

 

[Cscultho]

I’ve been manually removing it but it creeps back when the whites are on. I have two extra power heads in the tank so flow is sufficient

 

[bluemon]

I’ve been manually removing it but it creeps back when the whites are on. I have two extra power heads in the tank so flow is sufficient

Is it primarily on the sandbed? You should get some sand shifting organisms (like a conch).

 

[Cscultho]

Yes, only on the sand bed. Rocks are clean

 

[exnisstech]

I've used it in the past with mixed results. No bad side effects it just didn't seem to work very well the last time I used it. On a newer tank it may be worth riding it out. Vacuum as much as you can. Phosphate .25 isn't terrible but could be a little lower especially with almost no nitrate. It may be worth trying to lower phos a bit and raising nitrates and see how it goes.
I'm not a fan of adding chems especially in a newer tank.
Like @jda stated I would check out BlueVet CyanoRx if you go that route. At least the company is willing to disclose the secret ingredient rather than keep it secret. Too bad more companies aren't willing to do that.

 

[Cscultho]

Anybody had a Dino breakout after use a chemiclean type product?

 

[jda]

Dinos come when there is open real estate since they can set up camp faster than other things. It has happened. It can happen.

 

[exnisstech]

Anybody had a Dino breakout after use a chemiclean type product?

I did not but many times when you use a Chem to get rid of one problem another one rises to the occasion.
It's one reason I now try to ride out the uglies. My worst cyano outbreak was after I used flucanizole to get rid of GHA.

 

[Cscultho]

Thanks for the feedback. How long do I ride it out for before I look into other alternatives like chemicals?

 

[MnFish1]

Make sure that it is bacteria instead of algae. Photo could help. Cyano is a matting bacteria.

ChemiClean is antibiotic, so it will affect more than matting bacteria. It is unknown what kind, but has been tested as Erythromycin in the past so make sure that nobody in your life is allergic.

I recommend that you try the BlueVet CyanoRx (or something like that). It does the same thing, but they have told us what is in the product. This type of antibiotic does not affect nitrifiers... and I at least like that company is trying to be honest.

Either is usually safe if you follow the instructions. I would still siphon out as much as you can - less to kill and die off in your tank.

By definition, anything that kills cyanobacteria (a bacteria) is an antibiotic. I believe the new idea is that many of these products contain tylosin - related to erythromycin - but not erythromycin