Second Dose of Chemiclean in A FOWLER-- What if I "Don't" Do The 20% Water Change?

[JumboShrimp]

Just curious: I put a dose of Chemiclean into my 150-gallon FOWLER per instructions, and it did a great job as always, but there is some 'stubborn' spots left on the rocks 3 days later. If I want to be lazy and NOT do a 20% water-change before dosing for a second time, will anything terrible happen?

 

[Dan_P]

Just curious: I put a dose of Chemiclean into my 150-gallon FOWLER per instructions, and it did a great job as always, but there is some 'stubborn' spots left on the rocks 3 days later. If I want to be lazy and NOT do a 20% water-change before dosing for a second time, will anything terrible happen?

I never understood why a water change is suggested. Why does reducing X by 20%, but leaving 80% so effective? I suspect the water change is a feel good CYA recommendation.

If you are applying a second dose soon after the first dose without allowing time for the first does to be removed by GAC and your skimmer, I would worry the the combination of the first dose and second dose puts it beyond the recommended dose. Chemiclean is antibiotic.

 

[MnFish1]

Maybe its best to just follow the directions? anything posted here is just guessing. In your case I might not have used chemiclean at all - but just changed water.

 

[mdb_talon]

I am sure there is good reason for the WC recommendation. I assume to dilute toxins(either the chemiclean itself or what dying bacteria may release).

Whether it will cause you issues not to do it....who knows....

 

[Randy Holmes-Farley]

I personally do not presume that manufacturers (including this one) know what they are doing, since many obviously do not. Manufacturers must earn trust. This one does not earn such trust from me.

That said, I agree that a water change to reduce toxins is a fine idea.

But I also agree with Dan that a 20% drop in toxins is unlikely to be a magic cure without knowing the scope of the problem in any given tank.

 

[Poof No Eyebrows]

I think it has to do with your skimmer blowing out. ChemI clean makes skimmers go nuts.

 

[MnFish1]

I think it has to do with your skimmer blowing out. ChemI clean makes skimmers go nuts.

Yes. -this.

 

[Randy Holmes-Farley]

Yes. -this.

20% less prevents that?

 

[piranhaman00]

Drop the chemi clean and use peroxide.

 

[Poof No Eyebrows]

20% less prevents that?

In my experience it's closer to 40% which is what I do when I decide to "whiten" my sand.

 

[Randy Holmes-Farley]

FWIW, I doubt the skimmer effect is from the erythromycin in the product, but either a surfactant it is formulated with (such co-formulations are common to boost its solubility), or from the products released from dead cyanobacteria.

 

[Poof No Eyebrows]

Good points. I've seen surfactants mentioned several times in threads discussing foamy skimmers.

 

[MnFish1]

20% less prevents that?

Believe it or not - yes. I don't know if it prevents it for 'everyone' - but when I have used chemiclean - I leave my skimmer 'Cupless' for 2-3 days - when it would wildly overflow. Then to a water change. as recommended. And then - with adjusting my skimmer I can avoid the wild overflow by setting it differently. Had I not done the water change - I could not have done it.

 

[legionofdoon]

I haven't used it in awhile but last time I did I just set up a five gallon bucket for collecting the skimmer overflow and replaced what I collected with new water as needed. On my 40 it took about 2.5 buckets before it went back to normal. I figured that doing it that way would get more of the surfactant in basically a more efficient manner than just a normal water change.

 

[Randy Holmes-Farley]

I figured that doing it that way would get more of the surfactant in basically a more efficient manner than just a normal water change.

I agree, that is very likely true.

 

[Unholy_Rigatoni]

Believe it or not - yes. I don't know if it prevents it for 'everyone' - but when I have used chemiclean - I leave my skimmer 'Cupless' for 2-3 days - when it would wildly overflow. Then to a water change. as recommended. And then - with adjusting my skimmer I can avoid the wild overflow by setting it differently. Had I not done the water change - I could not have done it.

+1. What I did was simply run the skimmer drain into a bucket post dose. For my 30g it took around 3-4g of water to stop overflowing. Might not work with larger tanks since you have to keep an eye on how much is drained.

 

[MnFish1]

+1. What I did was simply run the skimmer drain into a bucket post dose. For my 30g it took around 3-4g of water to stop overflowing. Might not work with larger tanks since you have to keep an eye on how much is drained.

I have done that as well