Chemi Pure

[jahel318]

Okay so I haven't had a cyano outbreak for months up until a few weeks ago. I put chemi pure elite into my filter with direct flow and its been running for a month which should be taking care of the phosphates & silicates ( it says to change chemi bag once every 4 months). It's been 3 weeks since my feeding has decreased dramatically since my fish are all being quarantined in a seperate tank for ich. I have been doing the Vodka method, adding Nite Out II, and doing peroxide injections onto the areas of cyano growth. For some reason they keep growing back within 2-3 days. Usually when I combine these methods, growth halts and is totally wiped out for a very long time.

I'm feeding my snails/crabs only 1 pinch of frozen emerald entree 1-2 times a week and my reef capable lighting is on 8 hrs per day. I'm wondering since I lowered my powerhead flow slightly if this may be the cause but I don't think this should be the issue. My phosphates, amonia, nitrates, and nitrites are reading 0.

Any ideas?

 

[Reefer69]

No ideas, lots of questions tho.....

Cyano outbreak was a few weeks ago.

Chemi pure elite been running for a month.

Which came first?

What, praytell, are "peroxide injections onto the areas of cyano growth"?

Took fish out of DT 3 weeks ago? Where does this fall into the time line? Between the implementation of the Chemi pure and the advent of the Cyano?

Has it been positivly ID'd as Cyano?

Has Ich been confirmed?

Your phosphates, amonia, nitrates, and nitrites are reading 0.

Dosing Vodka and adding Nite Out II? Why?

What else in DT besides CUC?

I do not know what frozen emerald entree is, do CUC eat it?

You lowered your powerhead flow slightly. Why? Where in the time line does this fall?

Reef capable lighting is on 8 hrs per day. Not enough info to comment on lighting, aside from bulb condition.

 

[jahel318]

My mistake....I looked at my log last night. My filter sponge was changed a month ago (which needs a another change now) and my chemi pure 4 months ago(which also needs changed out now). So I will start with these 2 steps first. Peroxide injections are something I learned about from another hobbyist and I read up on. It kills algae and cyano by targeting the problem areas where the growth is. In my case, I inject with a syringe into the sand because the growth is on top of the sand. It kills the cyano almost instantly and doesn't grow back if your parameters are good.

Vodka helps eliminate phospates and nitrates as well and so I compliment the dose with Nite Out II just as common practice. It does help and I haven't had anyneg problems with normal params.

I'm not sure what CUC is....emerald entree is frozen food for omnivores containing meaty and veggies in the mix. I lowered my powerhead flow because I added some Xenia coral a month ago that I had just tied down to pieces of rubble and the water current was blowing them over. The lighting is brand new as I just upgraded approx 2 months ago.

 

[rrbigdog]

Maybe it's me but that is a lot of chemicals going in your tank all at once.

 

[Aquarian]

Maybe it's me but that is a lot of chemicals going in your tank all at once.

+1
It's also a lot of change. New lights can cause outbreaks and changing your flow will cause outbreaks.

 

[Reefer69]

CUC= Clean Up Crew...AKA snails and crabs and urchins and starfish and pods etc. etc. etc.

What are you calling your "filter sponge"?

I'm still not straight on your time line.

Your phosphates, ammonia, nitrates, and nitrites are reading 0.

Dosing Vodka and adding Nite Out II? Why?

You also state that It does help and you haven't had anyneg problems with normal params?

How do you know this?

What do you consider "normal params"?

What do you consider "neg problems"?

You lowered your powerhead flow because you added some Xenia coral a month ago that you had just tied down to pieces of rubble and the water current was blowing them over.

Is this still the case?

Has it been positivly ID'd as Cyano?

Has Ich been confirmed?

What else in DT besides Clean Up Crew?

Got any tank info, such as size and equipment you are running?

On visual inspection, what is the current condition? Is it improving, getting worse, or staying about the same?

Just trying to get on the same page with ya, bub. A success for you is a success for all of us.

What about your water source? What's happening there?

 

[jahel318]

CUC= Clean Up Crew...AKA snails and crabs and urchins and starfish and pods etc. etc. etc.
CUC= 3 turbo snails, 10 tonga snails, 1 red sea star
What are you calling your "filter sponge"?
polyfoam filter that is on my HOB (I haven't started my sump build)

I'm still not straight on your time line.

Your phosphates, ammonia, nitrates, and nitrites are reading 0.

Dosing Vodka and adding Nite Out II? Why?
Vodka dosing to knock out phosphates & nitrates. Nite Out II I add every 2 weeks as maintanance dose

You also state that It does help and you haven't had anyneg problems with normal params?

How do you know this?
weekly my params are: SG 1.024, Temp 78, pH 8.2, Alk 10, Ammonia 0, Nitrite 0, Nitrate <30ppm, P04 <1.0

What do you consider "normal params"?
The params above

What do you consider "neg problems"?
params being out of whack or loss of life in tank

You lowered your powerhead flow because you added some Xenia coral a month ago that you had just tied down to pieces of rubble and the water current was blowing them over.

Is this still the case?
No. I just raised the current back up last night to the way it was initially set up

Has it been positivly ID'd as Cyano?
The only way confirmed was by past experience and comparing to online pictures

Has Ich been confirmed?
looks like sprinkled salt all over each fish and rapid breathing. I've been treating the fish with hyposalinity and Kordon Ich Attack

What else in DT besides Clean Up Crew?
Just live rock and several stalks of Xenia coral

Got any tank info, such as size and equipment you are running?
44 gal. no skimmer, HOB filter with poly floss filter and a bag of Chemi Pure Elite (11.7 oz.), one MP10 wavemaker, and heater.

On visual inspection, what is the current condition? Is it improving, getting worse, or staying about the same?
Looks like its staying the same as of yesterday's inspection

Just trying to get on the same page with ya, bub. A success for you is a success for all of us.

What about your water source? What's happening there?

I use tap water and add water conditioners (I know...a big NO NO) but saving up funds to get a RODI unit. I do a 20% water change once per month and rinse my poly filter every week. After the 3rdor 4th rinse I put in a totally new polyfilter.

 

[Reefer69]

I'll have to think on it a bit. Keep me posted till we are thru this. I would think that you would want to cease with the chemical additions and get on to the makeup water situation, then go from there. I dunno. What do you think?

 

[jahel318]

Well I'll be replacing the polyfilter tonight and I ordered some Chemi pure today which should get here next week sometime. I might do a water change over this weekend.

 

[Aquarian]

I used tap water and water conditioners for years, and IME you will never get rid of cyano and or diatoms until you stop using tap water. Using tap is 95% of the problem.
Try using distilled water for a month and see if it gives you any improvement

 

[Reefer69]

Be careful with distilled water Vis-à-vis copper exposure.

 

[Aquarian]

Be careful with distilled water Vis-à-vis copper exposure.

I've never had any distilled water with copper in it. And yes I test for it. But that is a good point.

 

[rrbigdog]

IMO - Start by taking all the money you spend on chemicals and buy a RO/DI. Even if it is a portable that you hook up to a faucet. You can find them all over Ebay under 80.00 shipped. Those chemicals have to be adding up to $$$ and they are only band-aids and not solving underlining issue.

 

[jahel318]

IMO - Start by taking all the money you spend on chemicals and buy a RO/DI. Even if it is a portable that you hook up to a faucet. You can find them all over Ebay under 80.00 shipped. Those chemicals have to be adding up to $$$ and they are only band-aids and not solving underlining issue.

Good thought....thanks!

 

[RockStacker]

What size is your tank? and what skimmer are you running?

 

[jahel318]

44 gallon. I am currently without a skimmer since my last one broke down.

 

[RockStacker]

44 gallon. I am currently without a skimmer since my last one broke down.

1. Carbon dosing without a skimmer is a no-no. A skimmer is an absolute must!

2. Nite-Out is a seed bacteria culture that is used to introduce nitrifying bacteria into a new tank. There is no need to be continuously dosing this. Doing so it could end up destabilizing the already established bacteria culture in the tank.

3. Using hydrogen peroxide to kill nuisance bacteria will work. But without a skimmer, the destroyed fragments of the bacteria will remain in the water which would then feed other bacteria (both good and bad ones).