When using a Cyano killer

nitrate spike

nitrate spike

New Member
such as chemi-clean or red slime remover, why are you supposed to turn off your skimmer?
It seems to me like it would pull out the bacteria and help keep the water aerated. Does it remove the cleaning agent? If so, isn't that a good thing? Wouldn't that make the 20% water change more effective?
 
nanomantis

nanomantis

Member
Yes it removes the medication. And why would you want to remove it before it has done its job? Thats why you turn the skimmer back on after you do the water change.
 
nitrate spike

nitrate spike

New Member
and based on the research I've done the most important part of the med is the water change at 48 hours. It just doesn't seem like the skimmer could take so much out in 48 hours that it couldn't get it's job done.
Oh, well. Just wanted some verification. Thanks, man.
 
sickboy

sickboy

Active Member
Or, the best option would be to solve the problem the correct way and not use a quick fix chemical. There are people on this board that have had major tank issues after using these products. It is fairly easy to beat, and your tank keeping habits will be much better after you do.
 
nanomantis

nanomantis

Member
Originally Posted by sickboy
http:///forum/post/2982171
Or, the best option would be to solve the problem the correct way and not use a quick fix chemical. There are people on this board that have had major tank issues after using these products. It is fairly easy to beat, and your tank keeping habits will be much better after you do.
I agree with this sentiment 100%
 
pbnj

pbnj

Member
Plus your skimmer would go into overdrive and overflow. It does that after the water change....imagine without the water change.
 
culp

culp

Active Member
Originally Posted by pbnj
http:///forum/post/2982215
Plus your skimmer would go into overdrive and overflow. It does that after the water change....imagine without the water change.
i don't even want to think about it. the last time i used a cyano killer my protein skimmer kept overflowing until i did 3 water changes.
 
sepulatian

sepulatian

Moderator
Originally Posted by sickboy
http:///forum/post/2982171
Or, the best option would be to solve the problem the correct way and not use a quick fix chemical. There are people on this board that have had major tank issues after using these products. It is fairly easy to beat, and your tank keeping habits will be much better after you do.
I most certainly agree!!! If you do not believe it then PM renogaw. He is a Mod here. Ask him about Red Slime Remover.
 
culp

culp

Active Member
Originally Posted by sepulatian
http:///forum/post/2982281
I most certainly agree!!! If you do not believe it then PM renogaw. He is a Mod here. Ask him about Red Slime Remover.
what i did when i used it was i had a 29 gallon tank filled with 20 gallons of new saltwater ready for a huge water change in my 55 in case the Ph dropped below 7.9
 
gmann1139

gmann1139

Active Member
Originally Posted by Nitrate Spike
http:///forum/post/2982109
such as chemi-clean or red slime remover, why are you supposed to turn off your skimmer?
It seems to me like it would pull out the bacteria and help keep the water aerated. Does it remove the cleaning agent? If so, isn't that a good thing? Wouldn't that make the 20% water change more effective?
It doesn't pull out the bacteria, it pulls out the medicine, and a lot of water.
Along with eliminating cyanobacteria, RSR creates molecules that help water bubble, kind of like bubble bath.
So when your Protein Skimmer starts creating bubbles, the RSR magnifies the effect, and you end up with a 'too much soap in the washer' effect, and the skimmer will start bubbling over.
 
pezenfuego

pezenfuego

Active Member
I've found that if you quit messing with it and trying to remove it, it is much easier to deal with. It makes your tank look bad, but isn't hurting anything. Fix your water, not the cyano. The cyano will leave when the water is fixed.
 
spanko

spanko

Active Member
Do not treat the symptoms with chemicals. Attack the problem.
Here is my take on getting rid of Cyano.
Red Slime (Cyano Bacteria)
Cyano grows on top of nutrient rich areas of low flow. There are a number of things that need to be correct or possibly corrected to combat this without the use of chemical additives. The biggest thing is to get rid of the extra nutrients.
1. Evaluate your feeding. If you are feeding more than can be eaten in about 1-2 minutes it is too much and the remainder of it is falling to the rock and sand and becoming nutrient.
2. Evaluate your flow. If you have areas in the tank where there is little to no flow this can be corrected by adding power heads or repositioning the ones you already have. You don’t need to create sand storms just have water moving over the area to keep detritus suspended in the water column for removal by your filter – skimmer.
3. Evaluate your water changes. The solution to pollution is dilution! You want to continually remove unneeded nutrients as well as replace those things that are used by the system. 10% weekly is a good change schedule. Some do 20% every other week and some vary the schedule from there, but a good start is 10% per week.
4. Evaluate your lighting schedule. About 10 hours of daylight is all that is needed.
5. If you have a cyano outbreak do the above 4 items andh:
a. At water change time siphon off the cyano first. It will come up easily almost like a blanker.
b. After siphoning stir the affected areas a little to suspend any detritus for the water change and filtering - skimming removal.
c. Use a turkey baster now and at every water change in the future to again suspend the detritus for removal by the water change and your filtering – skimming.
Keeping nutrient levels low to non-existent will help to avoid cyano outbreaks and any algae outbreaks as well as keep your tank and you happy happy.
Hope that helps.

[hr]
Henry
 
renogaw

renogaw

Active Member
tank crash of 08 thanks to red slime remover...
dropped my ph, killed the snails, which lead to just about everything else but the fish dying...which then lead to a nice addition of dinoflaggilates... which ended up causing me to break down my rock wall to scrub everything...
IF IF IF you do use any chemicals, dose half the dose they suggest... unfortunately you DO have to turn off your skimmer, which as many people have come to realize, help keep the oxygen in your water...
don't use the chemicals if you can avoid it...
 
pezenfuego

pezenfuego

Active Member
if you are going to use chemicals, use one fourth to half the recommended dose, follow all the instructions precisely (besides the dosage), and make SURE you put a lot of bubbling devices in the tank. This stuff will kill your O2 levels especially with no skimmer, so you need to have some aeration action.
 
florida joe

florida joe

Well-Known Member

My six cents Cyano assimilate various nitrogen sources (Nitrates) a good thing BUT when we kill the cyano we dump the assimilated nitrates back into our tanks, not a good thing. Thus please do a water change. Umm not the reason stated on the threatment box for the water change but the number one reason IMO
 
pezenfuego

pezenfuego

Active Member
Originally Posted by florida joe
http:///forum/post/2984144

My six cents Cyano assimilate various nitrogen sources (Nitrates) a good thing BUT when we kill the cyano we dump the assimilated nitrates back into our tanks, not a good thing. Thus please do a water change. Umm not the reason stated on the threatment box for the water change but the number one reason IMO
The water change that you are forced to do when using cyano removers might get rid of the cyano anyway. When I got rid of mine, I found that leaving it alone and removing it's nutrient source was the best route to take, but that's just ime...
 
florida joe

florida joe

Well-Known Member
Originally Posted by PEZenfuego
http:///forum/post/2984149
The water change that you are forced to do when using cyano removers might get rid of the cyano anyway. When I got rid of mine, I found that leaving it alone and removing it's nutrient source was the best route to take, but that's just ime...
You can try to physically remove the Cyano through siphoning when you do a water change, but no matter how you kill the Cyano (chemical or starve) you are gong to introduce nitrates into your tank
 
pezenfuego

pezenfuego

Active Member
Originally Posted by florida joe
http:///forum/post/2984156
You can try to physically remove the Cyano through siphoning when you do a water change, but no matter how you kill the Cyano (chemical or starve) you are gong to introduce nitrates into your tank
Which will be eaten up by cyano, water changes, and macroalgaes. 2 out of 3 aren't bad. Why bother removing the cyano imo. It will come back if it can. Taking it out isn't going to make too much of a difference. Fix your tank and your cyano will die.
 
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