About to dose ChemiClean

acidbaby · 12/29/2013, 10:59 PM

I know by my stats I look like a n00b (and I always feel like one) but you can see my join date, I'm a reefer.

I have a new woman in my life and I brought my tank into her house after years of neglect. We then bought another house. When I moved from my apartment I sucked out my sandbed and went bare bottom and put the tank into the foyer where it only received metal halide light and no residual sunlight.

During this time we only stocked lightly as we were shopping for our new home.

My 65 AGA houses 4 green Chromis, a Bicolor Blenny, an Orchid Dottyback and a Diamond Goby. We have a 5" DSB, 1" crushed coral under 2" silica sand with 2" of fine aragonite on top of that. We have a healthy population of peppermint shrimp who control my age-old aiptasia problem. We have a healthy colony of Pulsing Xenia, a few Green Zoos and just added a Yellow Finger Leather.

Since moving into the new house we have encountered problems with cyanobacteria. Red Slime. The tank is near a sliding glass door, but it is covered with plantation shutters most of the time and the sunlight is negligible.

I have a 5-stage RO/DI that has fallen into disrepair as I bought it 15 years ago. That will be replaced with a brand new 50 gpd unit in 3 days.

My woman is OCD. I will give up the hobby for her so this is my last stand. I stand by the advice of my locals and bought a package of chemi-pure. My plan is to dose the chemi-pure and wait 2-3 days and do a 30% water change and then 30% again in a week.

Here's my full setup:

250 watt MH DE 14000k over a 65 aga with:
20 gallon sump with a mag 9.5 attaxched to SCWD with a CPR overflow.
2 1100 gph powerheads
CPR BakPak
Titanium Ground
Kalwasser drip via float valve
Live rock from every reef in the world, my oldest pieces are 7 years old, but I would think there are live cultures in my tank going back 15 years.

Advice? Help? Yeah I'm hardly a n00b but if I can't get rid of the algae I'm done. I don't want to hear theories about silicate and cyano. Silicate is much more stable than aragonite and I do not feel from a chemistry perspective that silicate could harbor any more phosphate than aragonite, it's just not that porous.

I do believe my cyano problem to be caused by phosphates from shitty quality water and need a new RO/DI.

Cymonous · 12/30/2013, 07:45 AM

Welp, as you know...the issue is more than likely caused by poor water quality. Once you get your new RODI, start doing large water changes now. You could also decrease your lighting timing during the day or do 3-day blackouts. By the way, how old are the current bulbs?

One suggestion is to add in a reactor with GFO to reduce phosphates and nitrates. Another way to help with phosphates and nitrates is to dose vinegar.

acidbaby · 01/27/2014, 10:17 PM

Bulbs are about 10 months, time for a new bulb. Nitrates and Phosphates were higher than I wanted, but after Chemiclean on 1/3
and buying a new RO/DI, I changed out 30 gallons. Two weeks later I did 20 gallons.

I started super saturating my Kalk drip buy mixing in vinegar and the running carbon intermittently. Nitrates are 0 and phosphates undetectable. I added a diamond goby and a fighting conch to keep the sandbed disturbed to avoid stagnation.

So far so good, thank you for your input.

The vinegar/Kalk has also had the benefit of raising my ph. I have been suffering low ph since the late 90's.

ReeferBill · 01/27/2014, 10:30 PM

I started using Fritzyme added after every water change and now I do not get the dreaded red slime and my bubble algea is going away. I buy it by the gallon and use per directions, 32 ounces for every 80 gallons . I do a 20 gallon water change with ro water and reef crystals every 2 weeks with a 46 Bow display and a 38 gallon live rock filter/ sump...The addition of enzymes has made a big difference in the appearance of my reef and the corals swell up like they are on steroids

12/29/2013, 10:59 PM	#1
acidbaby Registered Member Join Date: Dec 2001 Location: Fort Lauderdale Posts: 17	About to dose ChemiClean I know by my stats I look like a n00b (and I always feel like one) but you can see my join date, I'm a reefer. I have a new woman in my life and I brought my tank into her house after years of neglect. We then bought another house. When I moved from my apartment I sucked out my sandbed and went bare bottom and put the tank into the foyer where it only received metal halide light and no residual sunlight. During this time we only stocked lightly as we were shopping for our new home. My 65 AGA houses 4 green Chromis, a Bicolor Blenny, an Orchid Dottyback and a Diamond Goby. We have a 5" DSB, 1" crushed coral under 2" silica sand with 2" of fine aragonite on top of that. We have a healthy population of peppermint shrimp who control my age-old aiptasia problem. We have a healthy colony of Pulsing Xenia, a few Green Zoos and just added a Yellow Finger Leather. Since moving into the new house we have encountered problems with cyanobacteria. Red Slime. The tank is near a sliding glass door, but it is covered with plantation shutters most of the time and the sunlight is negligible. I have a 5-stage RO/DI that has fallen into disrepair as I bought it 15 years ago. That will be replaced with a brand new 50 gpd unit in 3 days. My woman is OCD. I will give up the hobby for her so this is my last stand. I stand by the advice of my locals and bought a package of chemi-pure. My plan is to dose the chemi-pure and wait 2-3 days and do a 30% water change and then 30% again in a week. Here's my full setup: 250 watt MH DE 14000k over a 65 aga with: 20 gallon sump with a mag 9.5 attaxched to SCWD with a CPR overflow. 2 1100 gph powerheads CPR BakPak Titanium Ground Kalwasser drip via float valve Live rock from every reef in the world, my oldest pieces are 7 years old, but I would think there are live cultures in my tank going back 15 years. Advice? Help? Yeah I'm hardly a n00b but if I can't get rid of the algae I'm done. I don't want to hear theories about silicate and cyano. Silicate is much more stable than aragonite and I do not feel from a chemistry perspective that silicate could harbor any more phosphate than aragonite, it's just not that porous. I do believe my cyano problem to be caused by phosphates from shitty quality water and need a new RO/DI.

12/30/2013, 07:45 AM	#2
Cymonous My Clown Attacks Me Join Date: Jul 2012 Location: Akron, OH Posts: 2,105	Welp, as you know...the issue is more than likely caused by poor water quality. Once you get your new RODI, start doing large water changes now. You could also decrease your lighting timing during the day or do 3-day blackouts. By the way, how old are the current bulbs? One suggestion is to add in a reactor with GFO to reduce phosphates and nitrates. Another way to help with phosphates and nitrates is to dose vinegar. __________________ 100 Gallon Long with 20L sump 10 Gallon Office Tank Current Tank Info: 2 False Percula Clowns, One Spot Foxface, Diamond Watchman Goby, Yellow Tail Damsel, Engineer Goby

01/27/2014, 10:17 PM	#3
acidbaby Registered Member Join Date: Dec 2001 Location: Fort Lauderdale Posts: 17	Bulbs are about 10 months, time for a new bulb. Nitrates and Phosphates were higher than I wanted, but after Chemiclean on 1/3 and buying a new RO/DI, I changed out 30 gallons. Two weeks later I did 20 gallons. I started super saturating my Kalk drip buy mixing in vinegar and the running carbon intermittently. Nitrates are 0 and phosphates undetectable. I added a diamond goby and a fighting conch to keep the sandbed disturbed to avoid stagnation. So far so good, thank you for your input. The vinegar/Kalk has also had the benefit of raising my ph. I have been suffering low ph since the late 90's. __________________ 65 aga, 5 gallon refugium. Mars Aqua 300w LED, MSK-900 skimmer, CPR CS150 overflow, Mag 9.5 return, Hydor Smartwave with 2 Evo 1500, 4" DSB, 80 lbs LR established 4/01/2017. Current Tank Info: 65 AGA Reef

01/27/2014, 10:30 PM	#4
ReeferBill Registered Member Join Date: Dec 2010 Posts: 1,906	I started using Fritzyme added after every water change and now I do not get the dreaded red slime and my bubble algea is going away. I buy it by the gallon and use per directions, 32 ounces for every 80 gallons . I do a 20 gallon water change with ro water and reef crystals every 2 weeks with a 46 Bow display and a 38 gallon live rock filter/ sump...The addition of enzymes has made a big difference in the appearance of my reef and the corals swell up like they are on steroids __________________ I never realized I had to be a Chemist and a Marine Biologist to maintain a Reef Aquarium!