Chemiclean not working?

[asylumdown]

Does anyone have experience with chemiclean at the recommended dose not killing cyano? I've confirmed that is is in fact cyano under a microscope.

I dosed yesterday, turned off my skimmer, and this morning I'd say 95% of the cyano is unaffected. Is there anything else that could be impacting it's performance/does it go bad?

[kien]

Originally Posted by asylumdown

Does anyone have experience with chemiclean at the recommended dose not killing cyano? I've confirmed that is is in fact cyano under a microscope.

I dosed yesterday, turned off my skimmer, and this morning I'd say 95% of the cyano is unaffected. Is there anything else that could be impacting it's performance/does it go bad?

In my experience with chemiclean it takes more than a day for it to work. It took 3 days for most of mine to start dying off and probably a week before it was all gone.

Also, I did not turn off my skimmer. I took my skimmer cup off and let it overflow into my sump. Made for a nasty display tank full of micro bubbles but I knew that was just temporary so I didn't care. I wanted to make sure my tank remained oxygenated.

[asylumdown]

Ah ok, I'm just being impatient then.

I considered leaving my skimmer running just the way you described, but the foam was creating a mist of salt spray that was spreading out and landing on my cabinet doors, return pump, and getting uncomfortably close to my Apex's control panel.

However, I whipped out my time machine and took a trip back to the late 90s to get a couple DIY durso standpipes a while back when I realized my plumbing set-up made my herbies more trouble than they were worth. I now run filter socks to keep the micorbubbles contained more than anything else. I'd guess I run at close to 100% oxygen saturation on a bad day.

[Delphinus]

I seem to recall it taking about 3 days as well before it really started letting go, and up to a week for it for the really stubborn patches to completely disappear.

[lastlight]

if your skimmer cup has a drain installed maybe just leave it running with the cup on and the cap off to flow back into the sump?

[globaldesigns]

As others stated give it time... I just recently used it and saw a major difference in one day, maybe I am an exception. However by day 2-3 it should be gone.

[Son Of Skyline]

Originally Posted by Delphinus

I seem to recall it taking about 3 days as well before it really started letting go, and up to a week for it for the really stubborn patches to completely disappear.

Once it was all gone, did you have to keep using chemiclean to keep it away or is it one shot and you're done?

[Delphinus]

Originally Posted by Son Of Skyline

Once it was all gone, did you have to keep using chemiclean to keep it away or is it one shot and you're done?

Generally speaking, it is one shot and you're done. In really bad infestations I think it can require a second treatment to totally eradicate.

However for the long term, if the conditions that caused the cyano in the first place, don't change, then the cyano will likely eventually come back.

Cyano is kinda interesting in that it's sort of both like an algae and like a bacteria ... or depending on how you look at it, not really an algae and not really a bacteria. Algae for example, is usually brought on by a nutrient issue and it's growth rate can be predictable based on the nutrient levels and the lights. Cyano on the other hand, while it CAN be triggered by a nutrient level, isn't always, and simply limiting nutrients may not be enough to curtail its growth.

I've had good luck with getting rid of it by keeping tank lights off for a few days, but whether that's a good option or not depends on whether you have things that don't do well in extended darkness or not ..A FOWLR tank though without corals or a tank with mainly softies will likely do just fine for example.