# Red Cyanobacteria usage



## loonie (Mar 29, 2008)

This is my second experience, for red cyanobacteria..... chemiclean usage , later the fish come down with itch, blur eyes etc. I need to treat the fish for white spots etc. Has anyone experience this before since I do not understand why. The last time I lost a number of fish since I was away. I am wondering why since I have to do a lot of water changes after treatment to get the issue back to normal.


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## Kooka (Feb 8, 2011)

How bad is your cyanobacteria outbreak? I usually start getting some in my display when my T5 bulbs need to be replaced soon. Other than that it grows in my sump but I don't bother with it in there.


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## loonie (Mar 29, 2008)

It is not that bad but red slime on sand, which I clear but it comes back the next day. Why the fish gets itch is what I do not understand after usage of chemiclean.


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## wtac (Mar 17, 2006)

ChemClean is an erythromycin derivative. Killing the cyano will release all sorts of stuff as well as hamper the functionality of other bacteria as well.

The exact manner of which it affects the environment is alot of conjecture but logical where issues can manifest itself with the livestock.

Not sure if one can still get it easily but I've used potassium permanganate (KMnO4) to deal with cyano after a good water change (siphoning out growth and gravel vac) and fresh media (carbon and FeOx). How much to add...make the water a slight pink color and have some Prime or any dechlor on hand. You want to add enough that the corals will "puff" a bit but not too much that they start sliming and close up. If you do get to that point, you've added too much and add the dechlor to neutralize the oxidative property of the KMnO4. You may have to do this daily as sometimes the nutrient demand of the livestock exceeds nutrient export where parameters are in check but RedOx is low.

Knowing RedOx helps and is generally low when one has issues with cyano and dinos.


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## noy (Nov 19, 2012)

loonie said:


> It is not that bad but red slime on sand, which I clear but it comes back the next day. Why the fish gets itch is what I do not understand after usage of chemiclean.


I have used chemiclean over the years and never had any adverse reaction in fish. The skimmer usually overflows and needs to be adjusted (the old directions used to tell you to turn off skimmer).

Not sure what you mean by itch, whether you mean a skin irritant that goes away in a few days (think all fish get some form of this at some point) or marine ich (cryptocaryon irrants) - which is a parasite (i.e. has to come in from somewhere).

Cyano usually forms when you have high nutrients, high lighting and low(er) flow. Maybe adjust one of those. Try vacuuming the sand were the cyano forms (if its in the same place all the time) to loosen some of the nitrates/detrius that may be embedded.

Good luck with it.


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## loonie (Mar 29, 2008)

Noy, what I mean, the fish get white spots and blur eyes, like kind of fungus. I experience this for the second time since I had this problem in a another tank a year back. Am wondering anyone else experience this, otherwise there must be some other kind of bacteria. Anyway I will do proper clean up of media, water changes etc, like what I did before.


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## carl (Feb 11, 2010)

The ich is already in your tank and when you used the chemiclean the fish’s immune system was weakened and you had an outbreak. If you have a lot of cyano and you kill it then your water quality gets bad. It’s better to use some Phos ex to get rid of cyano, and if you need help with the ich call me 4164609922


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## twobytwo (Oct 25, 2014)

Loonie! Are you adding any aeration? when I use Chemiclean, I have to add two bubble wall things from an air pump. I'm pretty sure chemi-clean reduces oxygen in the water.

Other idea is remove fish for a few days to a separate tank while you do the chemiclean? Anyway, sounds like the fish might need a QT anyway... can you catch them?


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## loonie (Mar 29, 2008)

twobytwo said:


> Loonie! Are you adding any aeration? when I use Chemiclean, I have to add two bubble wall things from an air pump. I'm pretty sure chemi-clean reduces oxygen in the water.
> 
> Other idea is remove fish for a few days to a separate tank while you do the chemiclean? Anyway, sounds like the fish might need a QT anyway... can you catch them?


Its improving now with water changes but lost one purple tang. No I did not use air pump but increase flow. Not easy to catch fish with all the rocks and corals.


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## loonie (Mar 29, 2008)

Thanks to all of you for your advice. The tank has recovered, did vacuum the sand and water changes but skimmer off since too much bubbles, will turn it on soon. Lost one purple tang, sad but its part of the game in our hobby.

This is what this forum is about, exchange of views, experience and ideas.


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