Redox+

[daddio]

Has anyone used this?

I am fighting cyano after stray electric upset the balance in my aquarium. It has been one thing after another and water changes don't seem to be helping. I have had my water-change water tested to make sure I am not dumping more of the cause into the tank and that appears to be okay. I am thinking that the stray electric killed off a bunch of small life forms creating decay and waste. I have been vacuuming and making water changes every other day of 5 gallons in a 75 gallon tank. I have made about a 30% water change at the beginning and I am diligent about making the 5 gallon changes. The tank is around 8 years old and I have never had to fight this before. It always seemed that proper management and water changes worked, but not this time.

I have read about the use of Redox+ and it how it works seems to make sense. I would like some opinions as I have never used any chemicals in the tank previously.

 

[cbrownfish]

Say NO to chemicals!

Stray electric did not upset some balance in your tank (IMHO). You have cyano due to a nutrient imbalance/surplus. Using a chemical like Redox is treating the symptom instead of the true cause (PO4 and/or NO3). Continue the husbandry practices that you are currently and you will get past this without chemicals. Have you tried nutrient binding media like GFO (granular ferric oxide) or Purigen? Have you checked the PO4 or NO3 level of your source water? Are you using RO/DI water?

 

[DaveK]

I agree with the previous post.

In addition, this may be a good time to re-evaluate your entire filtration system. Is it large enough to do the job? Do you have a skimmer up to the task of removing most of the waste products before the rest of the biological filtration needs to deal with it? Do you have a refugium to aid in nitrate/phosphate removal?

In addition 5 gal water changes are too small to make much of a dent in a 75 gal tank. This is only a 7% water change. To see large reductions in nitrate and phosphate, you would need to be making about 25 - 35% water changes. Once you get these levels down you can go with smaller water changes.

BTW, just because your test kits may read 0 for nitrate and phosphate, do not think that there is no problem. Algaes can often absorb nitrate and phosphate quickly. Then they grow, and you have a problem, even though the water has low readings.

 

[sasquatch]

and there is always this (my personal favorite)

From Albert Theil, Finally found the section again, if you desire to grow blue/green algae here's how.

The ideal combination for blue-greens to grow is: high DOC (dissolved organic carbon = dissolved organic protein = dissolved organic matter and the decay of that organic matter), high dKH levels and over saturation of CO2. The latter can occur if and when the carbon dioxide is not degassed properly from the water through the overflow leading to the sump, or when the water enters the sump by falling down in it in small streams.

If no sump is present at all the likelihood of carbon dioxide being high increases. Add to that lighting of the type of wavelengths indicated in Part 1 and you are just about sure to get blue-green algae to grow in your aquarium. Add a high dKH and you really have an ideal environment for Blue-Greens to appear and proliferate and be hard to eradicate.

pt 1 is about old bulbs and spectrum shift, the C02 and lighting hasn't been mentioned yet. Best Luck

 

[Clownfish518]

A 5 gallon WC on a 75 is not enough volume to make a difference. Try doing 10 gallons a day for the next two weeks.

 

[cbrownfish]

A 5 gallon WC on a 75 is not enough volume to make a difference. Try doing 10 gallons a day for the next two weeks.

Sorry to disagree.:look: Did you realize that you are suggesting that the thread starter replace his entire water volume almost twice in a 2 week period (10 gallons X 14 days = 140 gallons)? I am also a fan of small but frequent water changes, however, I would suggest a routine of no more than 2-3 water changes a week - 10-15% range. In addition, begin using a nutrient binding media (GFO, Purigen, Poly Filter, etc, etc).

Small changes can breed success in reef tanks, large or drastic changes almost always add to the existing issues IME.

 

[Clownfish518]

I am suggesting that he completely replace his water to deal with the cyano.

Not as a regular routine. Sheesh. never mind

 

[daddio]

Thanks for the input. Sorry for the delay in looking at this... had a surprise fortieth bday party to throw for my wife.

I agree with the that the addition of chemicals is not good practice. My nitrates at zero and my phosphates are nil. I do use RODI water for my makeup water and run a ASM G-1 skimmer. My kH is always around 7. I don't understand how my tests (and the LFS tests) all look great. I have been running carbon and polyfilter and it does look like things are getting better.

The only reason I was thinking that the stray electric was the cause was that it happened at the same time. I thought that death to many small organisms = excess decay. I am seeing a proliferation of pods in the refugium again and I am hoping that with the water changes I can ride this out. I have been vacuuming the sand and rock when I make the water changes in the display tank but think that I will start with a light vacuum in the sump to get rid of any detrius in there as well. Now that I have more time again, I will start skimming a little wetter and see if I can't get this under control without using the chemicals.

Thanks for your input... This is the first time I have been frustrated and have not been able to fix (or identify) a problem fairly quickly since I started the tank.