Kent Poly*Ox , Anyone used it?

[rottielover]

Hi all,

Re-battling red slime (actually rust colored this time) , and I read an artical from 97-98 about dealing with red slime. That guy recommende heavy skimming with additional use of an oxidizer product.

Has anyone used these products, do they really increase the skimming?

[Geoff]

hmm. i can see how it could work, but it will just be masking the real problem. if you do not find the real problem then you will be adding this stuff indefinately. also the use of this stuff will starve any macroalgae you may be trying to keep. both feed on the same things.

G~

[rottielover]

I don't have any macroalgea, so that's not an issue for me. However, I thought the point of these products was to "oxidize DOC, making it easier for your skimmer to remove them".

So if the products (Kent isn't the only one to make this kind of prodcut, Redox+ is another example) are supposed to help your skimmer remove DOC isn't that a good thing?

http://www.netpets.org/fish/referenc...bacteria5.html

[JennM]

I've used it in FOWLR tank when I first took over maintaining it and it was a mess... now the tank is a pretty sweet reef Have not used it with sensitive inverts or corals - anything like that makes me skittish.

Follow instructions to the letter - do a 20 % water change post-treatment, turn off ozone if you use it, and dose it early in the day as it can drop the amount of dissolved oxygen in the water - and that normally drops at night anyway.

I have not heard of anyone having adverse reactions using it, but I've not known anyone to use it in an "advanced" reef tank.

I concur that the source of the problem has to be indentified and fixed, or you'll have to keep dosing the stuff periodically. I think it can be a good way to get ahead of the stuff if you just can't do it any other way, but until the underlying problem is identified and corrected, the problem will just keep coming back.

HTH

Jenn

[rottielover]

I'm 99% sure that my problem is lack of skimming, since I'm still trying to get my skimmer up and working (parts should be comming in today I hope). I was just thinking that a product like this would help me get ahead of the game. I think my DOC load must be very high since the tank has been running about 5 months now with no skimming to speak of.

I was worried that once I do get the skimmer working that I would need something like this to help reduce the DOC quickly, but I'm starting to think that even removal of a "bad" thing like DOC too quickly could cause an even worse reaction. Slow seems to be the way to go for everything with a reef