Dear Eric:
It’s a relief to hear that you’re finally making some progress against the black slime algae. If it is dying off after treatment with the ChemiClean, then it is indeed a form of Cyanobacteria and you should be on the right track now.
You must avoid running your protein skimmer or using chemical filtration for 24 hours after treatment with ChemiClean, at which time you need to perform a major water change (at least 20%). I have never treated a seahorse tank with ChemiClean, but I should think that after you perform the requisite water change and adjust your protein skimmer so it’s working efficiently again — and above all make sure your oxygen levels are back to normal — it should be safe to return the seahorses to the main tank. As an added precaution, you should also doublecheck all of your aquarium parameters (ammonia, nitrite, nitrate, pH, specific gravity, and especially the dissolved oxygen levels), but assuming they all check out, your seahorses can go back anytime thereafter.
If subsequent treatments with ChemiClean are necessary to eradicate the black slime algae altogether, which could be the case with an aquarium that was as badly overrun with the stuff as yours was, be sure to observe all of the same precautions when you redose the tank. Once you have gotten the black slime under control again chemically, those preventative measures for nuisance algae and good maintenance practices we have been discussing all along should hopefully keep it from reappearing again.
Best of luck beating that black slime algae problem, Eric!
Respectfully,
Pete Giwojna
Ocean Rider, Inc. is an Organic Hawaiian-Based Seahorse Aqua-Farm & Aquarium that Follows Strict Good Farming Practices in Raising Seahorses and Other Aquatic Life.
