When used as directed, Clean Equation M is a reef safe, unique marine flocculant and cleaner designed to target and gently clean surfaces of live rock, live coral, coral decorations and tank walls, removing stains, loosening and softening debris for easy vacuuming and providing a cleaner, more pristine environment. It will outcompete unwanted substances and loosen the grip of ugly accumulations and coatings making their removal by scraping or vacuuming easy. Its exclusive chemical formula does much of the work for you, to help provide the beautiful reef or marine aquarium you have always wanted. It will also also flocculate floating particulate matter, clumping it together, allowing easy filtration and providing essential water quality improvement. Continuum recommends that you filter tap makeup water by reverse osmosis, distillation or deionization along with carbon pre-filtration to prevent adding phosphates and silicates to your aquarium. Continuum recommends a phosphate level of less than .02 mg/l (ppm). If you have high phosphate or silicate levels, you can lower them rapidly by using Continuum Captiv Phos W or Captiv Phos Fe or liquid Phos Correx prior to or while using this product. The use of nerite snails, turbo snails, emerald crabs and other grazers is also recommended. Although not required, it would be advantageous to first use Continuum Redox Plus to lower the organic load of the aquarium and to raise the ORP (Oxidation Reduction Potential) and then wait 2 hours before using this product for the first time. Continuum also recommends that you consider using Reef Micro Fuel, and Bacter Clean M to accelerate the growth and increase the effectiveness of the bacteria in the system during use. Clean Equation M can be used simultaneously and synergistically with BacterClean M, BacterGen M or BacterGen MD. If using simultaneously, add bacteria several hours after the use of Clean Equation M (this product) or several hours before its use.