So what's the preferred methods of nutrient reduction these days?

[hart24601]

Saying this will probably get me attacked... but I don't know why anyone does not carbon dose now. Not like the dosage rates to bring down nitrate issues, but even just a few ml of vinegar a day. Boosting the bottom of the food chain while not increasing but actually decreasing phosphate and nitrate as a byproduct, a rare win-win. I even dosed a little vinegar with kalk in my biocube without a skimmer and it did great. I always try to remind people that carbon dosing is not just for nutrient export. The exception may be seahorse tanks. I do not know what effect this would have on them, but it would be cool for someone to explore. It might be horrible for them and bacterial infections, but it's also possible that seahorse pathogens are out-competed or just don't grow (to higher levels) with carbon in the water. I don't think anyone has determined that yet.

 

[vlangel]

Saying this will probably get me attacked... but I don't know why anyone does not carbon dose now. Not like the dosage rates to bring down nitrate issues, but even just a few ml of vinegar a day. Boosting the bottom of the food chain while not increasing but actually decreasing phosphate and nitrate as a byproduct, a rare win-win. I even dosed a little vinegar with kalk in my biocube without a skimmer and it did great. I always try to remind people that carbon dosing is not just for nutrient export. The exception may be seahorse tanks. I do not know what effect this would have on them, but it would be cool for someone to explore. It might be horrible for them and bacterial infections, but it's also possible that seahorse pathogens are out-competed or just don't grow (to higher levels) with carbon in the water. I don't think anyone has determined that yet.

I would carbon dose if I did not have seahorses. I don't know enough either to know if it would be detrimental but I love my pets and am not willing to experiment so for me it's the tried and true method with the seahorses.

 

[mc-cro]

... never mind, misread post

 

[hart24601]

I would carbon dose if I did not have seahorses. I don't know enough either to know if it would be detrimental but I love my pets and am not willing to experiment so for me it's the tried and true method with the seahorses.

I wouldn't experiment or dose if I had seahorses either! I had them years ago and loved them, maybe someday I will have them again. It would be interesting if someone did though, it could really help with keeping them OR be a trainwreck!

Someday I will save up for a tall tank with chiller for the abdominalis, if they still make chillers by then!

 

[vlangel]

I wouldn't experiment or dose if I had seahorses either! I had them years ago and loved them, maybe someday I will have them again. It would be interesting if someone did though, it could really help with keeping them OR be a trainwreck!

Someday I will save up for a tall tank with chiller for the abdominalis, if they still make chillers by then!

Ha ha, yeah my chiller is probably 10 years old and I am just waiting for it to give up the ghost! LOL This spring we are getting AC in the house to off load the chiller some. Nobody buys a house these days without it so we figure it's an upgrade on our home as well.

 

[Stubaca]

100 gallon total. Skimmer, chaeto, bio_pellets, carbon, 10 ml vodka daily... 450 calc, 9.0 alk and 1440 mag. I use BRS doses for alk, calc and mag. I also top off water evaporation with limewater ato combo. Ai vega lights. So far so good. Not heavy stocked at all at this point but getting into the Acro/millis

 

[scardall]

Is using a carbon in a reactor consided carbon dosing? If Not, I don't dose at all.

The highest my nitrates have ever been is 5ppm. Other wise my CA 431 alk. 8 Phosphate .2ppm PH 8.1 . I have a bare bottom reef. SPS,LPS, Mushrooms,Zoa's and a Clam.

 

[Randy Holmes-Farley]

Is using a carbon in a reactor consided carbon dosing? If Not, I don't dose at all.
.

No, carbon dosing is adding organic matter to drive bacterial growth. Things like vinegar, vodka, biopellets, etc.

GAC (granular activated carbon, the black stuff) removes a different type of organic matter.

 

[tonymission]

No, carbon dosing is adding organic matter to drive bacterial growth. Things like vinegar, vodka, biopellets, etc.

GAC (granular activated carbon, the black stuff) removes a different type of organic matter.

Is the (unknown) component in Tropic Marin Bio Actif essentially carbon dosing source? I notice my skimmate is black since using this salt and I can fill a pretty big cup in about 4 days. Don't want to start dosing vodka or something if I'm already essentially doing that in some form.

 

[scardall]

Thanks. When do you need to start considering carbon dosing?

 

[Pete polyp]

I use good live rock. I have two tanks with the same live rock and I can't keep nutrients. One tank has a skimmer, and it has been unplugged for months. I actually have to dose nitrates in both tanks because over feeding didn't help.

If the question is about nitrate reduction then carbon dosing would be my go to method. I actually have a pellet reactor that has never seen a drop of water.

 

[scardall]

No dosing ever, plus no Skimmer

interesting. I haven't used a skimmer for over a year or more. I have two small carbon/GFO reactors. ( bare bottom) Plus I rarely do water changes. How does this tank look.

 

[Randy Holmes-Farley]

interesting. I haven't used a skimmer for over a year or more. I have two small carbon/GFO reactors. ( bare bottom) Plus I rarely do water changes. How does this tank look.

When you say no dosing, I presume that doesn't include calcium and alkalinity somehow?

 

[scardall]

I do dose alk and calc, just not daily

That is true. I do dose alk and Calc., just not daily. I watch my Ph monitor to see it's readings start drifting too much. Then I check Alk.and I check my Clac. every 7-10 days to see if it drops below 400ppm - ish. I found out if I dose for alk. every day it will go from 8 to12 and Ca. will read 600. I use a hannity CA colorometer. I try to watch my livestock regularly to see how they look. Now that I have added 7 Acro's I'll check Ca. more often till I get feel to what their Ca. consumption is.

When you say no dosing, I presume that doesn't include calcium and alkalinity somehow?

 

[Randy Holmes-Farley]

That is true. I do dose alk and Calc., just not daily. I watch my Ph monitor to see it's readings start drifting too much. Then I check Alk.and I check my Clac. every 7-10 days to see if it drops below 400ppm - ish. I found out if I dose for alk. every day it will go from 8 to12 and Ca. will read 600. I use a hannity CA colorometer. I try to watch my livestock regularly to see how they look. Now that I have added 7 Acro's I'll check Ca. more often till I get feel to what their Ca. consumption is.

OK, thanks.

 

[Sn4k33Y3z]

If we are only talking organic carbon dosing, I use vinegar.

Why not vodka? Doesn't vinegar cause PH swings?

 

[jduck]

Why not vodka? Doesn't vinegar cause PH swings?

Vodka can cause cyano

 

[Randy Holmes-Farley]

Why not vodka? Doesn't vinegar cause PH swings?

Both vinegar and vodka will tend to lower pH as they are metabolized to CO2, and by about the same amount. Vinegar just gives more of it's effect immediately.

For that reason, I'd dose any of then during the day when O2 is highest and CO2 is lowest. I also dose the vinegar slowly over the daytime hours with a dosing pump. Alternatively, I manually dosed vinegar saturated with calcium hydroxide, which actually boosts pH a small amount when added.

Both vodka and vinegar work well, but in my tank vodka seemed more prone to cause cyano. The acetate in vinegar is also apparently taken up by more organisms and is a larger part of the natural cycle of organic matter in the ocean, making it (possibly) less likely to accumulate or drive unusual processes.

 

[Cory]

Saying this will probably get me attacked... but I don't know why anyone does not carbon dose now. Not like the dosage rates to bring down nitrate issues, but even just a few ml of vinegar a day. Boosting the bottom of the food chain while not increasing but actually decreasing phosphate and nitrate as a byproduct, a rare win-win. I even dosed a little vinegar with kalk in my biocube without a skimmer and it did great. I always try to remind people that carbon dosing is not just for nutrient export. The exception may be seahorse tanks. I do not know what effect this would have on them, but it would be cool for someone to explore. It might be horrible for them and bacterial infections, but it's also possible that seahorse pathogens are out-competed or just don't grow (to higher levels) with carbon in the water. I don't think anyone has determined that yet.

While I agree carbon dosing is effective I don't use it because I haven't had the need to. But some things scare me such as oxygen depletion. But I may try it again with vodka.

 

[Randy Holmes-Farley]

While I agree carbon dosing is effective I don't use it because I haven't had the need to. But some things scare me such as oxygen depletion. But I may try it again with vodka.

With enough vodka, you probably wouldn't worry so much about oxygen depletion.