Follow along with the video below to see how to install our site as a web app on your home screen.
Note: This feature may not be available in some browsers.
I don’t agree. Carbon dosing often leaves residual phosphate when used to control nitrate because it can consume more N than P due to denitrification.
I used the combo of organic dosing and GFO (and macroalgae) for years and think it a good combo.
I don’t agree. Carbon dosing often leaves residual phosphate when used to control nitrate because it can consume more N than P due to denitrification.
.
As carbon dosing inhibits nitrification the denitrification capacity present in a nitrifying biofilm will be lost which will increase the availability of Ammonium-nitrogen considerably. As carbon dosing is still not dosed on a known parameter carbon dosing may often lead to overdosing creating a high C:N ratio. As fast growing bacteria use ammonium-nitrogen the C:N ratio is based on the available ammonium-nitrogen and not on nitrate-nitrogen availability.
But it can also do the opposite as carbon dosing may create a high C:N ratio and denitrification may be replaced by DNRA .
As carbon dosing inhibits nitrification the denitrification capacity present in a nitrifying biofilm will be lost which will increase the availability of Ammonium-nitrogen considerably. As carbon dosing is still not dosed on a known parameter carbon dosing may often lead to overdosing creating a high C:N ratio. As fast growing bacteria use ammonium-nitrogen the C:N ratio is based on the available ammonium-nitrogen and not on nitrate-nitrogen availability.
I do not concur with that sentence. It doesn't make sense to me. There's a bit of circular reasoning, IMO.
How do you propose that carbon dosing "inhibits" nitrification? I agree it may reduce nitrification by consuming ammonia and thereby reduce ammonia available for nitrification (that is not inhibition). If ammonia is produced by DNRA to a degree that ammonia is actually higher than without it (not shown in a reef tank to be true), then nitrification is not inhibited by low ammonia or for any other reason (how would it be?).
I'm not following how what you suggest is a problem when organic carbon dosing.
Perhaps that is the issue. You suggest an imperfect understanding of what is happening in reef tanks, and I agree.
Then you suggest there's some lurking problem reefers will encounter when carbon dosing. Like rising ammonia??
That is the part I do not see happening, or any evidence for it happening.
I read a few forums when setting up my tank that when ammonia reaches zero after last fish is added you no longer need to test for it or nitrite. What you mentioned makes sense, I did suddenly cut off the nopox in fear of the white slime. It just made no sense to me that the nopox was working perfectly, even too good when I reached zero nitrate. After slime started to clear up I continued to dose with poor results. Just checked my ammonia .25, nitrite 0 and nitrate 20. Now adding some Dr. Tims and fully opened up my skimmer gate valve for 48hrs...Most risk is created when carbon dosing is stopped or interrupted suddenly. This should be done gradually over a long period of time to be sure sufficiency carrying capacity is installed. Most users have no clue of the C:N ratio they are maintaining by dosing carbon and the carrying capacity may be removed completely when dosing is stopped suddenly.
You suggest I have an imperfect understanding of what happens in a reef tank, not me.
So if I'm understanding this correctly I essentially killed off a percentage of my bacteria population in a 3 month old system while being fully stocked. Because I slightly overdosed nopox and stopped cold turkey. ;Facepalm
Yes your right. I notice on the red sea instructions it does give me the impression that above 10ppm nitrate 3ml per Xgallons. Never says ramp up to or slowly increase to X amount. But for sure gonna ramp down over a weeks time to a maintenance load once I get closer to 1-3ppm N03. ThanksI’m not sure there’s a good reason for slow ramp up, although many people do.
Lots of people ramp down dosing when nutrients hit their target. I’d suggest a week ramp down if you are going off it entirely.
Yes your right. I notice on the red sea instructions it does give me the impression that above 10ppm nitrate 3ml per Xgallons. Never says ramp up to or slowly increase to X amount. But for sure gonna ramp down over a weeks time to a maintenance load once I get closer to 1-3ppm N03. Thanks
Yes your right. I notice on the red sea instructions it does give me the impression that above 10ppm nitrate 3ml per Xgallons. Never says ramp up to or slowly increase to X amount. But for sure gonna ramp down over a weeks time to a maintenance load once I get closer to 1-3ppm N03. Thanks
Randy is a change from 100ml a day to 75ml enough to cause ammonia? I’m dosing vinegar in a 150 gallon system and recently had the LFS test for me and they got a slight ammonia reading. Has me concerned.That's a possibility, for sure, but not the only explanation. It is a potential reason to wean off of carbon dosing just as one might wean off of macroalgae or an ATS whose sudden removal might allow ammonia to rise.