Carbon dosing bacteria propogation

[Saintnovakai]

I have an issue understanding the bacterial process of vodka dosing.

1. When I dose and I get the bacterial build up in my sump that looks like brownish snot, is this what lowers my nitrates? I thought this would have been skimmed out?

2. Should I remove this build up or is it necessary for the nitrates to come down? Mine haven't started to drop yet, I'm guessing because I cleaned my sump of this build up a few weeks ago. Should I leave this new build up?

 

[W1ngz]

Is your sump lit? Are you referring to the refugium section? Pics would help. As well as parameters, and a timeline of the dosing you're doing.

Brownish snot sounds like a very common description of dinoflagelattes. They are common in tanks with carbon dosing, and typically gain a foothold when nitrates and phosphates have been forced to 0 by over filtration or manipulation like carbon dosing.

If it is some sort of large clump of bacterial colony, if it gets too pervasive it can also deplete oxygen quickly and you won't know it until the fish start to die.

Either way, there shouldn't be snot in a tank, sump or refugium. Get pics before you remove it.

 

[Saintnovakai]

Ok. Well it's not dinos for sure. The sump is darker. It grows in the darkest spot. When I previously cleaned it I could scoop it off the wall where the water runs down the baffle. I don't currently have a pic and my nitrates sit at 5-10 but I've been doing water changes. I built up my dose to 7ml in my 55 total water. I have a minimalist scape and my sump is small, skimmer chamber and return area. Apartment living setup basically.

P04 0.00
Ph. 8.12
Alk 8.1
Cal 430


The reason I ask if it is necessary for the bacteria to grow somewhere is because if it had to grow I'd just make a PVC reactor filled with pond matrix and vent it into the skimmer area. That way I'd have more
surface area and less muck in the sump.

So you're saying in carbon dosing I shouldn't have any bacterial build up? I've been dosing almost two months.

 

[lapin]

I have an issue understanding the bacterial process of vodka dosing.

1. When I dose and I get the bacterial build up in my sump that looks like brownish snot, is this what lowers my nitrates? I thought this would have been skimmed out?

2. Should I remove this build up or is it necessary for the nitrates to come down? Mine haven't started to drop yet, I'm guessing because I cleaned my sump of this build up a few weeks ago. Should I leave this new build up?

I would remove the build up.
If you feel the carbon dosing is causing the problem you can try to reduce the amount of vodka you dose and start dosing vinegar. I think dosing both allows for different strains to grow.

 

[Randy Holmes-Farley]

I have an issue understanding the bacterial process of vodka dosing.

1. When I dose and I get the bacterial build up in my sump that looks like brownish snot, is this what lowers my nitrates? I thought this would have been skimmed out?

2. Should I remove this build up or is it necessary for the nitrates to come down? Mine haven't started to drop yet, I'm guessing because I cleaned my sump of this build up a few weeks ago. Should I leave this new build up?

There are lots of different types and looks to bacteria from organic carbon dosing. Some are unsightly and some do not ever show themselves. If what you get is problematic, it may be useful to switch to a different organic compound for dosing, to potentially drive some different bacteria species.

You can remove it or not as you want. As long as it is growing, it is taking up nutrients.

 

[Saintnovakai]

There are lots of different types and looks to bacteria from organic carbon dosing. Some are unsightly and some do not ever show themselves. If what you get is problematic, it may be useful to switch to a different organic compound for dosing, to potentially drive some different bacteria species.

You can remove it or not as you want. As long as it is growing, it is taking up nutrients.

Thing is I did vinegar before and got really bad cyano. Using vodka and nothing. Just wanted to know where most of the nutrient reduction comes from, meaning where does the bulk of the bacteria we are trying to export lay. In the water column or these bacterial growths.

 

[Randy Holmes-Farley]

Thing is I did vinegar before and got really bad cyano. Using vodka and nothing. Just wanted to know where most of the nutrient reduction comes from, meaning where does the bulk of the bacteria we are trying to export lay. In the water column or these bacterial growths.

Most likely in benthic (attached to surfaces) bacteria, whether you can see them or not. Corals and other organism also can use vinegar.

 

[Saintnovakai]

Most likely in benthic (attached to surfaces) bacteria, whether you can see them or not. Corals and other organism also can use vinegar.

Do they not also use vodka in the same way? I get cyano with vinegar.

 

[Randy Holmes-Farley]

Do they not also use vodka in the same way? I get cyano with vinegar.

They may, but there is published scientific evidence corals and other higher organisms can uptake acetate. There appears to be fewer studies on ethanol as it is less common in the ocean.