Carbon dosing tank works. Perhaps too well

Blackop555

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I have always had nitrates around 40 to 50. I fed 2 times a week for corals fish get pellets daily sometimes they get frozen. I broadcast fees reef roids if I don't have time. If I have time I spot fees thick reef roid paste and coral frenzy. I had to scrub tank every day 2 days you wernt seeing in it. I could clean 2 times a day to make it look clear. Sand was getting discolored. Hair algae growing. But my chaeto wouldn't grow. I decided carbon dosing as I was getting tired of it. Tank is 3 months old no water change yet as my ro crapped out. But the rocks and some sand and corals came from a 1 year old tank. Everything has been good, had to dose once to raise my alk. So anyways I took my 2ml syringe and filled it with vodka. I put in .2 a day then upped to .3 after 3 days. I noticed at day 2 not much algae to clean. Didn't check nitrates. Just used up the 2ml today and my nitrates are undetectable. I am amazed at this, I never thought it would work that fast.
 

Oregon Grown Reef

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I have always had nitrates around 40 to 50. I fed 2 times a week for corals fish get pellets daily sometimes they get frozen. I broadcast fees reef roids if I don't have time. If I have time I spot fees thick reef roid paste and coral frenzy. I had to scrub tank every day 2 days you wernt seeing in it. I could clean 2 times a day to make it look clear. Sand was getting discolored. Hair algae growing. But my chaeto wouldn't grow. I decided carbon dosing as I was getting tired of it. Tank is 3 months old no water change yet as my ro crapped out. But the rocks and some sand and corals came from a 1 year old tank. Everything has been good, had to dose once to raise my alk. So anyways I took my 2ml syringe and filled it with vodka. I put in .2 a day then upped to .3 after 3 days. I noticed at day 2 not much algae to clean. Didn't check nitrates. Just used up the 2ml today and my nitrates are undetectable. I am amazed at this, I never thought it would work that fast.
When was the last time you checked your nitrate and phosphate before dosing? What test kit are you using?
 

BrotatoSalad

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Any negative effects on corals from dropping that quickly? That's an awesome result- as in both cool, and inspiring of awe lol.
 

BrotatoSalad

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Corals and fish show no negative effects. Been feeding a lot more to get it back up
Of all the ways to get numbers back up, that's definitely a great way of doing it. Clean water and excess nutrition. Thanks for sharing the experience! Excited to read the updates in the weeks to come.
 
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Blackop555

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There's after 3 mins
 

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Blackop555

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I
It's 50 gallon total volume. I'm dosing the vinegar equivalent of what you were dosing on day 2, 1.5 ml.
Read something about vinegar. I dont remember what a negative effect some people saw, not saying it was major. Like I said my algae on glass significantly slowed down a few days after starting. Been 3 days now of heavy feed to get back up to detectable. No dosing will most likely be doing .1ml a day from here out after I get a little higher reading
 

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I read something about vinegar. I dont remember what a negative effect some people saw, not saying it was major. Like I said my algae on glass significantly slowed down a few days after starting. Been 3 days now of heavy feed to get back up to detectable. No dosing will most likely be doing .1ml a day from here out after I get a little higher reading
I used to dose vodka in another tank and it caused cyano. I'm trying vinegar in this tank. I can fine tune dosing easier with vinegar as it is 8x less potent than vodka as well. Not sure what the downside would be.
 

AydenLincoln

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If it’s truly 0 that is bad and phosphates will also be low or 0 too! It means you overdosed/went to quickly and can get dinos. You absolutely need to do water changes too carbon dosing is something that helps it doesn’t solve the issue.
 
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Blackop555

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Update. Heavier feeding and had skimmer offline for 1 day. Maybe fed 1 cube a day and some pellets. Added 2 more fish now a total of 5. I am up to nitrate level of 5 and back to cleaning the glass 2 times a day. So skimmer is back on and I am now going to dose .1ml of vodka a day and see if it maintains. If it keeps dropping I will be cutting it 50 50 with water and try .1ml and hopefully that will maintain nitrates and phosphate at lower levels and hopefully stop the algae on glass
 

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