Dosing Organic carbon, nitrate, and phosphate?

[John K]

Hi,
Question- would / could organic carbon dosing, combined with ongoing nitrate and phosphate dosing work to strip out misc organics, feed corals, and promote stability by driving misc bacterial growth?

Why ask? Not my idea, someone else’s. I’m pretty skeptical that this would work as suggested, but figured I’d ask here to get some more informed input to shoot down OR validate my skepticism?

Thoughts?

Thanks

 

[blaxsun]

This seems counterintuitive...

 

[Randy Holmes-Farley Verified Community Expert]

It can feed corals.

What do you specifically mean by stability?

I do not know if overall it would increase or decrease dissolved organic matter.

 

[John K]

Hi,

I honestly don’t know what “stability” this would promote? That’s what the other person suggested. Part of why I’m asking here :)

Thanks

 

[Troylee]

Sounds like a waste of a good drank! :face-with-tears-of-joy:

 

[Dan_P]

strip out misc organics,

I have read that adding a readily digestible carbon source could enable bacteria to consume recalcitrant organic compounds.

feed corals,

Yes

and promote stability by driving misc bacterial growth?

”Promote stability” could be a justification for owning atomic bombs or establishing a central bank. Needs an explanation.

 

[Randy Holmes-Farley Verified Community Expert]

Hi,

I honestly don’t know what “stability” this would promote? That’s what the other person suggested. Part of why I’m asking here :)

Thanks

I can’t really think of any type of useful stability it would promote. I also would not assume it promotes bacterial diversity. It might decrease it, though I don’t know if that matters.

 

[Randy Holmes-Farley Verified Community Expert]

I have read that adding a readily digestible carbon source could enable bacteria to consume recalcitrant organic compounds.

Yes

”Promote stability” could be a justification for owning atomic bombs or establishing a central bank. Needs an explanation.

I’ve read that too, but never seen evidence for it, and not sure I see a reason to believe it. It’s not like aquaria have a lack of bacteria.

 

[Pvtgloss]

organic carbon dosing, combined with ongoing nitrate and phosphate dosing

Sounds a lot like Tropic Marin Plus-NP.
I've been watching Lou's videos and thinking of doing their carbon dosing. It's a little confusing with the names that they chose for the products.

 

[ReefGeezer]

Carbon, nitrogen, and phosphate are contained in the food we feed. Adding more things to feed and letting the nutrient pathways provide the appropriate forms of food (carbon) and nutrients (nitrogen and phosphate) is kind of like doing what you ask about.

I believe that adding a carbon source to create food can bind nitrogen that is needed by the very organisms in the system we are trying to feed. In addition, the inorganic nutrients we add to make up for the loss may not be in the form best used by them. For example: The bacteria that results from carbon dosing uses ammonia. That is the very form of nitrogen many corals would use most efficiently. Because the ammonia is bound and possibly exported, the nitrate level drops in our tests. We can replace the nitrate, but the corals don't use that form as efficiently. Ammonia can be dosed also, but there are risks.

 

[John K]

"
Dan_P said:
I have read that adding a readily digestible carbon source could enable bacteria to consume recalcitrant organic compounds. "

I do think this was behind the thinking.

Thanks for all the replies.