Missed a dose

[Calm Blue Ocean]

I've been carbon dosing for a couple months and just realized I missed dosing this morning (I usually dose shortly after lights come on). Any harm or just continue business as usual tomorrow?

 

[Mr. Mojo Rising]

What do you mean you dose carbon? Carbon is something that goes in a bag or reactor, it can be used at any time, start or stop it doesn’t matter. When I think of dosing I think of kalkwasser or something, I didnt think carbon can be dosed

im sorry I’m not sure if I misunderstand or if this is something new that I don’t know about. Thanks

 

[Calm Blue Ocean]

What do you mean you dose carbon? Carbon is something that goes in a bag or reactor, it can be used at any time, start or stop it doesn’t matter. When I think of dosing I think of kalkwasser or something, I didnt think carbon can be dosed

im sorry I’m not sure if I misunderstand or if this is something new that I don’t know about. Thanks

Two totally different things. Carbon dosing (most commonly vinegar, vodka, or NoPoX) is a method of feeding bacteria usually for the purpose of reducing nitrate and phosphate.

 

[Mr. Mojo Rising]

I’m glad I asked, thanks for explaining

 

[MaxTremors]

What do you mean you dose carbon? Carbon is something that goes in a bag or reactor, it can be used at any time, start or stop it doesn’t matter. When I think of dosing I think of kalkwasser or something, I didnt think carbon can be dosed

im sorry I’m not sure if I misunderstand or if this is something new that I don’t know about. Thanks

They are talking about dosing organic carbon (the element carbon, not active carbon that we use in filter bags, some sources of carbon are vinegar, vodka, sugar, or NO3POX), bacteria use nitrates and phosphates in order consume the carbon, thereby reducing nitrates and phosphates in the aquarium. It works sort of similar in concept to refugium, in that an organism (in this case bacteria instead of macro algae) uses nitrates and phosphates and then are removed from the tank (either by pruning macroalgae or with carbon dosing the bacteria are skimmed out of the tank). Carbon dosing has the added benefit of encouraging anaerobic bacteria that consume nitrates and turn them into nitrogen gas which then gasses off the surface of the water. It also provides microscopic food for corals and inverts (bacteria). All that said, it’s not a foolproof way to lower nitrates and phosphates (it lowers nitrates more than phosphates), it requires careful monitoring and its not a magic bullet if your nutrient import is out of balance. I recommend using carbon dosing in addition to a refugium and doing heavy in/heavy out in terms of nutrients.

 

[Calm Blue Ocean]

I’m glad I asked, thanks for explaining

Really it was an awesome question. I think it's a really common point of confusion.

 

[X-37B]

Just resume the next day and you will be fime. O have done it a few times without issue.

 

[Calm Blue Ocean]

Just resume the next day and you will be fime. O have done it a few times without issue.

Thanks, I was pretty sure that was the case but figured I'd double check (and now it's on record for the next person frantically searching after missing a dose).