Natural or do you dose carbon.

Screwgunner

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Do you run your tank naturally or do you dose carbons.
I consider protein skimmer natural. All it uses is air.
 

Timfish

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I wouldn't use a skimmer or dose carbon.

Protein Skimmer Performance, Pt 1

Protein Skimmer Performance, Pt 2

Elemental Analysis of Skimmate

Bacterial Counts in Reef Aquarium Water



 

Nano sapiens

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Do you run your tank naturally or do you dose carbons.
I consider protein skimmer natural. All it uses is air.

I get the feeling that you mean 'GAC' (Granular Activated Carbon), as opposed to 'carbon dosing'?

Haven't used either GAC or a Skimmer in over 30 years or so.

Used carbon dosing (vinegar) once to reduce 50+ppm NO3, but the side effects in my system were less than pleasant (won't be trying that again)...
 
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Bouncingsoul39

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Ive done bio pellets, liquid carbon dosing, and natural. Current tank is natural and what I prefer. Getting into ULNS territory and maintaining adequate nutrients for corals not to bleach or die is a tight rope walk. I run Phosguard to limit phos and silicate and easier and simpler to manage With a protein skimmer. I’m experimenting with Dr. Tims Waste-Away but it’s not a carbon product but is good bacteria strains.
 

rusgum

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At this time my system is only on a skimmer, but I do not mind dosing carbon supplements as after reducing the mass of corals I had to use them.:)
 

elysics

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None of what we do is natural lol.

"Natural" would be a 100% waterchange every couple seconds forever

I do vinegar+vodka
 

DrZoidburg

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I didn’t have a dead whale so I sank a 5 pound pot roast to the bottom of my tank.
The natural way to carbon dose
A big nitrogen dose too so kind of counter productive. I run sulfur reactor in one kind of similar to how it works. You have to ask yourself do you even need to dose anything first.
 
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Screwgunner

Screwgunner

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Well , I do run a skimmer probly don't need it but bubbles bubbles bubbles. Algae turf scubber . And charcoal in a reactor . YES I HAVE ULN. I run below .01 ppm phosphate my test kit for nitrate api yellow every time. No bleaching of corals . My exenia has split 3 times in two months. Montiporas doing well.
As far as additives i run seachem products calcium and reef builder for alkalinity. And amino acids with trace. No water changes.
 

Dan_P

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Do you run your tank naturally or do you dose carbons.
I consider protein skimmer natural. All it uses is air.
An aquarium by definition is an artificial environment. It does not and cannot resemble a natural environment. What does it matter that a water purification method is ”natural”. Besides, ”natural” is personal preference not a rigorous definition.
 

Spieg

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I find carbon dosing to be useful in relatively new systems (less than 1 year) when it can be a struggle to gain stability. Beyond that I go "au naturale".
 
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Screwgunner

Screwgunner

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Well the uln got me finally. Yep Dinos stopped the skimmer and started feeding more . Phosphates .05 it is clearing up . It did take out my birdsnest. Everything else is recovering well. Started dr. Tims eco balance . Will dose half then following week full dose then onece a month. Probly don't need to after taking skimmer off line. But what can it hurt.
 

Mppp

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I get the feeling that you mean 'GAC' (Granular Activated Carbon), as opposed to 'carbon dosing'?

Haven't used either GAC or a Skimmer in over 30 years or so.

Used carbon dosing (vinegar) once to reduce 50+ppm NO3, but the side effects in my system were less than pleasant (won't be trying that again)...
Interesting that you do not use either (carbon or skimmer). Do you have a mixed reef, softies or stony corals? How do you maintain water quality with minimal water changes or frequent small water changes if I may ask all these questions as I seem to always be in a balancing act with my skimmer, carbon and occasional carbon dosing to keep nitrates from getting too crazy. Thanks in advance for input.
 

bruno3047

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Interesting that you do not use either (carbon or skimmer). Do you have a mixed reef, softies or stony corals? How do you maintain water quality with minimal water changes or frequent small water changes if I may ask all these questions as I seem to always be in a balancing act with my skimmer, carbon and occasional carbon dosing to keep nitrates from getting too crazy. Thanks in advance for input.
No, I use a skimmer. I never said I didn’t use a skimmer. I just switched my carbon to purigen. Purigen is far superior for nutrient removal and best of all, it doesn’t affect trace elements at all. Carbon ravages trace elements. Especially new carbon. I keep a mixed reef, no softies. I found out the key to reducing the number of water changes I do is to remove the dirtiest water, which is the water in my sand bed. I clean my sand bed thoroughly every six months or so removing 30% to 35% of that stinking water and replacing it with new water. My water stays pristine. I dose trace elements along with my two-part and magnesium.
 

Mppp

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I thought I was asking Nana Sapiens about their natural no skimmer no carbon use, apologies for confusion?

Nano sapiens said:
I get the feeling that you mean 'GAC' (Granular Activated Carbon), as opposed to 'carbon dosing'?

Haven't used either GAC or a Skimmer in over 30 years or so.

Used carbon dosing (vinegar) once to reduce 50+ppm NO3, but the side effects in my system were less than pleasant (won't be trying that again)...
 

bruno3047

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No, I use a skimmer. I never said I didn’t use a skimmer. I just switched my carbon to purigen. Purigen is far superior for nutrient removal and best of all, it doesn’t affect trace elements at all. Carbon ravages trace elements. Especially new carbon.
Thanks
I thought I was asking Nana Sapiens about their natural no skimmer no carbon use, apologies for confusion?

Nano sapiens said:
I get the feeling that you mean 'GAC' (Granular Activated Carbon), as opposed to 'carbon dosing'?

Haven't used either GAC or a Skimmer in over 30 years or so.

Used carbon dosing (vinegar) once to reduce 50+ppm NO3, but the side effects in my system were less than pleasant (won't be trying that again)...
No problem. I do that all the time.
 

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