Tell me why I shouldn’t carbon dose

[immo]

Lps like higher nitrates and do well even around 100. Your tank is still finding balance. If you want to go full-on dosing (with later dosing to correct what the original dosing messed up), go for it. It's just not necessary IMO.

Also, if you're carbon dosing in such a small container, do be prepared for bacterial bloom and remedies for keeping your livestock from suffocating...

I don’t want to dose multiple things per day. I already add aminos every day to this tank and my 15, as well as phyto in the 15. I don’t want to add any stress to the fish by any means. I’m just curious as to if there is something I can do to help with my nitrates. My goal is sub 20 (I do not mean to chase numbers)

 

[immo]

LC does not reduce nitrates!

LC dosing with a skimmer won’t reduce nitrates?

 

[EeyoreIsMySpiritAnimal]

I don’t want to dose multiple things per day. I already add aminos every day to this tank and my 15, as well as phyto in the 15. I don’t want to add any stress to the fish by any means. I’m just curious as to if there is something I can do to help with my nitrates. My goal is sub 20 (I do not mean to chase numbers)

Feed less.
Dose aminos less.

Less nitrate -producing products in = less nitrates.

 

[immo]

Feed less?

I feed lightly 1x/day seachem nutridiet. 90% of what’s leftover (eyeballing it) gets sucked into the overflow and the floss is changed every 2-3 days.

 

[EeyoreIsMySpiritAnimal]

LC dosing with a skimmer won’t reduce nitrates?

Lanthanum chloride will not.

 

[EeyoreIsMySpiritAnimal]

I feed lightly 1x/day seachem nutridiet. 90% of what’s leftover (eyeballing it) gets sucked into the overflow and the floss is changed every 2-3 days.

That's 2-3 days of decaying matter...

 

[EeyoreIsMySpiritAnimal]

LC dosing with a skimmer won’t reduce nitrates?

LC is for phosphates

 

[immo]

That's 2-3 days of decaying matter...

Fair enough.

 

[EeyoreIsMySpiritAnimal]

I feed lightly 1x/day seachem nutridiet. 90% of what’s leftover (eyeballing it) gets sucked into the overflow and the floss is changed every 2-3 days.

With a single fish, you could feed every other day and be fine.
Or, feed only tiny amounts daily.

 

[liddojunior]

I want to reduce my nitrates. I’m not opposed to continuing 50% water changes. I would like to get to 25% weekly or biweekly. I may be rushing it. I don’t have the experience to cipher which direction I should go, hence why I’m looking for advice.

Why do you need to reduce nitrates. Your tank looks actually really nice, no algae issues, the corals are happy. I would tho suggest you re do that encrusting coral, cut the plug part off, its just hanging in the air

If you want to do a different water changes, just do it and monitor. You don't know if 50 ppm nitrates are stable, could be 50 ppm even if you do a smaller water change or skip a week.

 

[EeyoreIsMySpiritAnimal]

Fair enough.

I'm not trying to be difficult, but you're asking for advice so I'm trying to help.

 

[immo]

LC is for phosphates

Perhaps I don’t understand. I was under the impression from Randy that LC will reduce nitrates, and that the presence of phosphate was required for that reduction to happen.

 

[liddojunior]

With a single fish, you could feed every other day and be fine.
Or, feed only tiny amounts daily.

Its a baby clown, I would feed more often. But less food and turn off the flow. It seems like he knows its a lot of food since most it goes into the filter apparently

 

[EeyoreIsMySpiritAnimal]

Perhaps I don’t understand. I was under the impression from Randy that LC will reduce nitrates, and that the presence of phosphate was required for that reduction to happen.

Following that logic, reducing phosphates with LC will be counter productive.

Please research what LC is and what it does in a reef tank. I'm almost positive Randy does not recommend reducing phosphates that are already 0.03 in order to reduce nitrates, and I've NEVER heard of using LC for nitrate reduction.

*Lanthanum chloride

 

[immo]

Why do you need to reduce nitrates. Your tank looks actually really nice, no algae issues, the corals are happy. I would tho suggest you re do that encrusting coral, cut the plug part off, its just hanging in the air

If you want to do a different water changes, just do it and monitor. You don't know if 50 ppm nitrates are stable, could be 50 ppm even if you do a smaller water change or skip a week.

The only reason the lepto is like that is because I just added it, and I don’t plan for that to be it’s permanent home. I wanted to start it low, and avoid the snails bulldozing it over. I have another lepto that has had a rough start, and I wonder if that mistake is what caused it issues. The base will be removed, and permanently mounted in a week as I slowly bring my lights back up, and make sure it doesn’t have any issues,

 

[liddojunior]

Perhaps I don’t understand. I was under the impression from Randy that LC will reduce nitrates, and that the presence of phosphate was required for that reduction to happen.

LC is about lowering both nitrates and phosphates in equal ratios. So you run the risk of bottoming out the phosphates. You want only nitrates down, so dont think this is the way.

 

[jabberwock]

Micro Daily Water Changes...

 

[EeyoreIsMySpiritAnimal]

LC is about lowering both nitrates and phosphates in equal ratios. So you run the risk of bottoming out the phosphates. You want only nitrates down, so dont think this is the way.

First I've heard of LC doing anything substantial for nitrates...
Do you have any sources?
(not arguing, just curious )

 

[immo]

I always turn off the flow to feed, and I aim for 1 - 1.5 flakes that are roughly 1/4’ size and then grind it up with my fingers. I add my aminos at the same time (1 drop of brightwell). The fish generally eats most of what I put in the tank, and most of what is left generally stays on the surface of the water, and gets into th4 overflow when I turn the return pump back on.

 

[immo]

Following that logic, reducing phosphates with LC will be counter productive.

Please research what LC is and what it does in a reef tank. I'm almost positive Randy does not recommend reducing phosphates that are already 0.03 in order to reduce nitrates, and I've NEVER heard of using LC for nitrate reduction.

Post in thread 'Nitrate removal without phosphates.'
https://www.reef2reef.com/threads/nitrate-removal-without-phosphates.979621/post-11284176