To carbon or not to carbon dose? That is the question

[RC88]

Hi fellow reefers,

Wonder if the community could help me with something. I’m currently running my 100ltr tank for 7/8 months now. Only have a couple of soft corals, a Finger coral white Polyp and a neon green cabbage.

Over the last month or so my finger coral has been rather irritated. Hardly opens as much as it used to however the cabbage is thriving. So to investigate the reason why I’ve gone through all my previous parameter results and the only thing I can see as having a potential impact is my nitrate. It’s between 20 and 50ppm. (Colour doesn’t match the chart, it’s a shade in between - using Red Sea test kit by the way)

My finger coral was thriving when I used to have my nitrate at 15ppm. So I wonder whether I should carbon dose to bring my nitrates down. Any thoughts on this? Should I do it? Below are my parameters.

Ammonia - 0
Phosphate - 0.4
Alkalinity - 9dKH
Nitrite - 0.2
Nitrate - 20+
Calcium - 420
Magnesium - 1300
Salinity - 1.025
Temp - 79

Let me know your thoughts.
For filtration I have a GFO media bag, sponge, skimmer, floss and some bacteria stones (recently added)

 

[Biglew11]

Carbon dose at about half the dosage at first, and take the gfo offline so you dont bottom out.

 

[Pistondog]

+1 on the carbon dose, maybe both vodka and vinegar. More bacteria is good.

 

[RC88]

Thanks gents. I started to carbon dose and seem to have had a small bacteria boom. Film on the surface of the water. Will use half the recommended dose as suggested. Also - I have been looking into algae reactors to help with the phos and nitrates going forward. Any thoughts? Good idea? Worth doing a DIY job?

 

[Breadman03]

Thanks gents. I started to carbon dose and seem to have had a small bacteria boom. Film on the surface of the water. Will use half the recommended dose as suggested. Also - I have been looking into algae reactors to help with the phos and nitrates going forward. Any thoughts? Good idea? Worth doing a DIY job?

An algae turf scrubber would be a great option.