Tropic Marin Carbon dosing - confused

[Superlightman]

Almost every organic carbon dosing will produce some CO2. This is unavoidable, otherwise it would be no organic carbon dosing. (Maybe formate is an exception producing only bicarbonate.) Maybe it is possible to compensate for this pH lowering CO2 by adding some alkalinity, please see this thread. But this would increase alkalinity.

The KZ product cannot contain much organic carbon in "only a few drops". This is just not possible. Maybe it has other components, for example precipitating phosphate (i. e. lanthanum). I don't know this product.
So I have to ask which results you mean? To nitrate or to phosphate?

We have chosen an polyol (an alcohol) that seemed to have the smallest negativ effect to microflora and growth of opportunistic (negative) bacteria. This may have a smaller effect to nitrate reduction since thinner biofilms may cause less nitrification. But in general the effect of organic carbon dosing mainly depends on the amount of organic carbon dosed.


The phosphate is a bit a "complex" nutrient. If you want to increase phosphate concentration with ortho-phosphate you will notice that after starting dosing not much will happen. Phosphate will disappear from the water very fast. This is because phosphate adsorbs to calcareous rocks and calcareous sand.

When starting to remove phosphate, at first this adsorbed phosphate will dissolve and go back into the water, maybe supported by bacterial acitivity increased by any kind of organic carbon dosing.

Different tanks will behave different in this regard, for example sand bed vs. bare bottom, depending from the surface area of calcareous material used.

thanks for your answer, but I would keep the kh between 7,5-8. I have no idea what they put in their zeostart? I just knows it has a vinegar smell, 8 drops in my 540l aquarium are enough to make the level of phosphat drop with none visibel effect on my ph.With the elimin NP à the max recommend dose is just enough to keep my phosphate stable not,drop. Actually I used it just 3 days as I was scared by the drop in PH.I also not think the KZ products has lanthan as my last icp test showed no trace of Lanthum,but my previous test with the tropic marin elimin phosp rapid showed me lanthan in my previous ICP test .So I think it is very unlikely that their products contains lanthan and the volume is also inferior that what I need to use for the elmin rapid.
I wanted to try elimin NP as I'm very happy with your other products and the idea of a carbon source with less negative impact I liked it .
The nitrate are not a concern for me as there are very stable at 2,5 . I was struggling long time with high nitrate but one time I added vitamin C because I readed, that it was good for zoas, it was, but also my nitrates went drastically down and stable at 2,5-5 with just a small dosis and it seems beneficial for the corals and fishes also,so I keep doing it .

 

[Superlightman]

sorry 16 drops not 8, must be 0,8-1ml

 

[Smallslandreefer]

Just stumbled upon this thread. I have a related question as well. My po4 is in the 0.04ppm as i use gfo, however my nitrates are the main reason i want to use carbon dosing as they are slowly creeping up from 7ppm to 10 ppm. I run the tropic marin bio pellets in my reactor. Which product should use since i dont really want to add more nitrates. Any advice please

 

[Hans-Werner]

My po4 is in the 0.04ppm as i use gfo, however my nitrates are the main reason i want to use carbon dosing as they are slowly creeping up from 7ppm to 10 ppm. I run the tropic marin bio pellets in my reactor. Which product should use since i dont really want to add more nitrates. Any advice please

I recommend to remove the gfo and use Elimi-NP. 0.04 ppm phosphate is quite low and may be too low for effective nitrate removal. I recommend at least 0.05 to 0.1 ppm phosphate for effective nitrate reduction.

 

[Daveph68]

Lou,

How do I get a copy of the Carbon Dosing Scale Wheel?

 

[Lou Ekus]

Lou,

How do I get a copy of the Carbon Dosing Scale Wheel?

Send me your mailing address in a PM and I will get one out to you.

 

[Daveph68]

Send me your mailing address in a PM and I will get one out to you.

PM Sent