ATS vs. Carbon Dosing in 180 SPS Tank

[Buzz1329]

After switching to Carbon dosing I never looked back. I used to have a 100g's worth of refugium. Now I have a liter bottle.

Can't beat it!

Carbon dosing easily and fairly quickly reduced my N03/P04 levels to NSW levels (or below if not careful). But my problem is that when I carbon dose (vinegar or NOPOX), I generate significant to massive amounts of bacteria snot/film in both my 75 and 180, both of which have sumps containing efficient skimmers, and reactors with GAC.

How do I harness the goodness of carbon dosing without being inundated with bacteria snot?

Thanks,

Mike

 

[pledosophy]

Carbon dosing easily and fairly quickly reduced my N03/P04 levels to NSW levels (or below if not careful). But my problem is that when I carbon dose (vinegar or NOPOX), I generate significant to massive amounts of bacteria snot/film in both my 75 and 180, both of which have sumps containing efficient skimmers, and reactors with GAC.

How do I harness the goodness of carbon dosing without being inundated with bacteria snot?

Thanks,

Mike

Ya... I don't have any of the "snot". I have used Vodka and sugar, but prefer vodka now because I have a dosing pump.

I do not use GAC at all. I have some on stand by, like I do for antibiotics etc, but I don't run it.

My 120g needs about 8mL of vodka a day to keep nitrate and phosphate undetectable (basically a shot glass full a week). I find it is better spaced out during the day instead of all at once.

When people see what I feed daily they usually crack up, asking if I am serious. I feed a lot. 3-4x what my reef homies feed. Rod's food, frozen mysis, pellet, Ammino Acids, live phyto, and reef roids, daily.

I know it's weird but I really enjoy feeding my fish. I sit and watch them eat several times a day. I just like it. So they eat a lot.

I would suspect the "snot" is because your dose is to high. I would guess it is a bacterial bloom.

I would try lowering the doseage, and emptying your skimmer and cleaning the neck everyday.

I don't really know for sure but that works for me. I have been carbon dosing for just about 10 years now. All kinds of tanks, including fry tanks. It really doesn't take much.

I tried the whole multiple inline refugiums with an additional cryptic zone tank all going back to a display. Just a PITA. A bottle of vodka with a hole in the cap and an airline feeding through a peristaltic pump is way easier then all that.

JME

 

[Buzz1329]

Ya... I don't have any of the "snot". I have used Vodka and sugar, but prefer vodka now because I have a dosing pump.

I do not use GAC at all. I have some on stand by, like I do for antibiotics etc, but I don't run it.

My 120g needs about 8mL of vodka a day to keep nitrate and phosphate undetectable (basically a shot glass full a week). I find it is better spaced out during the day instead of all at once.

When people see what I feed daily they usually crack up, asking if I am serious. I feed a lot. 3-4x what my reef homies feed. Rod's food, frozen mysis, pellet, Ammino Acids, live phyto, and reef roids, daily.

I know it's weird but I really enjoy feeding my fish. I sit and watch them eat several times a day. I just like it. So they eat a lot.

I would suspect the "snot" is because your dose is to high. I would guess it is a bacterial bloom.

I would try lowering the doseage, and emptying your skimmer and cleaning the neck everyday.

I don't really know for sure but that works for me. I have been carbon dosing for just about 10 years now. All kinds of tanks, including fry tanks. It really doesn't take much.

I tried the whole multiple inline refugiums with an additional cryptic zone tank all going back to a display. Just a PITA. A bottle of vodka with a hole in the cap and an airline feeding through a peristaltic pump is way easier then all that.

JME

Thanks for response. If I go back to carbon dosing, I will definitely reduce dose to minimum and increase oh so gradually.

Also considering restarting ATS on 180 and maybe turning sump of 75 into caulerpa racemosa fuge.

Got to love this hobby. So many options, so many ways to get to the finish line or implode along the way.

Mike

 

[pledosophy]

I did a racemosa fuge. Grows like crazy, but once it gets in the display your screwed

 

[Tom39]

After migrating from a 180G to a 450G last November, we struggled through the cyano and then GHA outbreaks. Initially I used carbon dosing which helped get the nitrates down. I was also using GFO. After the cyano was gone, the GHA started in and became frustrating. Once in awhile the cyano would come back so I implemented a sulfur denitrator. With that I could drive nitrates to an undetectable level, but the phosphates remained and so did GHA. On July 28th I installed an ATS and since then have not looked back. GHA was gone within 2 weeks and I can control nitrates and phosphates where I want them, if at all. No more GFO and even GAC unless I feel I need it after fragging. I do still run a Life Reef 36" venturi skimmer that continues to support Ozonization 4 times per day and removal of waste. I like the essentially "all natural" aspect of an ATS. The Eheim pumps are rock solid as are Mag Drive. I have a Mag Drive pushing a manifold I tap the ATS into.

Who made your ATS?

 

[AZRippster]

I did, it's a DIY.

 

[SantaMonica]

Dosing can certainly get levels down. I guess it's the bigger picture that needs to be looked at.