Bacteria from organic carbon dosing useful for NPS?

[aninjaatemyshoe]

Randy, with 3x44gallon brute cans full of live rock in your system, do you worry about the buildup of organic waste and the resulting potential for buildup of large pockets of hydrogen sulfide? I'm guessing that there is not a ton of flow to keep waste from building up over time.

 

[Randy Holmes-Farley]

There is not much flow, just a powerhead on top of each rock pile, but water enters at the bottom and exits the top of each refugium, and I've not seen any evidence of problems with it.

 

[herring_fish]

I have looked into GFO and the lanthanums but I want to get the scrubber running again. I can shy away from bacteria or feed nitrates.

I added a 55 gallon sump in the garage full of coral rubble that is very porous. When I hooked it up, the nitrates started to slide. I think that I will take it off line, do a big water change and start growing algae again.

If I do decide to go back to growing bacteria in one of the towers, I will need to counter balance it with some form of nitrates that don't contain phosphates. In the passed, no matter how heavily I fed, my tank ran lean so I dosed caps full of fish emulsion fertilizer. I know that it sounds silly but everything seemed to like the arrangement.

Is there anything that you can think of that I can dose that just has nitrates in it?

 

[herring_fish]

I read elsewhere that Potassium Nitrate will add nitrates to the system without adding to the phosphate load. Do you think that is an accurate statement idea?

I know that this is an atypical approach but I am determined to regain the confident that I get with a fully functional algal turf scrubber.

For me, nitrate supplementation might allow me to continue to pursue much heavier bacterial feeding.

 

[nicewicz]

Yes, Potassium Nitrate (KNO3) will add only nitrate and not anything else. I dose KNO3 as a fertilizer in my freshwater planted tank system.

 

[Terryz_]

No substantial evidence but I do observe my seafans and dendronepthyea are opening much better after carbon dosing.. I am using Vit c for carbon dosing..

 

[herring_fish]

This is the bacteria deposit from about 5 feedings of vodka (1 cap full per day) or vinegar 3 to 6 ml per day and Reef Bugs (a pinch) over the last few weeks that this thread has been running.

Note how much has built up on the walls and the piece of plastic that the aeration comes out of.

I don't know if this is the way to dose bacteria. The build up my clog everything. we will have to see.

 

[Randy Holmes-Farley]

in case anyone in interested, I set up a small experiment with some large sponges and a tunicate which is described here:

http://www.reefcentral.com/forums/showthread.php?t=2107130

OK, time for a 2 year and 4 month update.

The yellow ball sponge has thrived. It is more than twice the volume when I got it. Maybe 2-3 inches across now. Not a round ball shape but irregular. No specific feedings. It has been in the main display for about 2 years under an overhang. A definite success!

The Zooanthis Swifti polyps have decreased in size, but are still around. Mixed result.

The other creatures dropped off over time, possibly starving but possibly something else. No long term success there.

 

[coltrref]

hi Randy
not remember this topic
in my experience yield few results with biopellets, regret not informed.

however, adding that continued sporadically residue collection cup to tanke of 237g.

but so do a Nanoreef 32g, where a diversity of corals including NP's.

for me is complete success!

 

[Ty1e]

that is exactly what we do in Zeovit system



bacteria grow on Zelith, we shake zeolith to break the bacteria into finer sizes without killing them, which gets used by corals.



I dose carbon in my NPS tank, but dont think I qualify to answer your question they do open their polyps larger when I shake the zeovits though.

I've noticed the same when I shake the RX, both my gorg's open up even more, they also love sponge power.

 

[billy mitchell]

I have high nitrates (50+ppm) in my 220gal tank and sump 42..in all 262gal....if I try vinegar treatment would I use the same as what you added to your system....400m/l
my tank is coming off cycling with No3 50+ and pH 8.6 cleanup crew looking after diatoms and there is no sigh of algae...has been like this for some weeks
in sump there is heaps of activity with small white pods and lots of grape algae as well as reef rubble and sand
everything looks great and water looks clear
I have not done a water change yet cause I would like to get the nitrates down a bit more
waiting on your advice