Does carbon dosing work in freshwater?

[tboneman]

Would dosing a carbon source in a freshwater aquarium reduce nitrates?

 

[elegance coral]

No. You need a good skimmer to carbon dose. Or some efficient means of removing bacteria.

 

[bertoni]

Carbon dosing might change the system some, but I'm not sure it'd do much for nutrient reduction without a skimmer. You could try it to see what happens. I'd be very cautious, though.

 

[BFG]

A protein skimmer wouldn't work in freshwater right?

 

[mtaquarist]

A protein skimmer wouldn't work in freshwater right?

Correct. I wont dive into it but it needs the salt to work.

 

[tmz]

The bubbles in fresh water don't usually last long enough to give organics the time to diffuse to them and form a foam; so skimmers are largely ineffective at removing organics in freshwater.

The skimmer is especially useful in salt water when organic carbon, like: vodka, vinegar, etc., is dosed because:

it helps export the the extra organics including bacteria.;

running a skimmer also provides aeration to help CO2 and O2 levels that may be adversely effected by the extra bacterial activity.

So, if you:

aerate well by other means ,and ;

employ other effective organics removal techniques like granulated activated carbon and/or ozone;

organic carbon dosing could likely be used in a fresh water aquarium effectively.

I'm not aware of anyone using this technique in freshwater ; I'm not sure nitrate reduction ,a major aim of organic carbon dosing, is a significant concern in freshwater.