Has anyone ever carbon dosed without a skimmer?
- Thread starter 121
- Start date
jason2459
Well-known member
I've recently removed my skimmer. I still dose vinegar because the acetic acid can be consumed by more then just bacteria. But bacteria is certainly driven by it. I did reduce the amount of vinegar dosed by quite a bit.
A skimmer is very helpful to export excess bacteria that is in the water column due to either dieing off or sloughing off because it's become a big enough mass to have been detached due to flow or something brushing up against it.
The skimmer will also help if a bacteria bloom happens and drops the oxygen levels in the tank regardless of surface agitation.
So, can carbon dosing be done with out a skimmer? Sure. Is it better to do so with one? I think so.
Just proceed with caution.
A skimmer is very helpful to export excess bacteria that is in the water column due to either dieing off or sloughing off because it's become a big enough mass to have been detached due to flow or something brushing up against it.
The skimmer will also help if a bacteria bloom happens and drops the oxygen levels in the tank regardless of surface agitation.
So, can carbon dosing be done with out a skimmer? Sure. Is it better to do so with one? I think so.
Just proceed with caution.
Last edited:
Coincidently, last week, on a chemistry forum with Randy, I asked about carbon dosing without a skimmer to help grow ornamental seaweeds & sponges. He did not recommend carbon dosing without a protein skimmer. I already dose nh4, silicates, iodine and liquid seaweed concentrate from North Atlantic kelp.
jason2459
Well-known member
lol
www.reef2reef.com
Carbon dosing without a skimmer?
effective? Advisable? Not advisable? I ask because I do not use protein skimmers on either of my systems.
www.reef2reef.com
jason2459
Well-known member
Also, as a side note, he also mentioned in another thread the idea that an aquarium with a large amount of filter feeders could perform better than a skimmer for removing the excess bacteria.
I'd also like to add the bacteria driven as a food source is a good reason to do even a low to moderate dose of a carbon source even with no skimmer. Which I'm doing. I would pick vinegar as the carbon source over something like vodka as the acetic acid is a better source of consumption for things like corals as well. Unless the pure goal is to drive bacteria then vodka could be a good choice. I found it to be indiscriminate in the type of bacteria driven. Like cyano. That's not everyone's experience though.
I'd also like to add the bacteria driven as a food source is a good reason to do even a low to moderate dose of a carbon source even with no skimmer. Which I'm doing. I would pick vinegar as the carbon source over something like vodka as the acetic acid is a better source of consumption for things like corals as well. Unless the pure goal is to drive bacteria then vodka could be a good choice. I found it to be indiscriminate in the type of bacteria driven. Like cyano. That's not everyone's experience though.
“Also, as a side note, he also mentioned in another thread the idea that an aquarium with a large amount of filter feeders could perform better than a skimmer for removing the excess bacteria.”
I spoke with Randy this week. Yes, you can dose carbon without a skimmer. As in most things, just because you can, is it advisable? Depends on details.
I consider feeding fish a type of carbon dosing. I am that person with a tank full of filter feeders that are not coral.
I spoke with Randy this week. Yes, you can dose carbon without a skimmer. As in most things, just because you can, is it advisable? Depends on details.
I consider feeding fish a type of carbon dosing. I am that person with a tank full of filter feeders that are not coral.
shred5
Premium Member
I was dosing carbon in one of my new setup without a skimmer. I was also adding bacteria to help it through the cycle. I ended up with this white milky slimy bacteria all over the rock. I thought it might help pull nutrients from the dead rock and help with the ugly phase.
Any how I have always dosed carbon in my reefs but not for nutrient export and in less quantities than that and for two reasons.
I feel bacteria is good food for allot of corals especially those who keep gonis..
Also it is the building blocks of life that usually is short supply in our aquariums.
So I have always dosed a few drops every few days.
I just saw this video on carbon by a person I respect in the hobby and thought it was interesting.
Absolutely worth watching.
Outstanding presentation of the complexity of dynamic equilibrium between carbon/nitrogen/phosphate.
The last sentence was a statement about “old tank syndrome“ that I found very interesting. In the conclusion section of Ken Felderman research paper on carbon dosing with protein skimming, he postulated that the selective removal of certain groups of bacteria in the water column may contribute to “old tank syndrome”
The last sentence was a statement about “old tank syndrome“ that I found very interesting. In the conclusion section of Ken Felderman research paper on carbon dosing with protein skimming, he postulated that the selective removal of certain groups of bacteria in the water column may contribute to “old tank syndrome”
shred5
Premium Member
Yea well he also has like 3 degrees degrees one is a PHD and one I thought was in micro biology. He was like a dentist but also has a license to be a physician I think and quit to sell coral. .. So he has the smarts and the back ground.
I do not know Abe personally but I like his videos and I hate most videos on YouTube now.
Most people on these videos are trying to sell you something you do not need. They won't say anything bad about a product or they loose sponsorship or wont get the next product to review. Some companies go so far as sue you if you say something bad. These contracts they sign are ridiculous. This person I kind of know a little says these companies want to review your videos and they are not allowed to put anything bad in them. They get like 10,000 dollars or more on some products videos plus Youtube revenue. He is like this isn't a review it is a add, he refuses but someone else will take the money and do it. So I trust very few reviews anymore.
Unfortunately, infomercials are little more than a pep rally with groupies and too many threads are hype about favorite reefkeeping devices.
Similar threads
