how many in URS dose a source of carbon?

[Gary Majchrzak]

just wondering

if you don't know what this is
here's an explanation

 

[reefboarder]

I do not dose anything except calcium, magnesium, and alkalinity. I run biopellets, carbon, and gfo.

 

[blanden.adam]

I do not dose anything except calcium, magnesium, and alkalinity. I run biopellets, carbon, and gfo.

biopellets are a form of carbon dosing

 

[blanden.adam]

I dosed vinegar before the tank upgrade to increase the potency of my kalk in the ATO. In the new tank, I'm trying a different approach -- running things a touch "dirtier" with a "normal" load of nutrients managed with macroalgae and GFO rather than an ULNS. Nitrates are still <5 and phosphate still <.05 typically. Maybe I'll go back to carbon in the future, but I guess we'll see. Just experimenting.

 

[reefboarder]

I wasnt too sure on it. I made an uneducated decision about 2 years ago to start running them. Couldnt tell you one way or the other if they have had a positive impact but theyre still ah tumblin. Diverdick actually recomended I try. I was having heavy nuisance algae problems.
I have since tore that system down and started over.

 

[AmherstReef]

I started dosing 3 months ago, 25/75% Vodka/Vinegar mix. Within a month I noticed improved coloration of my SPS, clearer water, significant reduction of brown/green algae on glass, some cyano reduction and Nitrates dropped down to .1

By the end of my second month I did have an increase in brown diatoms/cyano on the sandbed and PO4 running .03-.09. Running GFO which helps a little, but exhausts quickly.

 

[Gary Majchrzak]

I understand straightforward C source dosing

I understand straightforward C source dosing

such as Vodka. Or Vinegar. Or the other options (biopellets etc.)

I haven't located the info on why people dose a mix of Vodka and Vinegar. Maybe someone (tmz) can explain?

Also.. Tom... would you rate C source dosing good for both Acropora as well as LPS?
I mean... it's unlikely C source dosing would improve anything with my S. gigantea anemone which is already growing out of control

edit: my main challenge is controlling P and N levels in a heavily fed aquarium full of Acropora (low nutrient) corals.

It looks like I'm in the minority here because I've never dosed a carbon source.............

 

[der_wille_zur_macht]

It looks like I'm in the minority here because I've never dosed a carbon source.............

Me either. At least not intentionally. I've done some things that add carbon indirectly and I bet you probably have too though it may be debatable if it was in a significant amount. (kalk supercharging with vinegar, which I remember doing before carbon dosing was even a "thing," or use of a Ca reactor that was dumping some CO2 in the effluent, etc.).

I know I'm preaching to the choir a bit here Gary but my somewhat limited experience with various ULNS approaches has been that it's a dangerous game. One little tweak and you may improve the condition of some of your livestock but cause decline in other livestock.

 

[jeremyjoslin]

I dose vinegar in my heavily stocked tank. Seems to make my skimmer "produce more" and I've kept nitrates undetectable.

 

[emm0909]

I'm moving my sump to the basement and doubling my water volume. My old school, simple way of taking care of a tank just isn't going to work the way it used to so I'm starting to explore all the other facets of water chemistry. I'm realizing how behind I am on the subject.

It's a really interesting subject but seems like it's something that people figure out how to tune the theory to their system/livestock. There's no right way to do it and a million wrong ways to do it. My brain hurts!

 

[Gary Majchrzak]

I haven't located the info on why people dose a mix of Vodka and Vinegar. Maybe someone (tmz) can explain?

 

[tmz]

such as Vodka. Or Vinegar. Or the other options (biopellets etc.)

I haven't located the info on why people dose a mix of Vodka and Vinegar. Maybe someone (tmz) can explain?

Vodka can be bolus dosed because it doesn't release all the H+ vinegar does at the time you dose it. Both have about the same long term effect on pH from bacterial activity which produces some CO2 but bulk vinegar dosing causes precipitous drops; vodka doesn't . Both are about the same otherwise. Neither produces monomers(sugars) asthey have already derived from them.
Bolus dosing probably encourages a burst of bacterial activity which likely results in more anaerobic N reduction than slow dosing as more hypoxic areas form in the mulm due to the temporaey density of the C concentration.
Vinegar requires slow dosing over a long period of time while photosynthesis is occurring to offset the H+ and CO2 addition.

Early on lots of folks thought some mystical bacterial diversity was necessary to avoid a dreaded mythical mono culture monster. This encouraged various mixtures of different carbon sources to ecnourage a varied strain of bacteria and ongoing doses of expensive non viable bacteria supplements versus a relaince on naturally occuring bacteia. There is nothing to suggest a mono culture is possible and nothing to suggest bacterial diversity is helpful ;quite the opposite where sugar and other monomers are involved.


Also.. Tom... would you rate C source dosing good for both Acropora as well as LPS?

Very good for acropora,even more so for pcocillipora, seriatopora an montipora. Ok for lps, gorgonians Excellent for some leathers in terms of coloration. Excellent for sponges ,goniopora and some nps.

Low nitrates are a big benefit,bacteria plankton as food seems useful too. But if you don't have the nitrate issue and properly feed corals that need small micron small micron foods I don't see a need to dose .

It does also help manage the PO4 too.

I only keep one entamacea quadricolor ; it's done well for the 5 years I've been dosing ; grew and split more when NO3 was higher though.

The biggest C dosing fans in my aqauriums are zoantidae ,particulary zoanthus whcih exhibit little or no feeding response to even small micron foods, ime . Pod life is good. I do think the bacteria plankton that breakoff support the food chain some.
Skimming is productive and I like the idea that bacteria grab up some metals too.


I mean... it's unlikely C source dosing would improve anything with my S. gigantea anemone which is already growing out of control

Probably not ; it may harm it but my experience is otherwise with my entmacea. Randy F keeps a a gigantea, IIRC; it did ok but not when he intentionally overdosed.

edit: my main challenge is controlling P and N levels in a heavily fed aquarium full of Acropora (low nutrient) corals.

Organic carbon helps that significantly.

It looks like I'm in the minority here because I've never dosed a carbon source.............

and you may be right to avoid it ; I'm doing very well with it.

 

[Gary Majchrzak]

couldn't see your reply, Tom

couldn't see your reply, Tom

I need my readers! :lolspin:

 

[tmz]

It came out normally sized on my screen. Should I repost it without the quote box.