thriceanangel
Active member
Funny how 1 tablespoon ( which I thought might be too little ) can affect 125 gallons so profoundly!
Nitrate Reduction 101 with sugar!!!
- Thread starter fishykid9212
- Start date
thriceanangel
Active member
Just tested an nitrates went from 120ppm to 30 in 24 hrs. I added another 1/4 tsp just now.
Fishbulb2
New member
I read the first several pages of this thread and then the last too. Sorry for not reading all of it but it's a bit long. Why not just inject the sugar into a coil denitrator to but the carbon source only where you actually need it, the anaerobic bacteria? This is how a lot of the commercial denitrators operate. It would eliminate the bacterial blooms you guys experience in the water column. I've used an aquaripure denitrator and I had to inject very little vodka into it because it all stays in the unit to get used by the anaerobes instead of just any bacteria in the system. I think this is probably the best way to accomplish the task with the minimal risk.
FB
FB
RichConley
New member
I've been dosing about a week, maybe 2. Never had a visible bloom, but I'm filling an 8" wide by 6" tall collection cup with black filth like every 2 days. I had unmeasurable nitrates, and just a tad of phosphate before...
crazy.
crazy.
RichConley
New member
THeres no nitrate in sugar..so it can't break down and produce it.
RichConley
New member
I think the key is having a decent skimmer. I never saw a bloom either, my skimmate production just went WAY up. I think the people who are having cloudy messes probably just have way too small skimmers.
glassbox-design
New member
If you have a bloom reduce your dosing slightly so it doesnt appear. I suppose that would be the maximum carbon level your tank can hold. When the blooms happen they can reduce oxygen levels so be careful.
Blooms are not because of a small skimmer, but from overdosing. These methods do require quality skimmers to export the increase in bac's.
Just watch out for the filter feeders. I stopped dosing vodka and some other goodies because it caused my sponges, tunicates, and feather dusters to explode. I also noticed an increase in bubble algae...but again I was using more than just vodka
HTH,
e+f
Blooms are not because of a small skimmer, but from overdosing. These methods do require quality skimmers to export the increase in bac's.
Just watch out for the filter feeders. I stopped dosing vodka and some other goodies because it caused my sponges, tunicates, and feather dusters to explode. I also noticed an increase in bubble algae...but again I was using more than just vodka
HTH,
e+f
My perfect dosing is 1/2 tsp once every three days on my 120g, and nitrate is near zero. I have finally removed my cheato which wasn't growing for quite some time, will see what happens.
Some one mentioned phosphate issue. What will happen with phosphate level now nitrate is in check? Can anyone give me a link to the discussion on phosphate?
I just want to know if there are other anythings we need to do once we start dosing sugar.
Some one mentioned phosphate issue. What will happen with phosphate level now nitrate is in check? Can anyone give me a link to the discussion on phosphate?
I just want to know if there are other anythings we need to do once we start dosing sugar.
RichConley
New member
I was dosing a tablespoon a day in a 58 at one point, with no blooms.
Skimmers take out bacteria. Having a big skimmer will certainly alleviate blooms from overdosing.
Small skimmers can't help even in small blooms.
RichConley
New member
Its doing the same thing to you phosphate as it is your nitrate. I had non measurable nitrate to start, so it didnt do anything to it...phosphate dissapeared though.
glassbox-design
New member
Yes skimmers remove bacteria, and when a bloom happens they certainly do help....but they do not prevent it. Each tank is different, due to their C:N
ratio and the bac strains in their tank. As for your dosing, that is not uncommon. many people build up to very heavy dosages and like I mentioned above every tank is different...some can take more from the start. In my 20g I was at 2.4mL of vodka and no bloom....
as for what it is doing to your po4...the most part, they will get lowered like the nitrates. But you have to be careful not to skew your ratio...too high or c, n, or p and the system can go south... Just because N is at zero does not mean it is the perfect dose. C levels could keep raising and building up to less than efficient ratios/levels. There is also the risk of the wrong strains of bac growing in your system or outcompeting some good ones. We dont really know if thats true...I still just suggest Carbon sources for short time periods...unless you are using a full system like prodi or zeo.
There is an ultimate ratio you want to achieve. previously we thought for carbon it was topped out at around 15, now some studies say ~28. Depending on your N and P ratios you need to play with your carbon dosing to see what can get you to that "great" ratio... maybe sometimes measurable trates arent a bad thing
e+f
ratio and the bac strains in their tank. As for your dosing, that is not uncommon. many people build up to very heavy dosages and like I mentioned above every tank is different...some can take more from the start. In my 20g I was at 2.4mL of vodka and no bloom....as for what it is doing to your po4...the most part, they will get lowered like the nitrates. But you have to be careful not to skew your ratio...too high or c, n, or p and the system can go south... Just because N is at zero does not mean it is the perfect dose. C levels could keep raising and building up to less than efficient ratios/levels. There is also the risk of the wrong strains of bac growing in your system or outcompeting some good ones. We dont really know if thats true...I still just suggest Carbon sources for short time periods...unless you are using a full system like prodi or zeo.
There is an ultimate ratio you want to achieve. previously we thought for carbon it was topped out at around 15, now some studies say ~28. Depending on your N and P ratios you need to play with your carbon dosing to see what can get you to that "great" ratio... maybe sometimes measurable trates arent a bad thing
e+f
thriceanangel
Active member
Nitrates still at 30 after the last 1/4 tsp, going to up the dose a bit.
<a href=showthread.php?s=&postid=8561852#post8561852 target=_blank>Originally posted</a> by Flint&Eric
Yes skimmers remove bacteria, and when a bloom happens they certainly do help....but they do not prevent it. Each tank is different, due to their C:N
as for what it is doing to your po4...the most part, they will get lowered like the nitrates. But you have to be careful not to skew your ratio...too high or c, n, or p and the system can go south... Just because N is at zero does not mean it is the perfect dose. C levels could keep raising and building up to less than efficient ratios/levels. There is also the risk of the wrong strains of bac growing in your system or outcompeting some good ones. We dont really know if thats true...I still just suggest Carbon sources for short time periods...unless you are using a full system like prodi or zeo.
There is an ultimate ratio you want to achieve. previously we thought for carbon it was topped out at around 15, now some studies say ~28. Depending on your N and P ratios you need to play with your carbon dosing to see what can get you to that "great" ratio... maybe sometimes measurable trates arent a bad thing
e+f
Sounded like N and P are removed proportionally by bacteria? Then it is a good idea to dose sugar only when nitrate is back up again. What will happen if C is too high?
glassbox-design
New member
The removal of N & P depends on the strains of bacs and their consumption rate/preference. I would not use sugar long term. It can help initially, but it will mask the problem. Unless you are adding new correct straings of bac like in prodi or zeo would I ever use it long term.
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