Should everyone be dosing carbon?

[nashorn]

I volka dose and it takes a long time to dial in but once done it's easy and almost no maintenance needed.
I have test and just gauge the dose by monitoring the film on the front glass.
For me brown up dose if white film then lower dose.

Like everything in this hobby what's works for me may not for you.
Also don't expect result for 6 + months since the
Bacteria needs to grow.

 

[jda]

Does anyone have pics of a tank with really nice SPS color and no carbon dosing? I haven't found any tanks really that don't and have those really great results. Most don't run any specific program instead doing biopellets or sometimes vinegar/vodka.

Almost every tank of the month in the last ten years. There are a few that dose some vodka, but they are not the norm.

Again, don't discount your lack of sand. It can do amazing things with nitrates.

 

[Potatohead]

I think it mostly has to do with the age of the tank, which might be obvious. If you have a lot of rock and sand and an older tank it likely processes n/p better than a newer tank with less rock and no substrate.

I like dosing nopox, it is very controllable and allows heavier feedings. Water clarity is crazy good also and my glass needs cleaning about a third as often as when I don't dose it.