Sugar dosing with water changes. Effective?

[Nickmcc]

^^^^ is it as effective as a protein skimmer.

 

[heathlindner25]

Imo, to do any type of carbon dosing a skimmer is a must.

 

[Dogshowgrl]

You have to have a skimmer or bacteria blooms will not only cloud the tank but will drop the pH and possibly crash it. Not just a skimmer but a good, strong, dependable one.

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[Nickmcc]

Okay thank you for your replies. You saved me from a tank crash. Water was cloudy after two days of carbon dosing without a skimmer.

 

[Dogshowgrl]

Do a significant water change. Add a skimmer. Carbon dosing is great but oxygen is a must. You will get there.

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[ReefsandGeeks]

IMO, oxygenation is the biggest reason to need a protein skimmer when carbon dosing. Plus it removes a lot of the bacteria that build up. I have carbon dosed for years. A couple of months ago, I unplugged the protein skimmer while feeding and forgot to plug it back in. After about 2-3 hours I had my first fish loss. Luckly, when he died he splashed and I was in the room to hear it. Everything was extremely lethargic, even the coral. I quickly turned it back on and tested everything I could in the water. No other perameters were off. within another hour, everything appeared to be fine.

 

[Dkuhlmann]

Sugar dosing will also trigger a Cyano outbreak. Ask me how I know :hammer:

 

[ReefsandGeeks]

Ohh, I forgot you said sugar dosing. Much more common is vinegar or vodka or a combination of both. I personally use vinegar in my tank.

 

[AlSimmons]

Is this something you "need" or are you just trying it out?

A lot of these things can be bypassed with a little elbow grease sometimes.

 

[Sk8r]

What you need most is an efficient skimmer. Carbon dosing can help a skimmer do a better job, but in a mature tank; for a new tank, rule of thumb is a skimmer rated for 2x your water volume.

 

[Nickmcc]

I was carbon dosing to get my nitrates down and am thinking of getting the Tunze 9004. I've currently been doing weekly water changes and that doesn't help

 

[Sk8r]

Carbon dosing won't help your nitrates in the absence of a skimmer. OTOH, a really good skimmer can help your nitrates on its own.

 

[Nickmcc]

Okay thank you. Ordered the Tunze 9004.

 

[AlSimmons]

Carbon dosing won't help your nitrates in the absence of a skimmer. OTOH, a really good skimmer can help your nitrates on its own.

Doing the work can too...

I can't put it as eloquently as another respected member did one time, but everybody want's a pet these days yet nobody want's to clean up after them... Just another form of filtration to NOT get off the couch IMO.