Carbon dosing and sps

[Dorinda]

I was wondering, can I have SPS if I carbon dose? I do it to keep nitrates down. But my phosphate are 0. Nitrates were starting to hang between 5-10.

 

[Daddy-o]

Nitrates at 5-10 are ok, Phosphate at 0 - not so much
Cheers! Mark

 

[Joedubyk]

Phosphates can be super low as long as your corals get fed (fish poop is best). 5-10 is plenty fine for SPS.

 

[Greybeard]

Sure you can

Lots of carbon dosers grow SPS. I'm doing the KZ thing, which is really a form of carbon dosing, and plan on doing nothing but SPS (still in the process!)

You might need to dose Phosphate (and even Nitrate, if it's called for!) Weird, I know... go to all that trouble to get rid of phosphate and nitrate... and then start putting it back Still, if that's what you've got to do.

You using a Hanna ULR phosphate checker? Many test kits will show zero, when it's not, really... 0.05 PPM is a fine Phosphate value, and most kits will show that as zero.

 

[Joedubyk]

Sure you can

Lots of carbon dosers grow SPS. I'm doing the KZ thing, which is really a form of carbon dosing, and plan on doing nothing but SPS (still in the process!)

You might need to dose Phosphate (and even Nitrate, if it's called for!) Weird, I know... go to all that trouble to get rid of phosphate and nitrate... and then start putting it back Still, if that's what you've got to do.

You using a Hanna ULR phosphate checker? Many test kits will show zero, when it's not, really... 0.05 PPM is a fine Phosphate value, and most kits will show that as zero.

Agree the caveat is how is he ending up with 0.05... Does he have really good exportation and feeds a crap ton? Does he have a few fish that he only feds a few flakes once a day? Two tanks could have 0.05 and have two totally different ways of getting there.

 

[pdxmonkeyboy]

If those are your numbers I would not even think about dosing carbon. Carbon dosing is designed to boost bacteria to reduce nitrates and phos.

 

[Dorinda]

Ok, so my KH is 7. If I stop carbon dosing, how long should I wait to see if the KH goes up?
I have a API reef master test kit.

 

[Daddy-o]

Ok, so my KH is 7. If I stop carbon dosing, how long should I wait to see if the KH goes up?
I have a API reef master test kit.

Why would your DKH go up?????

 

[Dorinda]

Why would your DKH go up?????

I thought the KH should stay low while carbon dosing. So I thought if I should raise it to 8-9, how long after I stop carbon dosing should I wait before starting to raise that?