Carbon Dosing Question

[ddrueckh]

As far as I understand, people carbon dose to reduce nitrate and phosphate. In tanks where there is a large amount of algae, nitrate and phosphate values are usually 0. If so, how do you know how much carbon source to dose and when to back off. Should you just keep upping the product until the algae starts receding and then back off? Thanks.

 

[Eckolancer]

Carbon dosing will make the algae grow more from what I understand. Maybe you mean nitrate dosing to eat phosphates?

 

[Bdog4u2]

If you have Dino in the tank it will explode with carbon dosing.

 

[ddrueckh]

No Dino. Just GHA and Cyano.

 

[Randy Holmes-Farley Verified Community Expert]

While adjusting carbon dosing based on measured values is a fine way to go, it is not the only way and not the way I do it.

I dose based on the apparent effect on the tank. I adjusted my vinegar dose up and down over time to get what I thought was a good effect.

In your case, I'd pick a reasonable dose, perhaps ramping up over a couple of weeks, and then see what it does for the algae over a few weeks.

FWIW, it will have a bigger effect taking away nitrate than phosphate before the algae can get it, and you might even see phosphate rise, but the algae will hopefully decline.

GFO would be an alternative approach, or something that can be done along with the carbon dosing.

Do you know what product or organic molecule you want to dose?

 

[ddrueckh]

I am going to try the Red Sea nopox. I used vinegar in the past but sopped. Just thought I would try something else.