Carbon dosing tank works. Perhaps too well

[Blackop555]

I have always had nitrates around 40 to 50. I fed 2 times a week for corals fish get pellets daily sometimes they get frozen. I broadcast fees reef roids if I don't have time. If I have time I spot fees thick reef roid paste and coral frenzy. I had to scrub tank every day 2 days you wernt seeing in it. I could clean 2 times a day to make it look clear. Sand was getting discolored. Hair algae growing. But my chaeto wouldn't grow. I decided carbon dosing as I was getting tired of it. Tank is 3 months old no water change yet as my ro crapped out. But the rocks and some sand and corals came from a 1 year old tank. Everything has been good, had to dose once to raise my alk. So anyways I took my 2ml syringe and filled it with vodka. I put in .2 a day then upped to .3 after 3 days. I noticed at day 2 not much algae to clean. Didn't check nitrates. Just used up the 2ml today and my nitrates are undetectable. I am amazed at this, I never thought it would work that fast.

 

[blaxsun]

Fish seem to love vodka for some reason, lol.

 

[Oregon Grown Reef]

I have always had nitrates around 40 to 50. I fed 2 times a week for corals fish get pellets daily sometimes they get frozen. I broadcast fees reef roids if I don't have time. If I have time I spot fees thick reef roid paste and coral frenzy. I had to scrub tank every day 2 days you wernt seeing in it. I could clean 2 times a day to make it look clear. Sand was getting discolored. Hair algae growing. But my chaeto wouldn't grow. I decided carbon dosing as I was getting tired of it. Tank is 3 months old no water change yet as my ro crapped out. But the rocks and some sand and corals came from a 1 year old tank. Everything has been good, had to dose once to raise my alk. So anyways I took my 2ml syringe and filled it with vodka. I put in .2 a day then upped to .3 after 3 days. I noticed at day 2 not much algae to clean. Didn't check nitrates. Just used up the 2ml today and my nitrates are undetectable. I am amazed at this, I never thought it would work that fast.

When was the last time you checked your nitrate and phosphate before dosing? What test kit are you using?

 

[Blackop555]

When was the last time you checked your nitrate and phosphate before dosing? What test kit are you using?

Right before I dumped it in. Was sick of it. Used sailfert and hanna

 

[BrotatoSalad]

Any negative effects on corals from dropping that quickly? That's an awesome result- as in both cool, and inspiring of awe lol.

 

[Blackop555]

Corals and fish show no negative effects. Been feeding a lot more to get it back up

 

[Oregon Grown Reef]

That's crazy that it worked so quickly.

 

[BrotatoSalad]

Corals and fish show no negative effects. Been feeding a lot more to get it back up

Of all the ways to get numbers back up, that's definitely a great way of doing it. Clean water and excess nutrition. Thanks for sharing the experience! Excited to read the updates in the weeks to come.

 

[Blackop555]

There's after 3 mins

 

[Blackop555]

4 mins thru the side so divided by 10 may be a .5

 

[Oregon Grown Reef]

The other all important question: how big is your tank?

 

[Blackop555]

60 with 25 sump

 

[Oregon Grown Reef]

Wow. Only a week. Hopefully I start to see my numbers come down soon. I'm only on day 2.

 

[Blackop555]

Wow. Only a week. Hopefully I start to see my numbers come down soon. I'm only on day 2.

How big is your tank and how much you dosing a day?

 

[Oregon Grown Reef]

How big is your tank and how much you dosing a day?

It's 50 gallon total volume. I'm dosing the vinegar equivalent of what you were dosing on day 2, 1.5 ml.

 

[Blackop555]

I

It's 50 gallon total volume. I'm dosing the vinegar equivalent of what you were dosing on day 2, 1.5 ml.

Read something about vinegar. I dont remember what a negative effect some people saw, not saying it was major. Like I said my algae on glass significantly slowed down a few days after starting. Been 3 days now of heavy feed to get back up to detectable. No dosing will most likely be doing .1ml a day from here out after I get a little higher reading

 

[Reefbuds]

That bacteria was HONGRY nom nom nom

 

[Oregon Grown Reef]

I read something about vinegar. I dont remember what a negative effect some people saw, not saying it was major. Like I said my algae on glass significantly slowed down a few days after starting. Been 3 days now of heavy feed to get back up to detectable. No dosing will most likely be doing .1ml a day from here out after I get a little higher reading

I used to dose vodka in another tank and it caused cyano. I'm trying vinegar in this tank. I can fine tune dosing easier with vinegar as it is 8x less potent than vodka as well. Not sure what the downside would be.

 

[AydenLincoln]

If it’s truly 0 that is bad and phosphates will also be low or 0 too! It means you overdosed/went to quickly and can get dinos. You absolutely need to do water changes too carbon dosing is something that helps it doesn’t solve the issue.

 

[Blackop555]

Update. Heavier feeding and had skimmer offline for 1 day. Maybe fed 1 cube a day and some pellets. Added 2 more fish now a total of 5. I am up to nitrate level of 5 and back to cleaning the glass 2 times a day. So skimmer is back on and I am now going to dose .1ml of vodka a day and see if it maintains. If it keeps dropping I will be cutting it 50 50 with water and try .1ml and hopefully that will maintain nitrates and phosphate at lower levels and hopefully stop the algae on glass