Carbon dosing with a small skimmer

[A Toadstool Leather]

I have read into carbon dosing and have understood that a skimmer is used to remove the bacteria and thus the nutrients they use. My tank is lightly stocked with 1 fish, but the skimmer just recently started working, and the water volume is the maximum rated for the skimmer. Is it safe to carbon dose if I start slow? I will be using nopox, but I am considering other options.

 

[redfishbluefish]

One fish and you need to carbon dose. What size tank? What skimmer? What are you nitrates and phosphates? And finally, what's your what change schedule?

 

[A Toadstool Leather]

One fish and you need to carbon dose. What size tank? What skimmer? What are you nitrates and phosphates? And finally, what's your what change schedule?

I was just considering doing so to bring down nutrients enough to try my hand at sps in the future. My tank is 30 gallons with a 5g wc done weekly. My skimmer is an aqualife 115 skimmer rated at a maximum of 30 gallons. I dont have a recent set of nutrient readings right now, but I will take some tomorrow. There has been algae, and a little cyano which indicates a nutrient issue.

 

[saltyfilmfolks]

Algae and cyano aren’t indications of nutrient issues.

Sooo Many factors.

In fact the carbon dose will spur the cyano.

This will blow your mind.
https://www.reef2reef.com/threads/my-home-tank.296635/

 

[A Toadstool Leather]

Algae and cyano aren’t indications of nutrient issues.

Sooo Many factors.

In fact the carbon dose will spur the cyano.

This will blow your mind.
https://www.reef2reef.com/threads/my-home-tank.296635/

That tank had what would be considered crazy high nitrates and phosphate and yet it looks amazing. How would there be no algae and good coral health? Aren't high phosphates bad for corals because phosphate can inhibit calcification? I have heard that imbalances within the redfield ration are to blame.

 

[saltyfilmfolks]

That tank had what would be considered crazy high nitrates and phosphate and yet it looks amazing. How would there be no algae and good coral health? Aren't high phosphates bad for corals because phosphate can inhibit calcification? I have heard that imbalances within the redfield ration are to blame.

Keep reading it.
It’s Richard Ross tank. Def google him. And Steinheart aquarium.

And maybe go get some cheap tester. Sps frags.

And no. That’s not how the redfield ratio works.

 

[RamsReef]

Ive nuked about 2k coral in my 29 gal doing all the mad scientist stuff.

Want to know how to get a nice 29 gal sps tank?

Get a Hob breeder use it as a refugium, put cheato and a 3w clip light.

Put 3 fishes in there, I like blennies.

Do your 5 gal wc bi weekly unless your n and p go way up.

Wait about 6 months.

Rock solid tank.

My 20 gal coral qt is solid with that method - fish.

 

[A Toadstool Leather]

Keep reading it.
It’s Richard Ross tank. Def google him. And Steinheart aquarium.

And maybe go get some cheap tester. Sps frags.

And no. That’s not how the redfield ratio works.

I read more into the website, and never realized that higher phosphates can have a positive affect on certain coral species. That is the baffling part of this hobby for me, there are so many ways to succeed and plenty of conflicting info.

 

[RamsReef]

You can go high parameters hands off.

Medium parameters hands off.

Low parameters almost hands off (food / dosing aminos)

ULNS parameters mad scientist, dosing all sorts of stuff everyday.

Those are your options, they higher the parameters the longer the wait before your tank is stable, but solid once its there.