Dinos and a carbon bag question

[Steve1500]

Due to low nutrients, I am battling dinos. I am not carbon dosing, however, I have added a bag of carbon to my sump to help reduce dino toxins. By adding a bag of carbon, is this a form of carbon dosing and will it prevent my nutrients from increasing?

Note: Trying to understand why my phosphates are not rising....dosing and heavy feeding for about a month. Phosphates went up and after 3 days on vacation, they went back down.

 

[dwest]

Due to low nutrients, I am battling dinos. I am not carbon dosing, however, I have added a bag of carbon to my sump to help reduce dino toxins. By adding a bag of carbon, is this a form of carbon dosing and will it prevent my nutrients from increasing?

Note: Trying to understand why my phosphates are not rising....dosing and heavy feeding for about a month. Phosphates went up and after 3 days on vacation, they went back down.

A bag of granular activated carbon is not a form of carbon dosing. It will not change phosphates in any appreciable way. Your system ( rock, sand, etc) is likely absorbing phosphates or the system consumption is greater than your rate of addition. Keep dosing phosphates and you will get there. Keep changing that bag of GAC weekly until your dinos subside. Good luck!

 

[chipmunkofdoom2]

A bag of granular activated carbon is not a form of carbon dosing. It will not change phosphates in any appreciable way. Your system ( rock, sand, etc) is likely absorbing phosphates or the system consumption is greater than your rate of addition. Keep dosing phosphates and you will get there. Keep changing that bag of GAC weekly until your dinos subside. Good luck!

Spot on. A member here, JDA, found that aragonite (the rock and sand we use) has an incredible capacity to bind phosphate. His test found that a single pound of live rock has the ability to absorb over 52 ppm of phosphate. Yes, that's 52 parts per million. No, I did not mean 0.052 ppm or 52 ppb.

You will have to dose phosphates until you overwhelm your rock's ability to bind it. Just take it slow.

 

[alexanderthefishlover]

Is active carbon necessary in the reef? I only have SPS (torch, hammer, frogspawn) and a Kenya tree and toadstool. I heard that they can handle each other correct. I Just got over a Dino take over by dosing neonitro and putting UV in. Now I have diatoms. However, I’m worried that active carbon is “necessary” or not in the reef with the corlas i have?

 

[alexanderthefishlover]

Is active carbon necessary in the reef? I only have SPS (torch, hammer, frogspawn) and a Kenya tree and toadstool. I heard that they can handle each other correct. I Just got over a Dino take over by dosing neonitro and putting UV in. Now I have diatoms. However, I’m worried that active carbon is “necessary” or not in the reef with the corlas i have?

Also worried that the active carbon will reduce the nitrate or phosphate? I turned my skimmer off also to battle the Dino’s

 

[Randy Holmes-Farley Verified Community Expert]

Granular activated carbon binds organic matter and won't have any big impact on nitrate and phosphate, if that is your concern. it reduces yellowing of the water, and may bind natural toxins and other undesirable chemicals in the water.

Is it critical? Likely not in most cases, but it has little downside and a variety of reasons to use it. I would always use a high quality GAC like ROX 0.8.

 

[Waldek M.]

Granulowany węgiel aktywny wiąże materię organiczną i nie będzie miał dużego wpływu na azotany i fosforany, jeśli o to Ci chodzi. zmniejsza żółknięcie wody i może wiązać w wodzie naturalne toksyny i inne niepożądane substancje chemiczne.

Czy jest krytyczny? Prawdopodobnie nie w większości przypadków, ale ma niewiele wad i wiele powodów, aby z niego korzystać. Zawsze korzystałem z wysokiej jakości GAC, takiego jak ROX 0.8.

Granular activated carbon binds organic matter and won't have any big impact on nitrate and phosphate, if that is your concern. it reduces yellowing of the water, and may bind natural toxins and other undesirable chemicals in the water.

Is it critical? Likely not in most cases, but it has little downside and a variety of reasons to use it. I would always use a high quality GAC like ROX 0.8.

Have you always used coal? Preventively or always for a specific purpose? Do you recommend always using at least a minimal amount?

 

[Randy Holmes-Farley Verified Community Expert]

Have you always used coal? Preventively or always for a specific purpose? Do you recommend always using at least a minimal amount?

Not coal, but specially made activated carbon, yes. I would always use some ROX 0.8.

 

[Waldek M.]

Th

Not coal, but specially made activated carbon, yes. I would always use some ROX 0.8.

Thanks

 

[Randy Holmes-Farley Verified Community Expert]

You're welcome.

Happy reefing.

 

[Waldek M.]

You're welcome.

Happy reefing.

One more thing I'm wondering is that when you constantly used ROX 0.8 activated carbon, you didn't have to dose an increased amount of micro-elements, because it probably absorbed them too? There are different opinions about the permanent use of activated carbon, did you use it only prophylactically or maybe for a specific purpose? How much did you use per gallon and how often did you change it?
Sorry for asking in such detail, but I'm very interested in this topic

 

[Randy Holmes-Farley Verified Community Expert]

One more thing I'm wondering is that when you constantly used ROX 0.8 activated carbon, you didn't have to dose an increased amount of micro-elements, because it probably absorbed them too? There are different opinions about the permanent use of activated carbon, did you use it only prophylactically or maybe for a specific purpose? How much did you use per gallon and how often did you change it?
Sorry for asking in such detail, but I'm very interested in this topic

I don't think there's much evidence that GAC is a significant sink for trace elements in a reef tank.

I used about a cup or two at a time for 250-300 gallons total water volume, changed once every couple of weeks. I often only changed half of it at a time to reduce any sudden changes in light penetration.

 

[Waldek M.]

I don't think there's much evidence that GAC is a significant sink for trace elements in a reef tank.

I used about a cup or two at a time for 250-300 gallons total water volume, changed once every couple of weeks. I often only changed half of it at a time to reduce any sudden changes in light penetration.

Thank you for your answer

 

[Randy Holmes-Farley Verified Community Expert]

Thank you for your answer

You're welcome.

Happy reefing.