As I sit here about to do my second 60g water change I'm having quite a debate. I spend a ridiculous amount of time reading many topics here. Which in turn makes me try new ways to do the same thing... nutrient reduction.
I've almost always carbon dosed one way or another. Always 2 part of 3 part or 4 part dosed and always maintain good elemental parameters. Unfortunately I like fish. A lot. So I keep a heavy bio load and in turn struggle with po4. Not that po4 really matters I've had it very high and all it really does is saying growth which is fine. But now I want to focus on growth a bit more so po4 reduction is coming into play.
I think what has happened to change my mind about things in my main tank, is i threw some acros in my quarantine tank and they flourished. Pieces that were stn'ing bounce back. Even some i got from a friend which i though had no chance, came back like crazy. This quarantine tank, which has had no skimmer, alk bouncing from 6.8 to 12 and back multiple times, multiple doses of prazi pro and metronidazole, a 6 month old filter sock, and really nothing more than heaters and wave pumps is out performing my main tank with thousands and thousands invested. Lol.
So what is the difference? Lately I feel carbon dosing. Everyone says it will promote stn and I must say I am believing it. I always used vinegar. Last month I began following some no3po4 post claiming its mostly mainly 2 thirds vinegar one third vodka so I've implemented that since vinegar by itself has done great with no3 but po4 not so much. The new mix is helping with po4 for sure but the white bacterial strings and some red cyano that I never had issue with are starting. Along with a good deal of stn on many Monti which I've never had issues with at all.
So, I'm really thinking about eliminating carbon dosing all together just because of how great everything does in my quarantine tank. But this will be no easy task in my 200g tank 300g system with 35 or so fish in it. Many of which are large and I'm not really willing to give up more than a couple of them.
So some methods in debating revisiting...
a remote large and very deep sand bed like maybe brute tag can size.
Large remote algae scrubber but not too interested in this due to adding more lighting, maintenance etc.
Bigger better fuge, better macro growth. Dunno if this can really get big enough to do the job.
Not interested in gfo or xport po4 or that other aluminum based media, purigen or whatever.
Let's discuss...
Also there was a thread about someone doing fantastic with cheato a while back, having the method down pat as far as flow, lighting, keeping it rolling etc if anyone happens to have that link please share it...
I've almost always carbon dosed one way or another. Always 2 part of 3 part or 4 part dosed and always maintain good elemental parameters. Unfortunately I like fish. A lot. So I keep a heavy bio load and in turn struggle with po4. Not that po4 really matters I've had it very high and all it really does is saying growth which is fine. But now I want to focus on growth a bit more so po4 reduction is coming into play.
I think what has happened to change my mind about things in my main tank, is i threw some acros in my quarantine tank and they flourished. Pieces that were stn'ing bounce back. Even some i got from a friend which i though had no chance, came back like crazy. This quarantine tank, which has had no skimmer, alk bouncing from 6.8 to 12 and back multiple times, multiple doses of prazi pro and metronidazole, a 6 month old filter sock, and really nothing more than heaters and wave pumps is out performing my main tank with thousands and thousands invested. Lol.
So what is the difference? Lately I feel carbon dosing. Everyone says it will promote stn and I must say I am believing it. I always used vinegar. Last month I began following some no3po4 post claiming its mostly mainly 2 thirds vinegar one third vodka so I've implemented that since vinegar by itself has done great with no3 but po4 not so much. The new mix is helping with po4 for sure but the white bacterial strings and some red cyano that I never had issue with are starting. Along with a good deal of stn on many Monti which I've never had issues with at all.
So, I'm really thinking about eliminating carbon dosing all together just because of how great everything does in my quarantine tank. But this will be no easy task in my 200g tank 300g system with 35 or so fish in it. Many of which are large and I'm not really willing to give up more than a couple of them.
So some methods in debating revisiting...
a remote large and very deep sand bed like maybe brute tag can size.
Large remote algae scrubber but not too interested in this due to adding more lighting, maintenance etc.
Bigger better fuge, better macro growth. Dunno if this can really get big enough to do the job.
Not interested in gfo or xport po4 or that other aluminum based media, purigen or whatever.
Let's discuss...
Also there was a thread about someone doing fantastic with cheato a while back, having the method down pat as far as flow, lighting, keeping it rolling etc if anyone happens to have that link please share it...
