How soon can I start to carbon dose?

[GoVols]

Some background info:

Fired up a new reef 3 weeks ago, to date.

(old school) Deep sand bed with Tropic Eden Reef Flakes / new Tropic Eden man made rock.

Used Fritz Turbo 900 to kick start the nitrogen cycle / 48 hours in, reef was blowing out nitrates tested at 7ppm / phos tested at .07ppm

Tested phosphate last Friday at 72ppm, but could be a false reading since I'm deep into the diatom stage / silicates / Hanna ULR phos ppb checker.

I'll test those two parms this evening.

Bumped up alk due to the nitrogen cycle

Just started to show a tad amount of gha last evening.

Thread's Question:
How soon can I, start to carbon dose?

 

[laezur]

I’d say to let your tank cycle naturally and settle before you start throwing in chemicals, because it’ll swing so wildly

 

[Randy Holmes-Farley Verified Community Expert]

If you may possibly have nitrite, you may still have zero nitrate since it interferes with many nitrate kits, and I would not carbon dose unless you know with certainty that nitrate is too high.