FranklinDattein
Active Member
Hi reefers,
can you share your thoughts on why organic carbon dosing stopped working?
Tank description:
200l mixed reef;
60ml/day vinegar running well for over 2 years;
Thin layer of coral rubble substrate, live rocks and marine pure in the sump.
Po4 before: 0.03ppm
No3 before: 0.2ppm
Current symptoms:
High nitrates (4ppm) for the last 3 weeks.
Much less noticeable bacterial film on glass;
Less dirty in the skimmer(wet skimming)
Slightly higher Po4 at 0.04ppm.
What has changed during the period:
Overdose alk. It went from 7.8dKh to 11dKH lowered steadily back to 7.8dKh in a week's time.
Removed a small ball of Chaeto algae, which was in reverse cycle and wasn't thriving due to low nutrients.
Removed the GFO reactor.
What I have tried so far to fix it:
- Stabilised Alkalinity;
- Started dosing Zeobak every 2 days, hoping to re-populate bacteria.
- Lowered fish and coral feeding;
- Kept feeding Reefroids, because it increases phosphates, with the aim to make sure there is some PO4 for bacteria.
It is worth mentioning, this tank is a guinea pig for my dosing pump prototype and has had many pump failures in the past, including 2-3days windows without Vinegar. That has never been a big issue and it I always went straight back to 60ml/day of Vinegar and the bacterial film and heavy skimming came back, without problems.
I am suspicious the alkalinity spike decimated bacterial population.
I am also not sure about Redfield ration, there is some phosphate, but it isn't in balance at .03P nad 4N
What do you think?
can you share your thoughts on why organic carbon dosing stopped working?
Tank description:
200l mixed reef;
60ml/day vinegar running well for over 2 years;
Thin layer of coral rubble substrate, live rocks and marine pure in the sump.
Po4 before: 0.03ppm
No3 before: 0.2ppm
Current symptoms:
High nitrates (4ppm) for the last 3 weeks.
Much less noticeable bacterial film on glass;
Less dirty in the skimmer(wet skimming)
Slightly higher Po4 at 0.04ppm.
What has changed during the period:
Overdose alk. It went from 7.8dKh to 11dKH lowered steadily back to 7.8dKh in a week's time.
Removed a small ball of Chaeto algae, which was in reverse cycle and wasn't thriving due to low nutrients.
Removed the GFO reactor.
What I have tried so far to fix it:
- Stabilised Alkalinity;
- Started dosing Zeobak every 2 days, hoping to re-populate bacteria.
- Lowered fish and coral feeding;
- Kept feeding Reefroids, because it increases phosphates, with the aim to make sure there is some PO4 for bacteria.
It is worth mentioning, this tank is a guinea pig for my dosing pump prototype and has had many pump failures in the past, including 2-3days windows without Vinegar. That has never been a big issue and it I always went straight back to 60ml/day of Vinegar and the bacterial film and heavy skimming came back, without problems.
I am suspicious the alkalinity spike decimated bacterial population.
I am also not sure about Redfield ration, there is some phosphate, but it isn't in balance at .03P nad 4N
What do you think?
