carbon source dosing in conjuction with the use of an ATS???

[jlinzmaier]

I've had lots of experience with carbon dosing and about three months ago I stopped the carbon dosing and started up my first ATS. The ATS has done very well at managing nutrients but I'm just wodering if anyone here uses ATS's in addition to carbon dosing for any reason.

I'm sure there is potential for the bacteria to outcompete the algae for nutrients thus impeding the function of the ATS, but I'm thinking of just dosing small amounts. What I've got in mind is dosing small amounts of vitamin C both for bacterial proliferation but also for the other benefits that people claim to have when dosing Vitamin C.

Anyone here dose a carbon source for bacterial proliferation as well as utilizing an ATS??

Jeremy

[SantaMonica]

I have, during my experiments in continuous feeding. I've fed much more food than the system was capable of dealing with (corals, including NPS, went crazy), and then used vodka to help. Vodka works even without a skimmer, and adds even more food (bacteria) to the water, but if you dose too much you start getting bacterial mats on the rocks and glass. I'm currently testing 3ml/day of vodka along with 8ml/day of blended oysters (along with daily nori and 2 silversides weekly). I've gone as high as 72ml/day food, and 40ml/day vodka, but it was big time overload for my current scrubber. They work fine together; it's just a matter of your scrubber being powerful enough. I'm trying to find the point where P does not get higher than .15, and N does not get higher than 25, and coralline keeps growing, but where I can also feed as much as possible.

[jlinzmaier]

That's good to know. I would think that the carbon dosing would outcompete and drive nutrients so low that the algea (on the ATS) would have nothing to feed on. Sounds like you negated that by feeding massive amounts. I bet the corals adn fish loved it.

I may very well experiment with the use of a modified zeovit regimen in conjuction with my ATS when my 420 is up and running. I think there is great benefit to the tank inhabitants from the bacterial mulm that's created with carbon dosing.

Thanks for the reply!

Jeremy

[johnrt]

SantaMonica:

That is a bunch of food and cocktails too!

I think you mentioned it elsewhere, but how big is this tank, how old and what is the bio load?

Thank you:

John T

[SantaMonica]

Current setup is about 100g, pretty much the same for the last year, one 3" tang, two 2" tangs, two 1" damsels, one 2" wrasse, two 2" mandarins (eats pods only), two or more shrimp, about 50" of eel, and about 40 corals of all types.

[Mason Dixon]

Santa Monica, are you still carbon dosing with your ATS? Has anything changed in 4 years?

[Floyd R Turbo]

I have over a hundred customers and I have found that those with the best growth run a tank that has a lot of diversity, both in coral/fish stock and filtration. Specifically: scrubber, skimmer, sometimes activated carbon, and interestingly enough, carbon dosing. The carbon dosing methods that seem to work best are biopellets or Tropic Marin Reef Actif. The latter being the most interesting one.

I haven't heard from anyone that is vinegar or vodka dosing, but from what I recall, these methods tend to decrease scrubber growth. Not sure why these act differently but they do.

[Mason Dixon]

Thanks for the info Floyd, any particular brand of biopellets?

[Floyd R Turbo]

I think the reactor is more important than the brand of pellets. Not having used BP, this is just second hand, but the recirculating reactors are a must have. Werner Marine BP I believe are only ones that have gone through FDA certification so I think those are the best, at least that's what I heard from one of my customers.

[SantaMonica]

I have not dosed carbon in years. Right now I'm scrubbing and that's all. Almost all nuisance algae (and P) is gone from the rocks; took about 6 months with no water changes or other filters.