What’s the Deal With Carbon Dosing?!

[@sharonromano811]

Lou Ekus is is the nicest guy, and is a great information source for the hobby, met him at Reefapalooza, NY and he spent like an hour with us explaining this process, and his products, my husband and I were quite impressed, I’m totally sold on Tropic Marin products and his guidance on coral care!

[@Koi_Lawk]

Love this guy

[@slebla240]

First time in a while that I enjoyed listening to a reef tank video. Good job guys and very interesting

[@garywright8073]

Thomas and I had a couple aha moments in this video. Your face was awesome when Lou was talking about the long and short polymers. Its cool watching that in real-time. Thanks for the hard work!

[@OneTradingSetup_YT]

Must say, the questions from Thomas are on point! Almost like he’s reading my mind 😂 brilliant

[@mike_saw_7563]

Great video! New to this hobby and watching this helps tremendously.

[@rhombifer566]

Lou, the best!!!

[@nova1q]

Very helpful🎉 Question: Will protein skimmer effect the bacteria raised by carbon dosing? What to do with skimmer with the carbon dosing?

[@kedrondavis4226]

Can I use np bacto balance in a dosing container or does it need to be shaken before use

[@pabloramirez8130]

Super informative. Great video!

[@RichardHaig-sd6rc]

If you have undetectable nitrate but high phosphate, over 0.2ppm, what product do you use? I tried the Elim-NP for a few weeks and it didn’t change phosphate levels and nitrate stayed 0.. was I nitrogen limited? If so what do you use?

[@TattooedDancer91]

Amino Organic :D

[@stephaniem6283]

Fellow Nova Scotian here!

[@ThomasBReef]

Heyo!!!

[@pataclow]

Need +NP in canada...😕

[@scubajunior]

please post the rest of the quarantine series. stopped on ep 11

[@jetskiwillywilly7970]

30 seconds in...I can tell Im about to buy another additive

[@jetskiwillywilly7970]

I dose phosphate, because last year had a month of algae and 2 sps died, probably due to phosphate hitting 0.00. Reef tank has its ups and downs. 1 sps returned from a single spud with vengeance (its big). since then, torches have been stagnate. Overall size is condensed and not fully extending. And my fish are fat asses...can't feed much more. Also...PH runs at ~8.4 - 8.7

[@ReefandDive]

I love Lou and his ideas but I respectfully disagree on the equilibrium of nitrate and phosphate (or nitrogen and phosphorus)... To me understanding this equilibrium can be a valuable tool.

[@Eric_Allen]

Sorry if i missed this in the video (haven't finished watching), but do you need to run a skimmer if you are carbon dosing? Or can you still carbon dose on a skimmerless setup?

[@ReeferQuay]

Yes you do

[@martijnvanbeek4387]

@@ReeferQuay Why?

[@TattooedDancer91]

No you don't. But for purpose of lowering nutrients with Elimi NP a skimmer maximises this effect

[@Theaxolotl46]

How do we control nitrate dosing without molybdenum contamination

[@Voltron19]

So is Redsea NoPox the short or long strain. NoPox is more like Tropic Marin eliminate NP?

[@martijnvanbeek4387]

Great question! I would like to know the answer too

[@TattooedDancer91]

NoPOx is vinegar based. Short chained. Smell it. It is not the same as Elimi NP

[@curtisagnew8606]

I'm using TMBacto an it near dropped out my nitrates. I'm dosing ati nitrates to bring them up from 0.91

[@martijnvanbeek4387]

Any chance you have done a big big waterchange?

[@curtisagnew8606]

@martijnvanbeek4387 don't do water changes but recently I have to refresh my system but your only talking 50 litres at most. Not enough to neatly bottom out my nitrates. As I'm typing this it's occurred to me my iron was low an my refugium was dying off , it could be because I dosed iron an the extra growth of the caleurpa has been sucking up the nitrates. I've got it back up to acceptable levels between 2/5 ( salifert test kit ) still not at a level I woukd like it. But I'll get there.

[@John-rz3ye]

Anyone else experience PH drops when carbon dosing? I use NOPOX and every time I add it my PH (which is towards the low end of acceptable) drops. Not sure how to fix my problem other than weekly 20% changes and direct coral feeding. Advice is appreciated

[@BRStvRyan]

I believe this to be relatively common. Most people don't know to look for it.

[@John-rz3ye]

@@BRStvRyan Thanks for the reply. I suspect many are adding 2 part or kalk and then stripping it back with these types of products only to add more to compensate. I’m skeptical that this is the right approach for my aquarium (though in fairness it may be for some). I think I’m going to keep depleting the bad and replenishing the good with water changes and feeding my corals with light, fish food/poop, and baby brine. It seems less risky than going full mad scientist on my small set up.

[@janir1838]

How about doc?

[@rhombifer566]

doc🤔

[@janir1838]

@@rhombifer566 dissolved organic carbon.

[@corbinswinney3112]

I thought 99% of the bacteria was on the surfaces and not in the water column?

[@corbinswinney3112]

I can understand the bacteria consuming the nutrients but how is that bacteria making its way into the coral if it’s living on surfaces and not in the water column?

[@ThomasBReef]

​@corbinswinney3112 Many types of bacteria are free floating! Nitrifying bacteria in particular do grow on surfaces.

[@TattooedDancer91]

@@corbinswinney3112 Coral holobiont is on the corals

[@NoelG-IRE]

BRS have really and truly become a pure and utter sales platform. Ridiculous to be adding so many products to control nitrate and phosphate. They are helping to make this hobby more expensive than ever. Do not fall for it. Do not support them. BRS is dead

[@thedon98677]

I use Bacto balance and have been for a year. It’s the best carbon dosing ever to be released

[@reyrox3274]

Except Lou is the best . Carbon dosing is king

[@NoelG-IRE]

@@thedon98677 I bet that’s not all you’re dosing to maintain your no3 and po4. Wake up people, you are being tricked to just buy more products

[@TattooedDancer91]

When were they not a reef supply company?

[@martijnvanbeek4387]

This crossed my mind as well in this case.