Reef Discussion

[potatocouch]

Logically when you carbon dose, you want to find that level where the dose can balance the No3 i.e. if someone feed light or feed heavy along with all other factors i.e. heavy stocking etc etc etc ... , their carbon dose (ml) would be different yeah?

So the intake can be balanced by the outtake (via protein skimmer by means of carbon).

Agree so far?

So wouldn't doing massive WC (i.e. 60% or 100%) sort of skew the dose of the carbon?

i.e. you find your sweet spot at 5 ml vodka dosing (just as an example) then one day, you decided that you have plenty of time and want to do 100% WC, which practically and theoretically should bring down your No3 substantially ... and then you keep dosing your sweet spot (5 ml) ... but then your No3 is (already) way down (due to 100% WC) compared to your average No3 in normal circumstances and it would be wrong to do 5 ml?

Incorrect assumption/understanding?

 

[Sam Parker]

Correct - this is why single large water changes are not good for stability (with all parameters)

 

[potatocouch]

Correct - this is why single large water changes are not good for stability (with all parameters)

When I thought water change is the answer to everything in reef aquaria LOL

Corals not happy, do WC.
Fish not happy, do WC.
Lots of algae, do WC.

Used to have this thinking ... WC is like a format button in IT.

Thanks Sam!

 

[slin1977]

When I thought water change is the answer to everything in reef aquaria LOL

Corals not happy, do WC.
Fish not happy, do WC.
Lots of algae, do WC.

Used to have this thinking ... WC is like a format button in IT.

Thanks Sam!

Understanding how to keep water is what reef keeping is all about -
Fixing the problem with large water changes would create new mini cycles.

 

[Sam Parker]

When I thought water change is the answer to everything in reef aquaria LOL

Corals not happy, do WC.
Fish not happy, do WC.
Lots of algae, do WC.

Used to have this thinking ... WC is like a format button in IT.

Thanks Sam!

Dilution is often the solution, but stability is more important than family (I just trade marked that line...)

Only thing worse than bad parameters is changing them quickly. Ie, do moderate wage changes frequently to correct the mishap. It will also make it heaps easier to dial in all of your dosing.

 

[NiCd]

There is, how can I say, "an interesting gentleman" that used to pop up on all of the forums - who would collect all his own live stock and have these Frankenstein like contraptions hooked up to his tank that he invented - claiming all sorts of weird an wonderful things (that defied all reason, science and logic).

He never did water changes and his water parameters were utter shit, but they were consistent and stable (albeit utterly shit)

The corals that did not die (after throwing thousands of different specimens in there in some type of gladiatorial ritual with complete disregard to any live stocks life) adjusted to this constant shit and used to survive.

If you did a big water change on this tank everything in there would likely die, only bad things happen quickly in reefing and you can kill with kindness.

 

[potatocouch]

The corals that did not die (after throwing thousands of different specimens in there in some type of gladiatorial ritual with complete disregard to any live stocks life) adjusted to this constant shit and used to survive.

This is what I call tank-hardened species; will not die even if you pour hot water at them.

If you did a big water change on this tank everything in there would likely die, only bad things happen quickly in reefing and you can kill with kindness.

Yup, understood!

 

[slin1977]

Comes down to routine, routine is stability. Dosing should be to maintain stability.

I know that some don't water change for over a year and others change 10 percent a week. What works for those is having the basics right .
Keeping mag and calcium in a ratio according to alk in line with salinity is important as keeping phosphate in a ratio to nitrate.
Keeping this in mind you can maintain a healthy tank.
Stick to LEDs stick to T5 or halides they all work saying that time is measured in months and not weeks in your tank.
Sounds easy doesn't it????

 

[Mattres]

I agree with everyone here, and this isn't really relevant to carbon dosing but if I remember correctly didn't Acro Al do 100% water changes weekly?
I suppose if all parameters were stable and the same as the water change water everything would be fine? I suppose that's not a question as his results speak for themselves.

My thoughts are that a single 100% water change on a tank that doesn't regularly get them would upset he balance whereas in Acro Al's case 100% every week would keep the water stable to the parameters of the change water.

 

[NiCd]

If you had to opportunity to do what Al does with 100% each week i think it would solve 95% of the problems most people have with keeping most species, take away the issues with having to keep pristine water and what do you have left light and flow?

 

[Mattres]

If you had to opportunity to do what Al does with 100% each week i think it would solve 95% of the problems most people have with keeping most species, take away the issues with having to keep pristine water and what do you have left light and flow?

Yup it's the next best thing to having a system connected to the ocean.
Ahh to dream