Quote:
Originally Posted by aurora
I've been kicking around the idea of achieving the same process by just using white rice and started with a cup of rice in a sock where my overflow water enters the sump. This is also close to where the inlet to my skimmer is located. I've been doing this for the past 2 weeks. The rice grains are getting a nice brown coating of bacteria and not falling apart at all. I'm think I'm essentially getting solid carbon dosing at about $1 a lb. I've stopped my usual alcohol dosing and still getting very good skim like I was when dosing alcohol.
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I don't see it being the same thing. The whole point of the polymers is to provide a carbon source yet not break down in salt water. The rice may seem intact and provide some food, but it will most definitely break down in saltwater. The problem being that the carbon is released to the tank and potential overdose of carbon and associated bacteria bloom will result.
Sounds pretty interesting. Yet right now it seems the polymers offer the most benefits. A carbon source that is not released to the water column.