Quote:
Originally Posted by karimwassef
Sounds like your tank was very algae free and low in nutrients.
IMHO, I think there is a risk with carbon dosing of reducing nitrates so low that algae struggle and dinos can thrive with minimal phosphate and nearly no nitrates.
If you're looking healthy, then the dinos are just waiting for you to set up that perfect condition again. I would keep phosphates low, but don't shred down to zero nitrates again. Give a little algae room to hold on and defend against dinos. I don't think you need to stop carbon dosing, just keep it in balance to your feeding level.
That's my advice, anyway. I used the clean method with heavy UV and skimming and killed off my dinos that way. I've kept it up with no downside to date.
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Thanks for your input.
I never carbon dosed to reduce nitrate, only added to kalk to increase strength of kalk solution, though I do understand I was carbon dosing doing that. I have always run with very low nitrates in the tank, have never been able to get a reading (3 different test kits). Have been able to maintain phosphates at a relatively low level. My tank has always been algae free with the exception of cyano, a green algae similar looking to cyano that I was ale to blow off with turkey baster and some bubble alage. I did buy some sodium nitrate to try to increase my nitrates to a measurable level during my battle with dinos but abandoned that for now. May consider doing in the future if I go back with vinegar in my kalk.