Quote:
Originally Posted by barbianj
It's interesting to me that carbon dosing did not work for you. I have been vodka dosing for a while now and can't get algae to grow in my system.
For the sake of this thread, could you give more info on your tank, equipment and inhabitants?
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I have a standard 6 foot 125 fowlr with a 55 gallon sump, estimated water volume of 140 gallons, and about 100-125lbs or so of dry weight of base rock. Sump is evenly divided between equipment area and refugium. Refugium currently is unlit, no sandbed, and is about half full of rock but plenty of flow and rock is not jammed in the refugium. For a return, I use a mag 18 split into two lines which feed the display via loclines. Also, in the display, I have two 1500 gph korilia powerheads for additional circulation. For a skimmer, I have an SRO 2000 internal. I dosed vodka daily as much as 60ml per day and biodigest weekly for over 1 year. Currently, solid carbon dose with 1.5 liters of ecobak fluidized in a large 4 inch diameter geo reactor powered by a 620 gph tunze silence pump. I also usually also run 24/7 daisy chained dual phosban reactors for rox carbon and gfo which I currently use less media but change out every 2 weeks. Water change schedule has varied over the years and admittedly slacked during various periods, but optimally tried to change out 30 gallons in one large change per month (but went without water changes for a several months at time during periods).
As far as livestock, I have a large load consisting of a 6 inch dogface puffer, a 5 inch indian trigger, a 5 inch australian tusk, a 5 inch pinkface wrasse, a 3 inch toby puffer, a 5 inch one spot foxface, a 2.5 inch kole tang, a 2 inch flame hawk, a .75 inch yellowtail damsel.
I would comment that my theory on the carbon dosing's inability to handle my load in part has to do with the fact that with such a large load and corresponding feeding requirements there is quite a bit of phosphate being added to the system which carbon dosing is way less effective at targeting when compared to nitrate.