Carbon dosing - method testing started

I'm unable to see them as well now.

Those tanks are looking nice and dirty! Keep up the good work on this, I am really looking forward to seeing the results of this one, and the updates are great!

 

thank you chappy85

thanks mike007 - I cannot believe I am pleased all 4 tanks are filthy and that my intention is to let them get dirtier rather than to get in there with the syphon

thanks Corailline I think your right and in amongst that is the 1st signs of cyno, so that will get shared out at weekend

Thanks Magnus
yes its a photobucket issue affecting 2% of the users still, so I am one of the lucky ones ( ironic humour)

Thank you Kllrfsh
I will make them dirtier


update

decided against adding any CUC in any of the tanks as yet

when I do add, I will add equal numbers to each set up to try and ensure there is no advantage in any of the set ups

Steve

 

Keep up the dirty work. I was wondering. What if, before the carbon schemes come into play, you frag an acropora colony, placing a similar frag in each tank to gauge the effects of carbon dosing by observing SPS growth and coloration?

 

thebanker -

hhhm have you read my mind

I actually decided some time ago to run this test, without livestock 1st time around
then once I have some general results relating to nutrient control
it is my intention to frag 3 of my corals, creating 4 frags of each one
and then placing one of each in all 4 tanks (I bounced this idea of Inwall75 a couple of weeks back)
I wanted to frag the corals and allow them to encrust plugs and generally ensure they are all of equal health and coloration before moving them into the test centre)

then I will continue to operate the tanks using the same method
tank 1 - GFO and a Nitrate removing resin
tank 2 - bio fuel
tank 3 - Vodka
tank 4 - bio pellets

and that way just as you suggest, I should be able to see if there are any benefits or negatives to any of those 4 systems over the other ones

Steve

 

update

despite fact all tanks where started with tap water and all filled from same batches
combined with fact, water has been periodically syphoned out of all 4 tanks and then re distributed across the 4 tanks
combined with the fact all the tanks have the same in terms of skimming and flow (within reason as not all skimmers of the same make and model perform identically, same case with wavemakers - there is always a tolerance)
combined with fact - all rocks purchased came from 2 sources and where broken up in order to be equally distributed between all 4 tanks

despite all those factors above

2 weeks ago, I removed almost all the rock from all 4 tanks, divided it in terms of algae infestation and then re distibuted it across the 4 tanks again

basically, I found GHA in all 4 tanks but in varying amounts
but more importantly, I had some species of algaes only showing up in 2 or 3 of the tanks

my aim is to try and get all 4 tanks to almost identical conditions before commencing the dosing programme

so please bear with me, whilst I try a bit longer to achieve better uniformity between the 4 units

Steve

 

Who would have thought algea/diatoms would be so difficult??? :

I'm wondering if you couldn't notch the dividers (making a sort of overflow between each tank), and then have a small pump running from tank 4 to tank 1? That way water is continuously running between all the tanks...

Probably wouldnt work it they were glass, but maybe with acrylic...

EDIT: Whoops, sorry, just looked at the OP and saw they were 4 individual glass tanks.

 

And when it comes time to start the algae fighting methods you don't want cross contamination of the additives

Sent from my DROIDX using Tapatalk

 

I just read through this. It is a very interesting thread, for sure, Steve. keep up the good work. I saw your thread about calcium additives a while back. I forget what the outcome of that one was?

Where did you find the micro skimmers? They are so small, but are perfect for this situation.

 

Thanks Sacul - yes 4 individual tanks because I need to be able to completely seperate them during the carbon dosing stages

Thanks malac0da13
exactly

Thanks Seano - skimmers are pretty new Bubble Magus QQ for tanks up to 25 gallons
they may not catch on due to fact they are HOB but inside, thus losing space inside a 25 gallon set up is not something many would be happy about doing , but for my purposes, they do a job and its less about aesthetics

additives - the 2 part ones are better balanced, but still require monitoring with test kits
the single shot types, vary in what they deliver and some of them deliver a higher quantity of Alkalinity and do not seem balanced IMO

Steve

 

I think I was misunderstood. During the cross-contamination stage, the ability to have the tanks overflowing into eachother would be ideal. Then, at time of dosing, the water level would be lowered below the overflows, thereby completely seperating the tanks and eliminating the possibility of cross-contamination.

But, alas, it is pointless, the tanks are glass anyway. Continue syphoning away Steve! ;D

I seriously check this thread everytime I'm on, because I cant wait to see the results.