Carbon dosing is a relatively new phenomenon in the reef aquarium hobby. The first I heard about it was around two years ago, and I hadn’t given it a whole lot of thought until recently. The goal of carbon dosing is to improve water quality by lowering nitrates and phosphates. Nitrates and phosphates can lead to algae blooms and poor coral health if the levels are too high. Some aquarists have difficulty controlling these levels and it can be a frustrating battle.
Carbon dosing lowers these two chemical parameters by providing a food source for bacteria that consume nitrates and phosphates. Then, by removing the bacteria through protein skimming, the aquarist eliminates nitrates and phosphates from the water. It is similar in concept to algae scrubbing, whereby one grows algae to bind up phosphate, nitrate, and heavy metals, and then exports them from the system by periodically harvesting the algae. In a carbon-dosing system, bacteria are removed instead of algae.
For the longest time, I paid little attention to carbon dosing because I did not have detectable quantities of either phosphates or nitrates. This is not so much a boast as it is the reality of having a 1,000-gallon system with very few fish in it. There just aren’t a lot of ways for nitrates and phosphates to build up. Why attempt to fix a non-problem, after all? Having said that, there could be some benefits to carbon dosing even though the system already has low nitrates and phosphates.
Extra feeding capacity
The first advantage to carbon dosing is it allows the reefkeeper to feed much more heavily. I am of the firm belief that most of our tanks are underfed and both the fish and invertebrates would fare better if fed more frequently (and in higher quantities). The limitation is the filtration capacity of the system. If the filtering capacity of your system is exceeded, heavy feeding can cause a buildup of nutrients that will lead to poor water quality. Bolstering the filtration capacity of your reef through carbon dosing allows you to feed that much more into the system.
细菌营养
第二个好处是细菌本身有助于无脊椎动物营养。如果您曾经听说过“礁石”一词，则指的是在为无数海洋生物提供营养的颗粒上生长的细菌菌落。我最近了解到，细菌可能比最初想象的要多得多。实际上，仅细菌就可以提供珊瑚的所有营养需求。细菌不仅为珊瑚提供氮和碳，而且还提供磷和碳微量元素对于珊瑚的Zooxanthellae。
Many of my coral videos focus on feeding corals, and some corals, such asGoniopora, are notoriously difficult to feed. For these finicky eaters, the key may be to focus less on trying to feed seafood products and more on providing healthy populations of bacteria as a food source.
Ultra-low-nutrient voodoo
第三好是实际上是有益的，这是有些疑问的。碳剂量可以提供超低营养的环境。在超低营养系统中，珊瑚，尤其是SPS珊瑚，例如Acropora,Montipora,Pocillopora,Porites等等，可以采用夸张的颜色。有些珊瑚变得疯狂。
目前尚不清楚这是否是健康的迹象。很多时候，我们认为最美观的珊瑚标本实际上是最不健康的。例子：一些最不可思议的EuphylliaI have ever seen were bleached colonies that had a ghostly translucent appearance. Once restored to health, they regained their brownish-green hue.
碳剂量下降
Unfortunately, there are downsides to carbon dosing. Some aquarists run into issues with unsightly forms of bacteria proliferating. Chief among these are brown diatoms and red slime algae, which is a type of蓝细菌.
For now, I intend to experiment with carbon dosing in the form of vodka dosing. There are other methods, such as vinegar, sugar, biopellets, and manufactured carbon products from a number of vendors.
