The key to success with coral such as Goniopora may be healthy populations of bacteriaCarbon 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.
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