Carbon Dosing and anemones

[DevilDuck]

Anyone doing carbon dosing and keeping anemones? 

Over the last year, my anemones have been slowly declining in my tank. Now I find I can't keep a BTA and down to one rock flower anemone. I suspect carbon dosing I was doing to lower nutrients maybe the cause. I've stopped for now but looking for your experiences.

[seabass]

What are the tank's nutrient levels (phosphate and nitrate)?  And do you target feed the anemones?

 

One of the thoughts of carbon dosing is that the nutrients are taken up by the bacteria, and some of the bacteria is consumed as food for corals (and thus, supplying some of these nutrients).  And although a protein skimmer will remove much of the (extra) bacteria, some of it will be left to be consumed by tank inhabitants.  But, to be honest, I'm not sure if or how much bacteria is consumed by these anemones.  However, anecdotal evidence suggests that inorganic nutrients (available in the water column) might be beneficial.

[mcarroll]

Also, I'm curious what were you dosing as your carbon source, and how much of it?

[DevilDuck]

NItrate: 5 ppm

Phosphate: 0.6 ppm

 

I am dosing vodka 4ml daily into 70 gallons total gallons of water. I am also running a protein skimmer.

 

The anemone tentacles shrinking even with target feeding. They simply deflate to nothing over the course of a couple of months. I have also seen other reefers whom have a tank full of anemones and never target feed.

 

 

 

 

[seabass]

2 hours ago, DevilDuck said:

I have also seen other reefers whom have a tank full of anemones and never target feed.

Stray food and fish waste will feed anemones, so they should get some food in many tanks.  Also, they should get energy through nutrients and photosynthesis.  Still, target feeding anemones a little food is usually beneficial (especially if you have few fish and feed sparingly).

 

2 hours ago, DevilDuck said:

NItrate: 5 ppm

Phosphate: 0.6 ppm

If you meant 0.06 ppm, then that would be a bit low.  However, if it actually is 0.60 ppm, then that's high.  Although, I'm not sure if either would be causing this problem.

[mcarroll]

On 11/1/2023 at 2:43 PM, DevilDuck said:

NItrate: 5 ppm

Phosphate: 0.6 ppm

 

I am dosing vodka 4ml daily into 70 gallons total gallons of water.

Based on https://reefkeeping.com/issues/2008-08/nftt/index.php your dose seems like it's fairly high....how long did you take to get the dose up to 4mL?  

 

Other numbers seem fine.

 

IMO, it seems like you should just stop carbon dosing, at least until you have 100% recovery.   You seemed very sure that this was/is the cause....I wouldn't ignore that instinct. 

 

Something to consider in whether you continue is that your carbon dosing is indiscriminate and possibly even unwelcome to the reef system.  

 

It's entirely feasible that the carbon source you're providing is growing some harmful organism or blend of organisms that is harmful, rather than "something mysterious but good" as you may have been hoping.  This is understood to happen in the wild.  The process has been referred to as "microbialization"....check out "Global microbialization of coral reefs" from Nature Microbiology, Apr 25, 2016.