# Adding sugar to aquarium? Anyone try it?



## riffraffxl (Aug 2, 2007)

Ok, I know the topic sounds insane, but let me explain.

In my spare time I like to read about reef tanks and apparently one method reefkeepers sometimes use to reduce nitrates is to dose their aquariums with regular table sugar. The logic is that it fuels the growth of bacteria, which consume the nitrates in the process. Apparently it works (!) though there is debate about its long term effects. There's an interesting thread about it on reefcentral, if you want to follow it. In particular, ReeferAl presents an interesting, cautious endorsement.

http://www.reefcentral.com/forums/showt ... genumber=3

I realize freshwater tanks are different (no deep sand bed for instance) and I would never actually try this at home. However, does anyone know how adding sugar would affect a freshwater aquarium, if at all?

I ask this out of curiosity rather than any real expectation that it could ever work in freshwater.


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## riffraffxl (Aug 2, 2007)

Hmm...after re-reading some of the threat it seems to only work well if you have a skimmer as well. That severely restricts its use in freshwater.


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## BenHugs (Jan 13, 2007)

Google Search portein skimmers for ponds or koi you will be suprised to see that they are starting to catch on big time for freshwater.


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## BenHugs (Jan 13, 2007)

Google Search portein skimmers for ponds or koi you will be suprised to see that they are starting to catch on big time for freshwater.


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## Sammich Bite (Mar 23, 2007)

would sugar leave a sticky residue at the top of the tank as water evaporates?

i wonder if the fish will get diabetes LOL j/k

but then again that guy in the thread said he dosed with VODKA? wow, that sounds really insane. drunken fishes


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## riffraffxl (Aug 2, 2007)

Sammich Bite said:


> but then again that guy in the thread said he dosed with VODKA? wow, that sounds really insane. drunken fishes


Yeah, I'm surprised they don't all die from it!


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## JustPhish (Jul 16, 2007)

Well as I understand it, many additives marketed towards aquarium use are made up of sugar. So I can't see the harm. As far as protein skimmers in freshwater, the idea behind the protein skimmer is to make bubbles as fine as possible which spend the maximum amount of time in the water column where dissolved organics will attach to it's surface and then collect at the neck of the skimmer where all the bubbles eventually float up to. I don't know if you've seen a skimmer running with freshwater in it, but it's quite difficult to get fine bubbles so it would be terribly inefficient.

Finally, the glaring thing to me about your plan is that in a reef tank the bacteria that consume nitrates and turn it into harmless nitrogen gas live in areas with little or no oxygen in them. In freshwater you look to avoid areas of no oxygen. So these bacteria don't exist. This is why you do water changes to reduce the nitrate level in your tank. I'm afraid if you added sugar to your tank there wouldn't be anything there to utilize and help convert nitrates into anything.

Perhaps if you had a nitrate reactor it might work. But if it were me I would just continue to do water changes to rid myself of nitrates (as well as fix the cause of the quick excessive nitrate buildup) rather than start turning my tank into a potion cauldron.


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## JWerner2 (Jul 7, 2008)

I really don't see adding a skimmer to freshwater doing anything at all. I think I have seen one huge pond with one and it had some sectioned off skimmer that was bubbling like you would not believe. More than I think you would get out of a normal skimmer and air pump ( I am sure that there were other things that helped the bubbling build up and be so fine.)

People are always so concerned about Nitrates and try to utilize what ever they can to get out of water changes. Nitrates are not the only reason why one would do water changes, just the most common known reason. Other stuff does also build up.


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## Toby_H (Apr 15, 2005)

I think JustFish hit the nail on the headâ€¦

The function of adding sugar is to enrich the bacteria that eats nitratesâ€¦ but our fresh water tanks do not have a bacteria that eats nitratesâ€¦

Therefore the sugar would serve no purposeâ€¦

Iâ€™m not saying it will hurt anythingâ€¦ just saying it wonâ€™t help what you want it to helpâ€¦ and might have other adverse effects (I didnâ€™t read the debate in the thread you linked).

In my fishroom if I do regular weekly water changes of 25~40%â€¦ my nitrates stay between 5~15ppm by the end of the week, depending on the systemâ€¦ yet every time my fish spawn itâ€™s right after a water changeâ€¦

Nothing will ever replace water changesâ€¦

PS - I have to add... It's always good to watch related information and consider ways to make improvements. So I like the way you think... I just don't think this one will work for you...


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## riffraffxl (Aug 2, 2007)

Toby_H said:


> So I like the way you think... I just don't think this one will work for you...


Thanks  I agree that this stuff isn't really practical for FW. I found this interesting post on mosterfishkeepers though, it's an interesting read. I've bolded some relevant parts. (original is at http://www.monsterfishkeepers.com/forums/showthread.php?t=152452&page=2

Again, just sharing because it's really interesting, IMHO.



> Hi guys,
> I am a bit of SW expert having kept successful reef tanks for over 25 years and having propagated soft corals way back in the 80's. (for a little history of me)
> 
> The technique uses sugar(cheapest, Glucose(moderate costs), or Vodka(most refined source of carbon). The technique is known as "Carbon Loading".
> ...


Might theoretically work if you had a deep sand bed AND high alkalinity (some people on the forum have mentioned that skimmers do work in FW with high alkaline water...all that dissolved rock I guess) but spurring the growth of the bacteria that caues septicemia doesn't sound very good.

Understocking and water changes still better I guess.


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