Carbon dosing + aminos = RTN?

[Cobalt]

So I've lost 4-5 frags over the past 6 months of a newly established tank (~10 months old). I realize that alone is enough to write off as the cause of my RTN, but.... I have a theory as to why.

I dose carbon with Red Sea Na-PO-X via my top off water. I dose aminos with Red Sea Reef Energy A & B

My tank parameters are pretty stable. Nitrate is 1-2ppm Phos 0.01-0.03 SG 1.024 Alk 9.0 (I have a KH Guardian) Ca 400 and MG 1350. Weekly 10% water changes.

But I find anytime I overdose carbon (via top off, sometimes Tunze osmolator stalls out I reset it. Or I turn up the speed on my return pump, etc) and then I dose more carbon than usual. Then comes the reef energy. I've gotten lazy and sometimes don't measure it thinking too much wouldn't hurt. But if overdose those two, it seems like a frag will RTN the next day. I have over 25 frags.... so I can't explain why its just one, but thank god though. 

Why do I believe this other than observation?

I've read carbon dosing causes some bacteria to bloom (and some of those bacteria are the ones that reduce NO3 and P04). And the aminos must accelerate any sort life too. So overdosing of both might cause both good and bad material bloom in the tank. And some say RTN is caused by blooms or certain "bad" bacteria.

Just putting this out there. Curious what others might think. I suppose it could be random still. But that is my experience so far. I'm going to be more careful about dosing those two and will see how the tank does.

As an aside, ever since I lowered my Kh from 11 (frag farmin!) to 9 and used a Hanna and Phosphat-E maintain my phosphate at 0.1, my colors have gone from good to great.

And if anyone has Bill Murray or Pink Floyd frags to replace mine that RTN'd.... 😭 pm me 

Edited July 17, 2020 by Cobalt

[Blue Z Reef]

Why are you dosing NoPox? What happens if you leave it out? Do your levels creep up? Also, why would you do it in your top off....I get that it’s one less dosing pump but we all have things that cause some degree of inconsistency with ATO. Seems like the easy fix is to get it on its own doser instead of in ATO, that is, if it’s even needed at all.

 

I dose RE AB+ and have had cyano from dosing too much but since backing off slightly haven’t had it come back (after ChemiClean treatment that is).