Vodka Dosing (1 Viewer)

[Darrel]

I have been reading up on this subject and I see in the forums that a few people do use this method.

I would like to hear more about everyones experience with this, both good and bad.

My tank is 125g, 20g sump. I have been doing 15-20g water change every week to week and a half. I have a 2-4 inch sandbed, deeper in the rear of the tank, 130lbs live rock. Occupants are 4 blue leg hermits, 5 margaritta snails, 6 nassarius, 6 Astraea, 1 Yellow Watchman Goby, and 1 Ebili Angel. I know the CUC is a little small, more are on the way. I don't have any corals yet, I will be getting some softies as soon as I can get this issue under control. I feed only 1/6 of a cube of brine or mystis twice daily (I will start rinsing it though), I use RO/DI water. I don't remember the type of salt used but I an out, and will start using Red Sea Coral Life Pro this week. The tank has been up and running a little over 2 months. My lighting is two wave point 36" fixtures with 4 T5's each. They are on twice daily, once from 0530 to 0700 and again from 1500 to 2100. Untill I get different lighting, it is either on or off, no staging is possible with the design of the fixtures.

Yet I still have Nitrate and Phosphate issues, Nitrate is 5-10ppm at best and worse is 20ppm. Phosphate is .25 always. I use API test kits. I am currently having a HA issue which is getting better due to extensive mannual removal, but still wont go away.

I plan on adding a fuge in the not so distant future, for macros. But until that time I am looking at other options in the mean time.

So any info on the Vodka solution would be greatly appreciated.

 

[SuperRay]

Check out an upcoming workshop MARSH is hosting. Vodka Dosing is one of the topics being covered.


http://www.marshreef.com/modules.php?name=Forums&file=viewtopic&t=52081

 

[CBBSteve]

Hi, Darrel.

First off, I don't have any experience with vodka dosing in my tank. I only dose myself...
But...
Your tank is only 2 months old? That's a VERY young and immature tank, IMO.

You should get a fuge with macro up and going ASAP. That will be your single best solution for phosphates. Your nitrates will go away as your rocks and sandbed mature. It's still early...

For what it's worth, I restarted my 140 in June and didn't add any livestock at all, not even a snail, until September. I fed the tank small doses of zoplan 3 time a week during that time.

IMO, you should just give your tank more time to mature. Those nitrifying bacteria just need to grow out some more.

good luck,
Steve

 

[DustinB]

I'm with Steve, I wouldn't even begin to think about carbon dosing with that small bioload. Sounds like the rock and sand you have is just dirty and full of nutrients. Give it time and water changes, everything will come down.

The only time you may want to consider carbon dosing is when you have a lot of fish and not much rock. IME it is not really necessary 99% of the time.

 

[emixa]

Darrel,

I was at a presentation provided by Aquanerd and he recommended to get your Magnesium up to 1400ppm and this would so down the growing process of the hair algea and would allow it to be dsicarded alot easier.

see the following link. hope it helps.

http://blog.aquanerd.com/2011/10/tip-of-the-day-1052011.html

 

[steveb]

I dose vodka and vinegar. I have a large bio load for the size tank I have and can attest that it works and works well. I was able to bring nitrates down from the mid teens ppm and phosphate in the 1+ ppm range with macro algae down to 0 ppm nitrate with phosphate in the .01ppm range over a three week period. You have to have a good skimmer for carbon dosing of any kind to work.

The only two negatives that I am aware of:
1 - you can have a bacterial bloom if you overdose (I am experiencing that as I type this). It is very important to follow the directions and you really have to test nitrate/phosphate a lot to be able to tell when to back off on the amount of carbon dosing (I got a little aggressive on the increasing amounts of carbon).

2 - burnt tips on SPS with high Alk. They are not sure why this happens and it doesn't happen to everyone.


That being said I agree with the others that given the age of your tank and the bio load, I would focus on getting a refugium going with a good healthy crop of macro algae first and if that does not do the trick then begin vodka/vinegar dosing.

This should be your carbon dosing bible...
http://reefkeeping.com/issues/2008-08/nftt/index.php

 

[Darrel]

Thanks everyone,

I would love to attend the upcomming workshop, but my employer has other plans for me, go figure, same reason I didn't make it to the last workshop.

Steveb I have read that article, several times actually, it is really good and that gave me the idea.

CBBSteve, Dustin, I am trying to take things slowly, but now and again I fall off the horse.... Guess I will have to dose myself with a good single malt, I don't really care for vodka, unless its true russian. Thanks for the reminder that it is still an infant in tank terms, but just like my kids, I want it to hurry and grow up, especially my 17 year old son...lol.

emixa, I will look int to mag possibility, that is one thing I have not tested yet.

As always I really appreciate the advice and support from members of this site, I look forward to meeting everyone one day.

 

[CBBSteve]

.... Guess I will have to dose myself with a good single malt,

Now that's something that works real good!!

.... I want it to hurry and grow up, especially my 17 year old son...lol.

Another reason to dose single malt!!