3 day lights out plus vodka?
- Thread starter Vauche
- Start date
sedor
New member
I wouldn't make any changes to my tank in pairs. Its hard to eliminate a source as a problem if you have to many variables going on. 3 days lights out is definitely safe, but its always better to go by the book. Do your lights out, and then start vodka dosing. No need to rush into it.
Remember to start your vodka dosing very slowly. I read a post earlier today from a guy that killed his entire tank in one day by overdosing on vodka.
Remember to start your vodka dosing very slowly. I read a post earlier today from a guy that killed his entire tank in one day by overdosing on vodka.
Ryandlf, thanks for the information however I am already dosing vodka so that wouldn't be new. I've also done the lights out before with no problems. It is just that before I wasn't dosing vodka. I've read that vodka should be added with lights on to help prevent a decrease in O2 concentration or something like that, hence my dilema.
I know that my vodka dose, with lights on, is safe for my tank. With lights off I do not know. I'm only doing 4mls on a volume of 150G total but one never knows. Therefore I am wondering what the general consensus is in this situation.
I know that my vodka dose, with lights on, is safe for my tank. With lights off I do not know. I'm only doing 4mls on a volume of 150G total but one never knows. Therefore I am wondering what the general consensus is in this situation.
I should mention I've been dosing for about 3mo. now. I wouldn't say it isn't working rather I have a DSB and my understanding is that these can be a little tempramental with vodka dosing. My opinion on my tank is it is full of nutrients that are leaching out slowly (very slowly) and it will just take time to decrease.
The lights out is my idea to free up some nutrients in some cyano so the skimmer can hopefully pull out well the lights are down and new cyano can't grow. Maybe I'm barking up the wrong tree but it certainly couldn't hurt!
The lights out is my idea to free up some nutrients in some cyano so the skimmer can hopefully pull out well the lights are down and new cyano can't grow. Maybe I'm barking up the wrong tree but it certainly couldn't hurt!
Wow you dose 4 ml a day of vodka, I did it slow and only dose 1 ml per day in my 120gal with a 33gal sump and 20gal deepsand bed/ cheatoville tanks. With about 225-250lbs live rock, and I sparked a hair algea outbreak i been fighting for a while now.
Whats you goal with the lights out?
Did you have any hair algea when you started dosing?
Whats you goal with the lights out?
Did you have any hair algea when you started dosing?
Thanks for the responose est.
Main goal is to decrease some cyano that is present. My hope is that the lights out can release some "nutrients" from the cyano and these nutrients can then be skimmed out by the skimmer. With no lights the cyano would have a harder time returning.
No hair algea when I started. Cyano mainly. Vodka and MB7 is what I dose. My biggest problem is a DSB, these I've read can take a long time to clean up with vodka.
Main goal is to decrease some cyano that is present. My hope is that the lights out can release some "nutrients" from the cyano and these nutrients can then be skimmed out by the skimmer. With no lights the cyano would have a harder time returning.
No hair algea when I started. Cyano mainly. Vodka and MB7 is what I dose. My biggest problem is a DSB, these I've read can take a long time to clean up with vodka.
My sandbed up top has a few deep spots and some shallow spots allmost bare. I am fixing to relocate so i will be tearing my setup down. I am thinking about barebottom putting all my sand up top in my other dsb area.
I also just reacentlly got a small patch of Cyano myself.
do you have pics of you tank? We have tanks alike and you dose 4 ml I only dose 1 ml. Do i not dose enough of do you have a larger bio load.
I had looked at an artical on reefkeeping mag about dose and the calculation I did said I should be around 1 ml. Took me about 3 weeks to reach that level slowlly introin it
I also just reacentlly got a small patch of Cyano myself.
do you have pics of you tank? We have tanks alike and you dose 4 ml I only dose 1 ml. Do i not dose enough of do you have a larger bio load.
I had looked at an artical on reefkeeping mag about dose and the calculation I did said I should be around 1 ml. Took me about 3 weeks to reach that level slowlly introin it
sedor
New member
I didn't realize you were already dosing vodka. In that case yes go ahead and do lights out, any coral can handle that (similar to a few overcast days in a row) and it will make your tank nice and squeaky clean when your done. Alot of people will do 2 or 3 days out every month just for monthly cleaning.
silentscream
New member
Interesting that you have cyano when dosing bacteria and vodka, I always figured bacteria additions would prevent the cyano outbreaks. What is you dosage of MB7?
I appreciate all the responses and information.
Est. I started out really low 0.25ml vodka and have worked up every 7 days. I am at a point now where I wasn't seeing any improvement so I will probably stick to where I'm at which is actually 4.5ml. My understanding is doses vary. You have me thinking though, I might cut it back.
Silentscream, I guess it really isn't a shocker to me that cyano has reared it ugly head. I had it before I started. At first I saw a real big improvement with both vodka and MB7 (high nutrient), then I backed off the MB7 per instructions, let's just say the results weren't great, so I increased it. Currently doing 1 cap daily. I'm hoping the lights out will help with this. Remember though, cyano is bacteria so theoretically it feeds off the vodka as well and it is very efficient at nutrient uptake.
1De- Well I wasn't planning on stopping I was thinking of cutting back, maybe I will have to consider holding for a little. You certainly can't argue with SunnyX's tank as evidence!
Est. I started out really low 0.25ml vodka and have worked up every 7 days. I am at a point now where I wasn't seeing any improvement so I will probably stick to where I'm at which is actually 4.5ml. My understanding is doses vary. You have me thinking though, I might cut it back.
Silentscream, I guess it really isn't a shocker to me that cyano has reared it ugly head. I had it before I started. At first I saw a real big improvement with both vodka and MB7 (high nutrient), then I backed off the MB7 per instructions, let's just say the results weren't great, so I increased it. Currently doing 1 cap daily. I'm hoping the lights out will help with this. Remember though, cyano is bacteria so theoretically it feeds off the vodka as well and it is very efficient at nutrient uptake.
1De- Well I wasn't planning on stopping I was thinking of cutting back, maybe I will have to consider holding for a little. You certainly can't argue with SunnyX's tank as evidence!
Squidhead9
New member
I dose vodka (currently doing about 2.5 ml per day in a total sytem volume of 175G). I just did a three day lights out and had no problems.
Thanks squidhead, I will remember that. I have done the three day lights out finishing last friday, without dosing vodka. It turned out ok, although I did lose 1 fish (do not really understand this). I'm thinking there was issues prior to lights out.
I did cut the dose back to 2ml to see what will happen. Not all cyano on the sand disappeared so I'm hoping the cutting back will prevent or slow its growth.
I did cut the dose back to 2ml to see what will happen. Not all cyano on the sand disappeared so I'm hoping the cutting back will prevent or slow its growth.
When you started the 3 days no lights you just stoped dosing vodka all together?
Mabay the fish was suffering from vodka withdrawls
I accually did a 2day lights out myself since reading this post. I stuck with daily dosing, only thing I changed was lights out. I plan on vac my sand bed a little in the next few days. It really made my corals look very happy. Seams as if my yellow leather gained a little size.
You didn't do before and after pics did you?
I thought about it after it was to late.
Mabay the fish was suffering from vodka withdrawls
I accually did a 2day lights out myself since reading this post. I stuck with daily dosing, only thing I changed was lights out. I plan on vac my sand bed a little in the next few days. It really made my corals look very happy. Seams as if my yellow leather gained a little size.
You didn't do before and after pics did you?
I thought about it after it was to late.
Yes, when I started I stopped dosing. I figured decrease nutrients to cyano and such. When I do it again I wouldn't stop I don't think seeing as how it doesn't seem to cause a problem. I was more worried about decreasing the O2 in the tank (this happens when you read too much!).
I did recently cut down the dose to 2ml. Seems to have slowed cyano growth yet still keep tank relatively clean.
I did recently cut down the dose to 2ml. Seems to have slowed cyano growth yet still keep tank relatively clean.
