Acetate composite mix for dosing.

[oceanarium]

I started cleaning up all my pumps etc on our biannual maintenance. Cleaning them all up in vinegar dissolving the coralines I noticed the resultant used vinegar if spilled left a thick calcium like residue. After a little reading calcium carbonate and vinegar = Calcium acetate solution.

Hmm.... A little more reading references from Randy Holmes Farley this can be used for carbon dosing source and Chris Brightwell as calcium supplementation.

Hmm..... A little more reading same reaction occurs with Strontium and Magnesium.

Tried coral skeleton in vinegar, huge reaction bubbling off the Co2 till nothing but very small traces of impurities remain. So now I presume the solution consisted greatly of acetate compounds in the correct ratios for coral compositions. :-D

I have been using this on two of my main systems for several weeks now as a one part dose for carbon source, strontium, magnesium, and calcium supplement. So far so good low Phos and nitrates. I add more coral than the vinegar solution can dissolve, leave for 24 hours for the C02 to bubble off and a milk colour acetate solution remains. Any left over coral gets added to the next brew with top up of new coral bits. Seems to be working pretty good, certainly dissolving significant amounts of coral to the volume of vinegar.

I dose only as a carbon source cautious of bacteria blooms. still topping up Ca Mg with two part dosing on one system and Ca reactor on the other I am finding the acetate solutions ratio seems equivalent to 10ml NO4-PO-X = 90-100ml acetate solution. With white vinegar from supermarkets cheap to use.

Till now only using a standard two part Randy's recipe for supplementation. With this getting some strontium plus perhaps other minor elements.

Never been particularly strong on reef chemistry, be interested to hear thoughts on the merits of this system.

 

[disc1]

What you're doing is essentially no different than running a calcium reactor and doing vinegar dosing at the same time except that you have removed the CO2 from the system. I can't imagine any harm that could come from it. The only potential drawback is that the dosing of vinegar and calcium are now linked, so you can't control the dose of one without affecting the other. But you say you are still watching calcium and supplementing the rest with two part so it sounds like you have a handle on that.

 

[bertoni]

Yes, that's about right. As long as the system can handle the organics from the vinegar, it should be fine.

 

[oceanarium]

Thanks, the corals seem to be responding well with very good PE developing since I started.

I have been wondering what other elements like Boron etc I might be adding. Been doing a lot of googling to try find exactly what elements are incorporated into corals and form and ratio's they are found in the skeletal part. I have not been able to find any good information. Some studies on minor elements etc but nothing definitive as to a table outlining all the elements major and minor.

Anyone aware of a source for this info?

 

[disc1]

Be careful with that type of information. Just because it is found in a coral skeleton doesn't mean it's good for it to be there. And just because it is found in the skeleton in some particular ratio doesn't mean it needs to be in the water at that ratio. Corals forming skeletons is an active process, not a passive one. Life is like that, it often concentrates what it needs out of its environment.

Your coral have evolved over millions of years to live in natural seawater. Give them something as close to that as you can get. They'll know exactly what to do with it.

 

[oceanarium]

It is for curiosity's sake, I would like to understand better what is occurring with the vinegar and dead coral skeletal material.

 

[disc1]

It is for curiosity's sake, I would like to understand better what is occurring with the vinegar and dead coral skeletal material.

I gotcha. I'm positive you can find elemental breakdowns online. Try google scholar. I'm sure it differs to some extent by species and location but that info has to be out there.