Anyone run vodka successfully on a 300g+ System?

[tonyespinoza]

I've run Polyp Labs Reef Fuel and MicroBacter7 pretty successfully on a couple 50g SPS tanks... but now that I'm setting up a big one (350g display), I was thinking I would not rely on carbon dosing and put in a large fuge (250g) with chaeto + 6" DSB. I'm less concerned about micrfauna, so I will probably use filter socks coming off the display and fuge (and I swap them daily). But before I commit to ordering the fuges, has anyone had success running vodka (or any other simple carbon dosing) on a 300g+ system? I talked to someone today with a (AMAZING) large SPS system for whom vodka hasn't really moved the needle on nitrates.

Has anyone had success on a big system?

 

[tonyespinoza]

hm... the silence is deafening...

 

[Ed Reef]

I think Marc tank is close - check out his build thread in the Reef Discussion forum

 

[ReefWreak]

Definitely Marc as well as others. I know marc has a 280g display and large sump, so he's up in those numbers, but probably not as large a volume as yours. There are some zeo tanks much larger than your setup will be, and that's glorified carbon dosing anyway, so they might give you an idea of what to expect.

Keep in mind with carbon dosing on a tank that size, the most important part will not be the refugium but the skimmer that you have pulling that bacteria out of the tank!

 

[Nanook]

I'm dosing on 1200 gallons again but too soon to say what the results will be. I am currently only using vodka.

 

[Lightsluvr]

<a href=showthread.php?s=&postid=15242475#post15242475 target=_blank>Originally posted</a> by Nanook
I'm dosing on 1200 gallons again but too soon to say what the results will be. I am currently only using vodka.

No orange juice (for vitamin C)?

LL

 

[tonyespinoza]

Yup -- I understand the skimmer will be key. if there were any large TOTM-level carbon dosed systems (non-zeo) out there I wouldn't even be considering a fuge/rdsb. There is that one famous european 240-ish sun coral tank you see in all the books, but I trust that tank must long since have come down.

If anyone comes along who wants to post a FTS of their large system to show me the way, I'd be delighted to see it.

 

[wmilas]

I'm VSV dosing on my 660 display/1000 gallon system. Its just maintenance dosing as I also have a refugium full of cheato and am running GFO. I started the dosing to see if I could remove the GFO out of the system, or extend its life. I haven't changed my GFO in 2 months now so I think its working Now that I think about it I should probably empty the GFO canister...

 

[stunreefer]

<a href=showthread.php?s=&postid=15242920#post15242920 target=_blank>Originally posted</a> by tonyespinoza
Yup -- I understand the skimmer will be key. if there were any large TOTM-level carbon dosed systems (non-zeo) out there I wouldn't even be considering a fuge/rdsb.

Here is Pieter van Suijlekom's reef, TOTM Feb. 2006: http://www.reefkeeping.com/issues/2006-02/totm/index.php He did run ZEOvit though, but FWIW any Bacteria suplpementation + Carbon source(s) will operate under the same principals...

<a href=showthread.php?s=&postid=15242920#post15242920 target=_blank>Originally posted</a> by tonyespinoza
There is that one famous european 240-ish sun coral tank you see in all the books, but I trust that tank must long since have come down.

Maurisz tank is very nice (~150 gal): http://www.reefcentral.com/forums/showthread.php?s=&threadid=1631161&perpage=&pagenumber=1, but I do not believe that's who you're reffering to, maybe Daniella Stettler's aquarium?: http://www.korallenriff.de/Sindelfingen2005/daniela_torsten_2005.pdf

 

[Carlos Arouche]

I´ve beeing usin Vodka on my system since the beginning.
My tank is 330 Gal (500gal total system).
It´s beeing dosed 10ml daily and nitrates and phosphates are near 0.

Best regards.

ps. Overskimming is a must...and ORP control also...

 

[tonyf]

Hi Tony,

My 500gal is dosed 10ml vodka : 10ml vinegar : 1 x teaspoon sugar twice per day. Started with half of this dose for 6 months first to get the system 'broken in' to carbon dosing.

Also supplement with 2 amps Prodibio Bioptim and 2 amps Prodibio Biodigest weekly ... and trying out 1ml Zeobac per day.

Phos <0.03 ppm and nitrate is undetectable ... wierd thing is that the display has bryopsis which has been around for nearly 3 years.

Tone

 

[tonyespinoza]

beautiful tank! thanks for sharing your success.

 

[mflamb]

I dosed 7 ml vodka daily on my 390 which had a DSB, gfo and 40 gallon refugium. NO3 stayed less than 2ppm and PO4 stayed at 0.02-0.03.
I am now dosing 5 ml vodka daily on my 300 which has a DSB, gfo and 40 gallon refugium. NO3 and PO4 numbers are the same as the 390.