Bio-pellets, Vinegar, Vodka, or ???
- Thread starter Mock
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SPS coloration in my tanks has been very good with vodka and vinegar dosing with very positive comments from others who have seen them. Haven't seen any comments on vinegar only and colors and don't know why they would be much different unless the oxidation of the ethanol and the bacteria that perform that step have some extra benefit but I don't know why that would be the case. The reduction in NO3 and PO4 with either should help brighten corals and then the benefits if any to the food web might also help. Zoanthus in particular seem to like the extra carbon in the water and the bacteria.
110galreef
New member
Does anyone see a benefit of dosing either if Nitrate is 0 and PO4 usually checks at 0?
I started back dosing 20ml of vinegar 3 weeks ago and my PO4 is testing at 0ppb on the hanna ULR......
I have started adding reef chilli, reefroids and coral frenzy twice a week now. But would I be better to stop the 20ml of vinegar, or cut back, or mix it up with vinegar & vidka?
I started back dosing 20ml of vinegar 3 weeks ago and my PO4 is testing at 0ppb on the hanna ULR......
I have started adding reef chilli, reefroids and coral frenzy twice a week now. But would I be better to stop the 20ml of vinegar, or cut back, or mix it up with vinegar & vidka?
Hi,
This is a very interesting thread but I have a problem with my tank and cyno that I am trying to sort out and would like to get some advice before moving on.
My tank is about 180 US gallons (150 imperial gallons) and contains mainly SPS with some LPS. Filtration is by KZ Revolution M skimmer, live rock, varying depth sand bed of 1-2mm grain aragonite and a fugue containing some cheato that has been set up for about 2 weeks. Fish load is reasonably high but not excessive and the tank has been set up for about 20 months. Calcium and all are kept stable by use of Balling Lite using only FM products dosed thought the day. I generally do not dose much in the way of additaves or trace elements except the traces that go with balling.
I initially used pellets for filtration but I found that even at low doses my SPS were paling out and dying. after removing them the tank has been running fine with no cyno or problem algae for quite a time but one the cyno have taken hold massively on the sand and some of the rock work. Flow is very good with a Vortech MP40W and a Tunze Stream as well as the OR3500 return pump. The problem is that I am at a loss to find the source of the cyno. My nitrate is 0 (Salifert) and phos is very low (D-D/Merck high res test kit), skimmer is working well and RO top off has a TDS of 0 via DI resin. Running GFO (Rowaphos) has kept the phos low but still the cyno increases.
I have had lots of discussions with a friend of mine who has more time to research things than I do and the feeling is that a carbon dosing may help to get on top of the cyno but I am concerned that this will fuel it. Most people seem to use carbon dosing to keep cyno at bay via low nutrients and sometimes find that cyno can appear but I am concerned that if it is already present in large quantities then vodka or vinegar may make matters worse.
I really do need to get a handle on this problem as I'm starting to question whether I can remain in the hobby. I don't really want to give up my reef but this problem is getting me down. Keeping nutrients low generally works well in running a good reef and I have manged this in e past with several tanks but this situation has me baffled as I seem to be at a loss as to where the nutrient to feed the cyno is coming from. I've checked over the system and there does not appear to be any contaminents. I tend to change about 20% of the water a month using D-D H2O salt.
The question is will carbon dosing help and what would be the best way forward, vodka, vinegar or the 75-25 mix?
Many thanks in advance,
Cam.
This is a very interesting thread but I have a problem with my tank and cyno that I am trying to sort out and would like to get some advice before moving on.
My tank is about 180 US gallons (150 imperial gallons) and contains mainly SPS with some LPS. Filtration is by KZ Revolution M skimmer, live rock, varying depth sand bed of 1-2mm grain aragonite and a fugue containing some cheato that has been set up for about 2 weeks. Fish load is reasonably high but not excessive and the tank has been set up for about 20 months. Calcium and all are kept stable by use of Balling Lite using only FM products dosed thought the day. I generally do not dose much in the way of additaves or trace elements except the traces that go with balling.
I initially used pellets for filtration but I found that even at low doses my SPS were paling out and dying. after removing them the tank has been running fine with no cyno or problem algae for quite a time but one the cyno have taken hold massively on the sand and some of the rock work. Flow is very good with a Vortech MP40W and a Tunze Stream as well as the OR3500 return pump. The problem is that I am at a loss to find the source of the cyno. My nitrate is 0 (Salifert) and phos is very low (D-D/Merck high res test kit), skimmer is working well and RO top off has a TDS of 0 via DI resin. Running GFO (Rowaphos) has kept the phos low but still the cyno increases.
I have had lots of discussions with a friend of mine who has more time to research things than I do and the feeling is that a carbon dosing may help to get on top of the cyno but I am concerned that this will fuel it. Most people seem to use carbon dosing to keep cyno at bay via low nutrients and sometimes find that cyno can appear but I am concerned that if it is already present in large quantities then vodka or vinegar may make matters worse.
I really do need to get a handle on this problem as I'm starting to question whether I can remain in the hobby. I don't really want to give up my reef but this problem is getting me down. Keeping nutrients low generally works well in running a good reef and I have manged this in e past with several tanks but this situation has me baffled as I seem to be at a loss as to where the nutrient to feed the cyno is coming from. I've checked over the system and there does not appear to be any contaminents. I tend to change about 20% of the water a month using D-D H2O salt.
The question is will carbon dosing help and what would be the best way forward, vodka, vinegar or the 75-25 mix?
Many thanks in advance,
Cam.
Thanks, that is one possibility, the only bit of the sand that remains clear is where my two maroon clowns constantly fan it and dig holes. :headwallblue:
Corals generally look well and I get some reasonable growth. One interesting thing is thatmy large squamosa clam doesn't open so well these days. The maxima is fine though.
Cam.
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