Do larger skimmers require more vodka

[CUNAReefer]

I started dosing vodka the first of the year. I began with the recommended dosage of 2.5 - 5 ml per 130g (The Reef Aquarium III, p.275). I seen a small decrease in algae after the first week, but nothing impressive. I tried pushing the dosage up and am now at 12ml per day. I have not seen any indications of vodka overdose. No cloudy water, no burnt tips, etc. My skimmer production increases for a couple hours after dosing, but then returns to normal production levels. The skimmer is a SRO XP 3000-Int on 130g of water. I also dose ozone into my skimmer.

Now my question... Does heavy skimming require higher dosages of vodka? If so, how much vodka should I be dosing?

Regards,
James

 

[Nick_A]

James, I am not expert on this topic but I have been dosing vodka for about 2 years. I only dose 5ml a day. I don't believe you will need to increase the vodka based upon skimming. The skimmer isn't removing the vodka but 12 ml a day is a lot. When I first started dosing I got to the point where my readings where 0 on nitrates and phosphates. As soon as that happened I cut my dosing in half and have not needed to increase.
But I do have a prob here for you. The point to vodka dosing is to develop bacteria in your water column to help in the reduction of no3 and po4, but if I'm not mistaken and I could be but doesn't the ozone kill any bacteria that you are adding? Seems counter productive. I use a zeovit reactor and dose vodka but I want to use ozone because I really like the crystal clear water that you get with it but I will then have to remove or stop using my zeovit.
I know that doesn't help very much but it is something to think about

 

[CUNAReefer]

Hey Nick,

Thanks for the reply!

You are correct. The ozone does act as a form of sterilization within the skimmer. I add ozone to keep my water crystal clear, eliminate any potential free floating pathenogens, and to help with the harvesting of bacteria (ORP is another benefit). The ethanol in the vodka does serve as a food source for the bacteria. The bacteria assimilate the phosphate and nitrate when consuming the Ethanol. The heavy skimming helps remove the excess bacteria wheather stuffed with ethanol or not. With the use of ozone and a large skimmer (for my setup), I do wonder if the dosage of vodka does need to be higher than a setup with a smaller skimmer. The ozone addition does make my question more "advanced" since it throws another variable in the already complex question. I add 6 ml in the morning and 6 ml at night. The dosage does seem to be working very well, but I do wonder if my system requires a higher dosage of vodka???

Warmest Regards,
James