dosing vodka or sugar?

[ctreefer]

Does anyone with FOWLR systems dose either vodka or sugar to reduce/remove nitrates/phosphates? My tank has areas where some cyano pop up. I run phosban and have a decent sized skimmer(aqua C EV150) but thought some additional nutrient removal might be worthwhile.

 

[Ranzan]

IMO your skimmer should be rated double what your tank is so that could be the problem

 

[sherm71tank]

I would go with the sugar over vodka. They do the same thing. What size tank and what skimmer/pump combo is running on it?

 

[fantastic4]

I am trying both, this is what I noticed...

Sugar increases skmimate and makes water cloudy (within 24 hrs), nitrates were reduced.

then I tried Vodka in place of the sugar.... (about same volume dosage) water much more cloudy (within 24hrs), skimmate went crazyx10. Vodka seems to be more effective.

In my oppinion, both work, I think I will stick with sugar as it is less intrusive on my system = less stress on system. Fighting Nitrate problem well over 100ppm on a new tank with seasoned LR.

 

[AquaKnight]

What were the quantities you dosed?

 

[fantastic4]

Read the entire thread on Reefcentral about sugar dosing (like a gazzilian pages). So this is what I have been doing...

About 1/2 tbl spoon sugar within a 90g with 30g sump/refugium and 5g Aquafuge daily.

I have alternated with two full cap fulls of Russian Vodka "Smirnoff" daily.

Live stock still alive. If you dose to little, I have noticed no dip in nitrate, dose to much and tank turns white. So with amount mentioned above I get cloudy water, but not ultra white.

Only negative effects I have seen is odor from water (slight rotten egg).