Lets talk about Vodka/sugar dosing
- Thread starter JohnL
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Burlingtonz
New member
This film coats the sock so that water has a difficult time flowing through the sock. If I clean the sock tonight water flows freely but after several days the sock blows up like a balloon with water flowing over the top. I usually clean the socks out every Saturday. Before dosing I never saw the sock fill up with water. This film coats the glass and I can tell it's there because of the snail tracks on the glass. Thanks for confirm that this film is most likily a normal part of the cycle of vodka dosing. Marc is Poukie from Canada because there is a PoukieBear up here in the GTA.
melev
Well-known member
Yes, that's the same gorgeous girl.
You should get in the habit of replacing the sock every three days. If you get 10 of them, you'll have a month's supply.
Vodka can create a film. I see it on the sponge at the base of my carbon (Phosban) reactor, as well as the base of the Calcium Reactor. I've seen some in my overflows as well. Once I got the nitrate down, I was able to reduce the dosage and the white film is far less.
You should get in the habit of replacing the sock every three days. If you get 10 of them, you'll have a month's supply.
Vodka can create a film. I see it on the sponge at the base of my carbon (Phosban) reactor, as well as the base of the Calcium Reactor. I've seen some in my overflows as well. Once I got the nitrate down, I was able to reduce the dosage and the white film is far less.
aquariumclown
New member
I have plenty of film in my sump, even inside my skimmer. Some of it gets into the DT when i start and stop the return pump, but it doesn't seem stay there, it either dies or gets filtered out.
graveyardworm
Premium Member
Also what are your aother parameters, specifically alk, Ca and Mg? How do you maintain them, and is there any fluctution?
PoukieBear
New member
:wave:
DeathWish302
Clown Hoarder
I've been battling cyano for the past 1.5 yrs. I've tried growing macroalgae in the sump with the melev-style 13W 6500K CF, but the chaeto and red gracilia (most recent attempt) slowly die off after several months. I've always used RO/DI and IO salt, so no major input of nutrients or excessive NO3 PO4 from the source water (some from IO). The reef display has a Tomato clown pair, dozen snails & hermits, a fair amount of sps colonies/frags and several bunches of zoas and rics. I truly have a low bioload, as my skimmer is not pullling the 1-5 cups of skimmate as others. I might have 1 cup every day or two. I run no filter sock and some detritus builds up in the first sump compartment (skimmer).
I've started the vodka dosing regimen on the lowest end (25gallon) described in the Reefkeeoing article. How can I get the 'good' bacteria kick-started to eliminate this cyano?
My levels are as follows:
NO3 = 0-5ppm (API currently but ELOS kit coming)
PO4 = 0ppm (API currently but ELOS kit coming)
Alk = 8.5dKh (API)
Ca = 440ppm (API)
Mg = 1320ppm (Salifert)
Since I'm not trusting the API test kits for NO3 and PO4, I've decided to have a second opinion by ELOS. The questions I have are in no particular order and I've read most of the Vodka threads and articles and find nothing reassuring. These are the questions I have after 1 week of dosing to 0.2mL in 60 gallons total system volume.
1) Since my cyano has increased with vodka dosing, is there any cure for this besides a pricey additive like Zeozym? Will the cyano slowly lose the battle to other native bacteria in the tank after further dosing?
2)If I cannot continue dosing due to the cyano, what could be causing the die off of the macroalgae?
3)Is PO4 a necessary element in larger qty for the carbon dosing to work?
4)What is the consensus on a better/best NO3 & PO4 test kit?
5)Has anyone found that some of the additives used in the NeoZeo & Zeovit methods yield better results while carbon dosing? The vodka system seems similar to these but excluding the zeolite reactor.
My pondering continues...............
I've started the vodka dosing regimen on the lowest end (25gallon) described in the Reefkeeoing article. How can I get the 'good' bacteria kick-started to eliminate this cyano?
My levels are as follows:
NO3 = 0-5ppm (API currently but ELOS kit coming)
PO4 = 0ppm (API currently but ELOS kit coming)
Alk = 8.5dKh (API)
Ca = 440ppm (API)
Mg = 1320ppm (Salifert)
Since I'm not trusting the API test kits for NO3 and PO4, I've decided to have a second opinion by ELOS. The questions I have are in no particular order and I've read most of the Vodka threads and articles and find nothing reassuring. These are the questions I have after 1 week of dosing to 0.2mL in 60 gallons total system volume.
1) Since my cyano has increased with vodka dosing, is there any cure for this besides a pricey additive like Zeozym? Will the cyano slowly lose the battle to other native bacteria in the tank after further dosing?
2)If I cannot continue dosing due to the cyano, what could be causing the die off of the macroalgae?
3)Is PO4 a necessary element in larger qty for the carbon dosing to work?
4)What is the consensus on a better/best NO3 & PO4 test kit?
5)Has anyone found that some of the additives used in the NeoZeo & Zeovit methods yield better results while carbon dosing? The vodka system seems similar to these but excluding the zeolite reactor.
My pondering continues...............
STN may need to be dealt with by clipping just above the region that is undergoing tissue necrosis. But yes I would try to increase following the cessation of the STN.
Deathwish, even though I think there is more than enough bacteria in an aquarium already I've seen people use bacterial additives in combination with vodka. This may be an avenue for you to explore as I don't know if you will rid cyano by dosing vodka. I've heard of it working against, doing nothing, and exacerbating cyano.
kfick
New member
That's an interesting point Nate. My tank probably had tons of bacteria and could easily keep nitrates at or below 1ppm. However adding vodka alone didn't seem to produce much results. The water seemed a little clearer, but not much of anything else. My first bottle of microbacter7 didn't help much either. It turns out it was cracked on the bottom and let air in. Once I started dosing a 2nd bottle, things took off. HA is about gone, I now get a bacterial film on the glass instead of diatoms, and some corals are now not happy with the extra light 
Once again, no two tanks are the same, but I didn't want to keep upping my dosage past 4ml a day, because I didn't see any results. So I patiently waited and tried the bacteria.
Once again, no two tanks are the same, but I didn't want to keep upping my dosage past 4ml a day, because I didn't see any results. So I patiently waited and tried the bacteria.
DeathWish302
Clown Hoarder
Ok I'll give the MB7 a try after researching. The only reason I want to stick with the vodka dosing is the water clarity. I was always in disbelief how someone could notice a marginal clarity difference. Yesterday after 1 week of dosing only up to 0.2mL, my water was so clear I almost went into shock. The glass was cleaned on Monday night and the clarity made the glass disappear. I never want to lose this attribute.
Any others try other bacteria promoting additives?
Thanks Guys!
Any others try other bacteria promoting additives?
Thanks Guys!
aquariumclown
New member
Ozone gives you same or better results as far as water clarity is concerned. So if you don't want to dose anymore, it's a good option.
DeathWish302
Clown Hoarder
Not a huge fan of the possible toxicity of my living quarters. Those risks outweigh the advantages of increasing skimmer production......
melev
Well-known member
All three of these parameters are on the lower side. My goal range is closer to NSW levels:
Alk - 8 to 11 dKH
Ca - 375 to 450 ppm
Mg - 1350 to 1400 ppm
Magnesium should be 3x the calcium level.
The STN you are seeing could be due to the lower numbers, esp. Alkalinity. It could be due to shading as the coral is growing larger too. That amount of Vodka dosing that you listed seems unlikely to be the cause of STN. At least to me, but I'm not a coral.
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