Nitrate Reduction 101 with sugar!!!
- Thread starter fishykid9212
- Start date
sublime9182
Member
equal contains apertame (pheneylianine) is a neurotoxin and was actually illegal for a long time it can have horrendous effects on humans over long periods of time. i would never but that stuff in my tank lol.
duperdave
New member
I would feel weird putting vodka in my fish tank
SantaMonica
Well-known member
Well it does indeed work. Even without a skimmer. If you accidently put too much in, there will be so much new bacteria that the fish will be coming to the surface for oxygen.
kristylynn1124
New member
It might just work....
It might just work....
I'll start off by saying I'm new - no expert - but I bought an Aquaripure when I first started for my 65 gallon tank & my nitrates were never a problem & I now know I WAY over stocked & overfed.
The Aquaripure works in the same fashion - you inject sugar or vodka into the port every few days and it slowly cycles your tank water and drips in clean water with no nitrates. I'm not certain, but this might be a little safer option if you want to use sugar, that way you are not just dumping sugar in your tank.... you can check them out and get more details on their website - http://aquaripure.com/
FYI - I'm not selling this thing, I was just a happy customer.
It might just work....
I'll start off by saying I'm new - no expert - but I bought an Aquaripure when I first started for my 65 gallon tank & my nitrates were never a problem & I now know I WAY over stocked & overfed.
The Aquaripure works in the same fashion - you inject sugar or vodka into the port every few days and it slowly cycles your tank water and drips in clean water with no nitrates. I'm not certain, but this might be a little safer option if you want to use sugar, that way you are not just dumping sugar in your tank.... you can check them out and get more details on their website - http://aquaripure.com/
FYI - I'm not selling this thing, I was just a happy customer.
useskaforevil
New member
aspartame is not pheneylianine and neither of these are a neurotoxin (good because your body produces phenylianine and you need it to live) . Unless you've got PKU disease your fears are unfounded.
sublime9182
Member
IUPAC ID:*N-(L-α-Aspartyl)-L-phenylalanine, 1-methyl ester
diversanders
New member
How long is long enough to decide whether or not this method is a method of good husbandry or just another quick fix?
Which method?
diversanders
New member
Thanks for responding, I was wondering about the method of dosing with sugar being a good husbandry practice. I have since read up to page 19 of this thread, and kinda believe it's possible so far.
I wouldn't recommend sugar as I think that vinegar and vodka may have less drawbacks, but in most cases you should see a reduction in nitrate and possibly phosphate within a couple of weeks, unless you start with a very low dose, in which case it will take longer. 
diversanders
New member
I have read up to page 19 of this thread, and have decided to dose with maple syrup, it has no artificial additives or chemical cleanings, and yes I know this for certain because I made it myself. I started today with 3/4 teaspoon (40-45g of total water). I'm not going to test for nitrates, due to the fact I am just fed up with the nitrate battle (1 1/2-2 years), and without a doubt I'm certain they are off the chart. My equipment is good and should be sustaining a symbiotic environment. For the curious;
40g breeder with a DSB (4" crushed aragonite) and 50-60lbs. of live rock.
Coralife HQI 150 watt 20,000K MH with 4, 25 watt actinic HO T5's, and 8 led moon lights (only 4 are working), mounted to variable height braces (this thing was a DIY project that turned out awesome (braces)).
Hydor's, Koralia circulation and wave pump, with a flow rate of 425gph, and a return flow from the refugium via a mag 9.5 (I'm not sure of the flow rate, but you can see great circulation from top to bottom via bubbles).
2"x9' intake line to a 11.5g (total water) refugium (made from an old 30g tank), intake chamber is 2.5g w/sock, 7g open fuge area with 200 watt fluval heater, 5" DSB, 15 lbs. live rock, a baseball size piece of chaeto, and a 2g return chamber that houses a
SRO XP-1000sss Bubble Blaster protein skimmer (new), and a 9.5 Mag pump with a 1"x6' return hose all housed under a 130 watt PC light (65watt actinic/65watt 15,000K).
As for the poor inhabitants which if they could pack up and move I wouldn't blame them, I have one clown, one peppermint shrimp, one scenarios snail 6 or 7 various different crabs, copepods, a tough green monster (3) polyp and various coral skeletons.
My lack of success has nothing to do with the lack of attention, time, or money invested. It has now come down to the point, do I stay or do I go, the nitrates are so bad I can't move forward until I find solution, I don't use off the shelf quick fix solutions because sooner or later I would probably need them again, and at what cost to my inhabitants would I figure out what my new/old problem is?
What makes me think sugar is a solution and not a quick fix? I for the first time decided to make maple syrup this year (we made 18g this year). Just so you can understand me better, whenever I try something for the first time, I do everything to a "T" so that I may insure optimal success (OCD characteristics), and try to make it easier once I know I can be successful in the endeavor. Anyone who knows about making maple syrup can tell you, it's not an inside project, but when you are me and want to insure your success, you do the first three gallons (an evaporation process of 120 gallons of sap) inside on the stove to ensure success. For the first time in over a year, at the end of the week my Fiance said "the tank looks nice and clear", of course we related it to what was happening in the kitchen, and at the same time we have had no hair algae thus fare this year (very unusual). After the first three gallons of syrup was made, my love said "OUTSIDE!!!", and with me came the maple sugar, that was in the condensation from the evaporation process which was feeding the tank "sugar". Then I came across this thread. I laughed at the skeptics who called it a quick fix, while they promoted
AZ-NO3 and vodka, later calling this idea great.
I started weighing the pros and cons to whether or not fishykid had a serious solution. Since my fiancé and I had already decided the clarity in the tank was contributed to something to do with the maple sugar in the condensation, and as humorous as this thread has been, the reality is, it may just keep me interested in achieving my own reef. So thanks for starting this thread and sharing your experience fishykid, and all the others that have followed up with their results as will I.
40g breeder with a DSB (4" crushed aragonite) and 50-60lbs. of live rock.
Coralife HQI 150 watt 20,000K MH with 4, 25 watt actinic HO T5's, and 8 led moon lights (only 4 are working), mounted to variable height braces (this thing was a DIY project that turned out awesome (braces)).
Hydor's, Koralia circulation and wave pump, with a flow rate of 425gph, and a return flow from the refugium via a mag 9.5 (I'm not sure of the flow rate, but you can see great circulation from top to bottom via bubbles).
2"x9' intake line to a 11.5g (total water) refugium (made from an old 30g tank), intake chamber is 2.5g w/sock, 7g open fuge area with 200 watt fluval heater, 5" DSB, 15 lbs. live rock, a baseball size piece of chaeto, and a 2g return chamber that houses a
SRO XP-1000sss Bubble Blaster protein skimmer (new), and a 9.5 Mag pump with a 1"x6' return hose all housed under a 130 watt PC light (65watt actinic/65watt 15,000K).
As for the poor inhabitants which if they could pack up and move I wouldn't blame them, I have one clown, one peppermint shrimp, one scenarios snail 6 or 7 various different crabs, copepods, a tough green monster (3) polyp and various coral skeletons.
My lack of success has nothing to do with the lack of attention, time, or money invested. It has now come down to the point, do I stay or do I go, the nitrates are so bad I can't move forward until I find solution, I don't use off the shelf quick fix solutions because sooner or later I would probably need them again, and at what cost to my inhabitants would I figure out what my new/old problem is?
What makes me think sugar is a solution and not a quick fix? I for the first time decided to make maple syrup this year (we made 18g this year). Just so you can understand me better, whenever I try something for the first time, I do everything to a "T" so that I may insure optimal success (OCD characteristics), and try to make it easier once I know I can be successful in the endeavor. Anyone who knows about making maple syrup can tell you, it's not an inside project, but when you are me and want to insure your success, you do the first three gallons (an evaporation process of 120 gallons of sap) inside on the stove to ensure success. For the first time in over a year, at the end of the week my Fiance said "the tank looks nice and clear", of course we related it to what was happening in the kitchen, and at the same time we have had no hair algae thus fare this year (very unusual). After the first three gallons of syrup was made, my love said "OUTSIDE!!!", and with me came the maple sugar, that was in the condensation from the evaporation process which was feeding the tank "sugar". Then I came across this thread. I laughed at the skeptics who called it a quick fix, while they promoted
AZ-NO3 and vodka, later calling this idea great.
I started weighing the pros and cons to whether or not fishykid had a serious solution. Since my fiancé and I had already decided the clarity in the tank was contributed to something to do with the maple sugar in the condensation, and as humorous as this thread has been, the reality is, it may just keep me interested in achieving my own reef. So thanks for starting this thread and sharing your experience fishykid, and all the others that have followed up with their results as will I.
diversanders
New member
diversanders
New member
I wouldn't recommend sugar as I think that vinegar and vodka may have less drawbacks, but in most cases you should see a reduction in nitrate and possibly phosphate within a couple of weeks, unless you start with a very low dose, in which case it will take longer.
Thanks for getting back to me Randy, I had already started dosing with sugar when I saw your response.
Napoleon I
Confirmed Addict
FWIW, folks should realize the first post in this thread was 8 years ago. The participants may not longer be around. 
diversanders
New member
Don't take my answer to be 100% accurate, but I believe the oxidation process that happens within the carbon is what consumes the oxygen in the tank. I could be wrong.
Aerobic bacteria consume O2 as an electron acceptor, just as people do.
Anaerobic bacteria consume things like nitrate, sulfate, sulfur, nitrite, etc., instead of O2 for that same purpose.
Dosing organic carbon (vodka, vinegar, and sugar (and maybe biopellets)) probably feeds both types.
Anaerobic bacteria consume things like nitrate, sulfate, sulfur, nitrite, etc., instead of O2 for that same purpose.
Dosing organic carbon (vodka, vinegar, and sugar (and maybe biopellets)) probably feeds both types.
diversanders
New member
I've been using maple syrup to dose my tank, I started with 1tsp. and then some days I did 1/2tsp. (wasn't really paying close enough attention to the measuring spoon to notice I was using the wrong one, oops), and others, I did the full 1tsp.. Everything is happing as reported by the other people who used sugar. It has been 13 days counting today, and my PO4 is at 0 (Red Sea test kit), and my NO3, depending on which test kit I use (both API), have gone from 160+ppm down to 80ppm with one test kit, and 40ppm with the other (going to need to get another test kit for a tie breaker, both did read 160+ppm in the beginning). Finally once I hit zero NO3, I will be able to move forward with this hobby and hopefully create our own live reef, my house is excited!!!
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