Skimmer and vodka

dendro982

New member
How to determine if the skimmer is efficient enough for vodka dosing?
By brand name or other criteria?

Also, is there any rule about how many tank volumes should pass through the skimmer in one hour for this procedure, or it doesn't matter?
 
There is no exact rule in how to rate your skimmer. As for turnover from water passage, there isn't anything concrete. Of course, the more the merrier. A skimmer will eventually remove the waste, but the less the turnover the longer the time needed. I've used a pretty whimpy skimmer when I first started. My problem came with the skimmate actually bubbling over and pushing the lid off the top creating quite a mess.
 
Thank you!
I tried long time ago vodka and, each separately, sugar and ProtoBac, in higher than described in article doses (but taken from other people's positive experiences), the result was the same: bacterial film growth on rocks, instead of being removed by skimmer.

Skimmer was 250g rated for 90g tank, 500 gph return pump.
If this was because of low water flow, mine was 25x tank volume/hr.

A couple of days ago started overkill experiment: same skimmer, 250g rated, on 6g sun corals tank :) . Without vodka for a start, then will try again, with article's dosage.
 
<a href=showthread.php?s=&postid=13768804#post13768804 target=_blank>Originally posted</a> by dendro982

A couple of days ago started overkill experiment: same skimmer, 250g rated, on 6g sun corals tank :) . Without vodka for a start, then will try again, with article's dosage.

What kind of water turnover is that in a 6g?
 
153 gph between tank and sump, no head loss - side sump. LR is in the sump.
73gph powerhead in tank for circulation.
Basting coral bases manually after feeding and excretions next morning (BB tank).

Can you give any desirable ratio (for very high bioload)?

So far (several days of intensive feedings, daily 5 frozen cubes, pre-washed) skimmer produces not much wet skimmate, helps with nitrates a lot, but not with phosphates.

Sorry for details, but maybe you can advise something, that I miss.
 
It sounds like a good setup. Turnover is good. I was curious to know how you were running a skimmer of that size on a 6g tank. What are your phosphates testing?
 
Photos and description are in another thread. 6g plastic container (actual amount of water is less) and 7g plastic container as a sump for a skimmer, also holding less water.

Temporary setup to clarify the issues, usually these corals were in 90g tank with the same skimmer. If skimmer should clean water and it is mainly matter of skimmer's size, then in this basic configuration it should work. Nothing else to interfere with process :D

I'm using API tests, but also have Nutrafin PO4 test (no Salifert for PO4, sorry), same results. Usually 0.5 ppm after 4 feedings, these tests are able indicate such amounts.
 
Thanks, slightly better, but still so-so.
Dosed vodka for a week, water has no longer slight yellow shade at the time of water change, phosphates lower even without phosphate remover, but nitrates continue to be high. Skimmate production didn't increase, still small amount of very wet skimmate.

Now took the route of megawashing food before feeding, it helps too, but it should significantly decrease nutrition value of the food.
 
It takes some time to get nitrates to drop. As you increase your vodka amounts you will eventually get lower nitrates.
 
When I have done a nitrates test and the is a reading of 50ppm. I then tryed to add vodka to the test sample . It doesn't do anyhing to the test samply. Is there a reason for this.
Thank You In Advance
 
Just tryed to see if it wold change the color back. And see if it actually did anything to lower the nitrate value. Thats all. And it did not lower the value.
Just a question.
 
<a href=showthread.php?s=&postid=13987169#post13987169 target=_blank>Originally posted</a> by Greg 45
Just tryed to see if it wold change the color back. And see if it actually did anything to lower the nitrate value. Thats all. And it did not lower the value.
Just a question.

The vodka would take time to work within your tank. Each tank is different and you need to find a level that stimulates nitrate and phosphate uptake. This takes time and patience. If denitrification plays a large role in this, then you will need live rock or a sand bed to help with the stimulation. If you are adding the vodka straight to the test sample you will not see a difference on your test kit.
 
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