Sonny's Rimless Shallow Reef.
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OK but using vodka usually requires that you follow your nitrates and phosphates inorder to titrate your doses right? So if you never had a nutrient problem how did you decide when to cut back on the vodka to a mainainance dose?
I have never had any nitrate or phosphate readings but I do have very little cyano and hair algae. I'm assuming that the reason my readings are 0 is because the second I have nutrients in the water the already present algae take them up.
So how did you, and how should I decide when enough vodka is enough?
Thanks!!
I have never had any nitrate or phosphate readings but I do have very little cyano and hair algae. I'm assuming that the reason my readings are 0 is because the second I have nutrients in the water the already present algae take them up.
So how did you, and how should I decide when enough vodka is enough?
Thanks!!
<a href=showthread.php?s=&postid=15499256#post15499256 target=_blank>Originally posted</a> by SunnyX
Hello and welcome to RC!
I started up vodka and bacteria mainly out of curiosity. I have no problems in the past growing and maintain SPS, but I was very bored. I tore down the old 225gl and started up the new 100gl with European systems as a guide.
So far I have been very happy with the results and the extra money I have saved on refugium lighting and GFO.
aquariumclown
New member
Hey Sunny, quick question. Once a tank has achieved ULN, does one never run GFO again? I've taken mine out, but what about for the purpose of filtering out silicates?
SunnyX
New member
The usual process of dosing vodka is you that you keep on increasing the dosage until your No3 and Po4 hit 0. Once they are at 0 you cut the vodka dosage in half. If an when the nutrient levels start to rise again, you simply repeat the process over.
In your case, I would start dosing a bacterial supplement in order to combat the red cyano. I would also manually remove as much hair algae as possible, increasing the dosage of vodka if it continues to grow.
SunnyX
New member
Some people run with ULNS still run GFO, and some dont. It really depends on the system and what you are trying to achieve. If you feed very heavy and dont keep up with the MB7/vodka dosing then GFO may be used to help reduce the nutrients.
I run GFO 5 days out of every month after vacuuming the sandbed, water changes, and turkey basting the rock work.
You can use GFO, just make sure you keep an eye on your coals as they do need some nutrients.
SunnyX
New member
<a href=showthread.php?s=&postid=15508915#post15508915 target=_blank>Originally posted</a> by Ancelot
Hello Sonny,
do you think is it an issue if I run vodka dosing at KH 11+. Any complications?
Tried to run a search engine with the relevant above but found nothing
P.S: Helping a friend to ask
Happy Reefing,
Marc J.
Hello,
As rkaires stated, you will want your ALK to be no higher then 9 when running a carbon based system. With high ALK you run the risk of burning coral tips and stressing out the reef inhabitants.
Sonny... sorry for all the random questions... still trying to get this all straight..
Did I read somewhere along the way, that you do NOT run a refugium with this vodka, MB7, AA system?? do you suggest not running run and should I get rid of mine... I do not really think it has any benefit anyway as I really never harvest my chaet except to help a new reefer set up their refugium. One question though about not running one... I run the fuge light on a opposite schedule from the DT lighting, in hopes of maintaining the PH at night... how would I maintain the PH at night without a fuge and light??
sorry about these dumb questions..and thanks for all your help as I muddle through this...LOL
Did I read somewhere along the way, that you do NOT run a refugium with this vodka, MB7, AA system?? do you suggest not running run and should I get rid of mine... I do not really think it has any benefit anyway as I really never harvest my chaet except to help a new reefer set up their refugium. One question though about not running one... I run the fuge light on a opposite schedule from the DT lighting, in hopes of maintaining the PH at night... how would I maintain the PH at night without a fuge and light??
sorry about these dumb questions..and thanks for all your help as I muddle through this...LOL
Joel A
New member
<a href=showthread.php?s=&postid=15510912#post15510912 target=_blank>Originally posted</a> by jennmac415
Sonny... sorry for all the random questions... still trying to get this all straight..
Did I read somewhere along the way, that you do NOT run a refugium with this vodka, MB7, AA system?? do you suggest not running run and should I get rid of mine... I do not really think it has any benefit anyway as I really never harvest my chaet except to help a new reefer set up their refugium. One question though about not running one... I run the fuge light on a opposite schedule from the DT lighting, in hopes of maintaining the PH at night... how would I maintain the PH at night without a fuge and light??
sorry about these dumb questions..and thanks for all your help as I muddle through this...LOL
The general reason for not running fuges with ULNS is because the nutrients are so low, it will either not allow the chaeto to grow at all, or it will choke out the chaeto and the algae will just simply die..
Sunny- I too have a question for you...
How do you only dose 110 ML or calcium and alkalinity each day? My reef is smaller than yours (although not much) and i have far less hard corals in my tank, and i still manage to dose over 125 ML of Alk everyday, and that's just to keep it at 8ish... =/ ? What do you run your alk at?
Stanley-Reefer
New member
My alk test is in meq instead of dkh. Is there a conversion table for this?
stunreefer
Reef Hugger
I'll do ya one better... a conversion calculator :thumbsup: : http://www.saltyzoo.com/SaltyCalcs/AlkConv.php
scaryperson27
New member
You're supposed to multiply it by 2.8 i think. that's what it all the test kits tell you to do. 1 meq/l = 50ppm
SunnyX
New member
Thanks for answering jennmac415 question.
I am dosing formula #1 of Randy's Two part soultion. Which formula are you doing?
My CA is @ 430 and ALK is @ 9.6, actually had to scale back on ALK as it was rising rapidly.
Perhaps your corals are growing much faster then mine? I get decent growth so I am not sure why you would have to be dosing so much more.
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