Started vinegar, skimmer working overtime!

[rovster]

So, tank has been doing good, trying to get those nutrients down. I have a VERY heavy bioload now, coming from extra light. Big mistake on my part, but its done.

Anyway, been struggling with high nitrates, and after a month and a half of them not budging, I decided to try carbon dosing. Based on what I've read, I decided to go vinegar.

One of my main concern was the skimmer I had on the tank was underrated, and supposedly you need a bomb diggity skimmer for this. The skimmer I have is a Bubble Magus Nac qq, which is the red headed step child of the line. Nobody likes it. I got it used for dirt cheap and it has always performed decent.

Over the last few days, the skimmer has been working overtime, and producing more and darker skimmate. Yesterday I finally saw a drop in nitrates when I tested.

Check this out. Its about 3 1/2 days worth of skimmate....




I've considered getting a slightly bigger HOB skimmer, like an AquaMaxx, but so far this one is doing a decent job. What say you? Not bad for a temp situation, LOL!


Oh, and for the first time, the skimmer is starting to stink a little:dance:

 

[Bandomo]

Nice! Curious why vinegar over vodka? Keep an eye on your potassium level, carbon dosing tends to drop it considerably.

 

[rovster]

Vodka just seemed to be associated with more negatives, like cyano, etc. Started super slow and I'm approaching the 2 week mark. In my nano, nitrate test was always 0 or near zero. My temp tank since the beginning always ran high, like 25+++. Yesterday they were down to 10. I think I may hold on increasing the dose for an extra week just to take it extra slow. I'm only adding 1.7mL of vinegar daily.

I'll order a K test kit and track it. What's a good supplement for replenishment? I do change 5 gal per week so that should help.

 

[nivram]

I ran the qq on my moms 40 breeder. It's a great little skimmer.

Some people also believe dosing vinegar specifically helps with cyano.

 

[rovster]

Yeah, the other thing is that vodka is 8 times more potent, so regulating and refining dosing would be harder at the nano level. Not that 30 gallons is a nano, but close....

 

[AquamanE]

Rovster- know nothing about carbon dosing but curious how your Bioload increase because of "extra light".

 

[rovster]

Rovster- know nothing about carbon dosing but curious how your Bioload increase because of "extra light".

Not sure if you caught my other thread, but nothing to do with light. Sorry I did not word things as best as I could, LOL! My bioload was extra light, as in 2 fish before. Was having issues with pale corals, angry corals, PO'd zoas, etc. I added a bunch of fish, so went from 2 to 8. Granted, all are small, but still a big jump. Not the smartest move to do it all at once, but things seem OK. Just trying to find balance. I overshot the purposeful increase in nutrients. Over the last month and a half, waterchanges have not put a dent in it, so that's why I started the carbon dosing. All carbon dosing does is increase the capacity of the system to break down nutrients.

 

[AquamanE]

Not sure if you caught my other thread, but nothing to do with light. Sorry I did not word things as best as I could, LOL! My bioload was extra light, as in 2 fish before. Was having issues with pale corals, angry corals, PO'd zoas, etc. I added a bunch of fish, so went from 2 to 8. Granted, all are small, but still a big jump. Not the smartest move to do it all at once, but things seem OK. Just trying to find balance. I overshot the purposeful increase in nutrients. Over the last month and a half, waterchanges have not put a dent in it, so that's why I started the carbon dosing. All carbon dosing does is increase the capacity of the system to break down nutrients.

LOL, sorry , i misunderstood the light thing, and was hoping to learn something new.

IMHO- I prefer increasing my ways of decreasing nutrients than increasing the capacity of the system to break down nutrients. Call me crazy... i know...:spin1::wavehand:

 

[dadummy]

skimmer looks like its doing a good job, if 1.7ml vinegar is pulling the nitrates down, no need to increase dose.

 

[rovster]

LOL, sorry , i misunderstood the light thing, and was hoping to learn something new.

IMHO- I prefer increasing my ways of decreasing nutrients than increasing the capacity of the system to break down nutrients. Call me crazy... i know...:spin1::wavehand:

Trust me, tried that. Tried bumping up water changes for 6 weeks, careful with feeding, increasing media, changing filter pad every 2-3 days, etc. like mentioned before, tank looks really good, just not as pristine as I'd like. Nothing to complain about, but I'm kinda anal about things like that...

 

[rps3]

I've got a tunze 9002 you can use if you need. Just shoot me a text.

 

[Gillguy]

I've been vodka dosing now for five years. I add 12 ml a day. I also add vinegar in with kalk. I mix 10 ml in with kalk daily to a gallon on a drip. Zero nitrates and phos. Had a small three week cyano bloom four years ago when I started but roughed it out with water changes and manual labor. Never again. I swear by vodka. Probably the best thing I ever did in this hobby and will continue to use it till I leave.

 

[orly20]

Rovster,

Come on give me some fts!!!

Thanks

 

[rovster]

Rovster,

Come on give me some fts!!!

Thanks

Uh, OK. You'll have to settle for an actinic. Other pics in my ghetto thread:beer:

 

[Vadafallon]

Would dosing vinegar help me with green hair algae and cyano algae issues? Lately i have had quite the flare up and i know last time i checked my nitrates were high. I started running GFO and Carbon about 3 weeks ago, but curious if vinegar would help me out.

 

[Biggar]

looking good. Glad its working.

FYI- My nitrates are 5-7, but tank looks ok.

Some do a combo of vodka and vinegar(same jar). Give you all kinds of bacteria! ( ;

 

[MRCYCS805]

Wow very nice love the coloration!!!! Skimmers coughing up some nog!!!!!

 

[rovster]

Do your research, but vinegar is great at reducing nitrates, and to a lesser degree phosphates. It increases the capacity of the system to breakdown nutrients by increasing the bacterial load. So far its working well. I'm taking it extra slow with the increases. Skimmate is just getting darker, and smellier!

 

[baxinabox]

rovster! is that your new DT?

 

[rovster]

Double post sorry