Vacation and Vodka dosing...

[Raoul5Duke]

Next month I will be going on vacation and the tank will essentially be on autopilot for the week. I have been vodka dosing for about two mos. and have yet to reach my Na3 decline level or maintenance dose level. I'm currently up to 4ml per day on an 85 gall. system. Anyway, I'm wondering if I should do anything prior to leaving (gradually lower dose) or when I return (gradually return to previous level of 4ml/day) so I do not harm the inhabitants of the tank. Thanks for any suggestions in advance.

 

[murraycamp]

A couple of suggestions:

1. Do you have a tank sitter? If not, I assume you have a Ca Rx or equivalent (or a low Ca/Alk consumption) and an ATO.

2. You could try to automate with a dosing pump (expensive).

3. If neither of these is an option, you will be okay skipping some doses. Your idea of gradually backing off the dosage is a good one, just gradually ramp up the dosages when you return.

4. Some have reported success with solid media (NP Biopellets) but I have no personal experience with that product, and it's a different methodology than dosing ethanol.

HTH

 

[Raoul5Duke]

Unfortunately no tank sitter. I am in the process of setting up BRS dosers for CA & Alk but not for vodka. I guess I will back off the dose some and then try and get back on track when I return.

 

[murraycamp]

Unfortunately no tank sitter. I am in the process of setting up BRS dosers for CA & Alk but not for vodka. I guess I will back off the dose some and then try and get back on track when I return.

Sounds like a plan.

 

[Genetics]

Just like murraycamp said. Back off dosing for your trip and when you get back ramp up the dose back to 4mL over the course of a week.

 

[MrRyanT]

Do you have an ato? If so, then you can add the vodka to the ato in the correct amount and it will be added while you're away.

 

[thebanker]

How long are you gone for? Had success with the IO Nitrate reducer which works like NP biopellets, and you only have to dose weekly.

 

[Raoul5Duke]

Gonna be gone for a full week. I thought I read in some thread, somewhere that mixing water with vodka was not a good idea. I'm not sure why. Anyway, I have an ato. I was actually going to move a larger container next to the tank to make sure my ato doesn't run out while I am gone. Any chance the vodka would not mix consistently with the water due to different weights of the substance?? Maybe I could put a small powerhead in the ato container for a week.

 

[murraycamp]

Gonna be gone for a full week. I thought I read in some thread, somewhere that mixing water with vodka was not a good idea.

I have significant doubts about trying this. The first thing to comes to mind is that your ATO reservoir will have some bacteria in it, and dosing the reservoir may very well result in those bacteria metabolizing the ethanol. What you may end up with is an ATO supplying bacteria laden top off water to the system as opposed to supplying the heterotrophic bacteria in the system with a carbon source.

 

[Raoul5Duke]

English please... just kidding. Thanks, I thought I saw somewhere that was not recommended. I think I will stick with reducing the dosage and then ramping it back up when I return. Thanks for the help everyone.

 

[klepto]

Do you have an ato? If so, then you can add the vodka to the ato in the correct amount and it will be added while you're away.

In other dosing threads Randy warns about dosing organic carbon sources at night. When oxygen levels are low, it is not a good idea to feed bacteria which will in turn consume more oxygen..

 

[solitude127]

I went away for a week and left my dosing vodka to my tank sitter who is not a reefer. I have Drews doser for ca and alk but when it came do dosing vodka, I had 7 pre measured containers of vodka and had him put 1 per day in. 4ml is pretty small so you'll need some smaller containers. gl.

 

[MplsMan]

BRS does sell a 1ML dosing pump, i was thinking on the same thing of doing that and having the dosing pump on a digital timer to come on at specific times through out the day for a long enough time to equal the amount you want to dose. seems like it would work to me. ryan from BRS will probally know more, but thats what i found out when i was there.
here is the link for the dosing pump:
http://www.bulkreefsupply.com/store...stems/brs-2-part-doser-1-1-ml-per-minute.html