Vodka Carbon Dosing Actually Works!

[robthorn]

Additions of the proper bacteria is sometimes neccessary. Especially if you are combating cyano. Additions of bacterial media like siporax can give the bacteria a good place to colonize that cyano can not take advantage of.
I have used zeobak for many years when I am adding it. Get the smallest bottle available. You don't need much. I add 2 drops a week into my 250g system. Keep refrigerated once open and it does expire.
Start slow and those dosing charts are insane and no way would I start where they want you to. If you need to get as high in dosing as they say again you have a major flaw in your setup other than overfeeding.
Start slow to prevent bacterial blooms which can cloud the water and cause issues with animals in the tank.
Why is it that people are so obsessed with fat? Whether it is people or fish it doesn't mean healthy. Yes you want your fish and coral to grow but keeping obese fish does not help their life at all. My fish are healthy but not fat. They breed and swim and live their life in a glass box. Why make them hold their stomach and say ohhh I ate too much?
When it comes to a healthy reef most of the time less is more.

 

[janes_mw]

Like Rob, I'm a Zeo user as well. I do the full program so a little different but it is basically carbon dosing (Start 3) and Bacterial feed (ZeoBak). Main difference is that the zeolite stones are used in lieu of biopellets. It is a little more expensive, but I like for the fact that there is a really good support forum and usually the help is fast and good. Folks say the ZeoStart and ZeoBak is expensive, but I don't find it too bad since your adding such small amounts.

 

[TheAquatect]

Why is it that people are so obsessed with fat? Whether it is people or fish it doesn't mean healthy. Yes you want your fish and coral to grow but keeping obese fish does not help their life at all. My fish are healthy but not fat. They breed and swim and live their life in a glass box. Why make them hold their stomach and say ohhh I ate too much?
When it comes to a healthy reef most of the time less is more.

Fat, synonym for plump, opposite of skinny. Euphemism for healthy. I keep my fish in top condition, put them on a treadmill daily and I measure their bmi weekly. Weight training has not worked out well though.



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[bigzman]

TheAquatect,

Its all about carb control

 

[ErosJN]

Great info fellas! Thanks Rob... I have a few ideas that I'm going to run with and if I dont see any results, I'll create a thread and get some more input from the reef vets on here

 

[robthorn]

I am not an expert but I have dabbled with so many brands of these products for a very long time.
Eros you can pm me if you need too or we can exchange numbers and call or text. Much easier to answer quick questions that way.
Good luck and just go slow. Easier to add more than to go oh crap and deal with the outcome.

 

[robthorn]

Lol. I don't think plump is another word for healthy. I would consider that the opposite. Kind of like fat, only the same.
Weird how thin and fit is no longer healthy. Lol Plump is though. Crazy times of oblivion. <------ Is that even close to the correct spelling.
Anyway healthy(not plump) fish equals a healthier reef. ;-) <------ notice the winky please.

 

[BarIzoN]

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[Webmanny]

Oh Boy... BarIzoN got into the Vodka.

 

[robthorn]

That's the sound my wife makes when she speaks. lol

 

[BarIzoN]

heheh sorry guys, my phone was "unlocked" on my pocked and I have no idea how to delete a message in this forum!!

My apologies and I loved the comments on that!

- BarIzoN

 

[Shotter]

Vodka

Vodka

Hi all,

Recently started to add vodka to my system.
I have 75 gallon (estimated down after rock) system which has no fish thus far. My nitrates have been high but since I took the fish out and began to water change and gravel clean I got the No3 down to 5ppm. The phosphates once
Reached 3ppm but currently sit around 0.75ppm.

So I read about and started dosing vodka at 0.3ml for 3 days and having just reached day 4, it's up at 0.6ml.

I have noticed two things - the skimate is a thick, heavy dark colour - much darker than before. But also some hair algae, although not a lot.

From my reading I was keen on carbon dosing and was happy to see the skimmer working well. But now I have concerns from what I see others struggling with hair algae since using it.

Again, no fish in the system and the only food going in is some reef Roids once a week for the shrimps and corals (about a teaspoon).

Should I cease carbon dosing until I have fish? I figured that the 5ppm nitrate would support the lowering of the phosphate level - I understand once I have zero nitrate it could cause as issue where carbon dosing won't work.

 

[Shotter]

Vodka

Vodka

Hi all,

Recently started to add vodka to my system.
I have 75 gallon (estimated down after rock) system which has no fish thus far. My nitrates have been high but since I took the fish out and began to water change and gravel clean I got the No3 down to 5ppm. The phosphates once
Reached 3ppm but currently sit around 0.75ppm.

So I read about and started dosing vodka at 0.3ml for 3 days and having just reached day 4, it's up at 0.6ml.

I have noticed two things - the skimate is a thick, heavy dark colour - much darker than before. But also some hair algae, although not a lot.

From my reading I was keen on carbon dosing and was happy to see the skimmer working well. But now I have concerns from what I see others struggling with hair algae since using it.

Again, no fish in the system and the only food going in is some reef Roids once a week for the shrimps and corals (about a teaspoon).

Should I cease carbon dosing until I have fish? I figured that the 5ppm nitrate would support the lowering of the phosphate level - I understand once I have zero nitrate it could cause as issue where carbon dosing won't work.

 

[robthorn]

I would start adding fish back. Corals like poop.

 

[jdantunes]

I would start adding fish back. Corals like poop.

Agreed... Also my Kole tang finds my Yellow tang nuggets very tasty! :spin2:

 

[Vadafallon]

Bobby I have been dosing carbon for many years off and on and only in very small doses.
People can argue all they want. Carbon always reduces phosphates unless there is no nitrate available. If your nitrate does get so low you can always add that in small amounts.
I have used a ton of products from vodka and vinegar to zeo and more. Right now I am trying Red Sea no3 po4 x. Vodka and vinegar both cause cyano for me which I never have unless I am dosing one of those 2. Even if I am dosing nothing I have never had cyano. With the zeo which is crazy expensive I had no cyano and it is potent. No3 po4x has been the same. No cyano and it seems pretty strong.
I like to have more control of the dosage amount so I dilute in half with ro/di water. Your pump appears more controllable than mine.

Nopox caused me to have a giant bloom of red slime in my tank. Come to find out my nitrate issue was my subtrate.

 

[Shotter]

Thanks guys. The tank is fallow due to some ich from when I bought it. Decided to QT what stock survived and I'm about two weeks away from reintroducing s pair of clowns.

So my only SPS I have in the system so far was doing amazing until I started adding the vodka.
Last night I noticed that it's starting to STN pretty bad and this morning it's
Gone to about 75% bleached look. This only started to happen when I added vodka?! I've gone in incredibly small steps too - adding 0.3ml a day for 3 days then 0.6 on a 75 gal tank.

Could it be the vodka or the low nitrates (5ppm or less). When my No3 was slightly higher it was fine. I'm gutted as this was my first step into SPS and for 6 weeks it seemed OK.

I have 165w LED's so I'm confident with the lights being strong enough.

Coincidence?
Vodka?
Or lack of fish and No3

Ps - Po4 is still around 0.5

 

[robthorn]

.5 po4 is really high. I can't say this is your issue but I personally would bring it down. Sps are funny creatures and it really is too hard to claim a true reason over the net. We can only guess.

 

[Shotter]

Po4

Po4

I totally agree, my phosphates are high!! It was up at 3.0 so this is a massive improvement.
I had hoped the vodka would assist in bringing the Po4 down but the coral
Which was thriving went to nothing in the space of 5 days since adding the vodka.
But yes, it could by general water quality but seems to coincidental to be water quality when the coral has been fine until the vodka was added!!

I've done a 15% water change this evening and I'm stopping the vodka. I'm going back to water changes and potentially buying a Po4 reactor now.

 

[TheAquatect]

Agreed... Also my Kole tang finds my Yellow tang nuggets very tasty! :spin2:

HAHA! Yeah, my Yellow favors the flavor of Naso nuggets. Nasty!