Vodka dosing and BB tanks

[wrassie86]

I'm planning on going slow and using vodka similar to Wisky. I also have about 80-85 gallons of total water volume.

I know you were having problems with skimmers,have you got your current one working well and used to it?I know when i first used vodka i saw a big change in skimmer contents.

 

[Wiskey]

Wrassie86, are you talking to me or my2girls? (hehe, nice) I have my skimmer working really well, as far as skimmer improvement, well maybe, I was skimming wet to start with, so I am not sure if it made a HUGE diffrence.

Thanks,
Whiskey

 

[my2girls]

I know you were having problems with skimmers,have you got your current one working well and used to it?I know when i first used vodka i saw a big change in skimmer contents.

I know you remember me from the ASM forum. You guys were great with all the advice. My G2 is not even close to my new MRC MR-1. My skimmer problems are over. The MR-1 is pulling out good skimmate.

 

[wrassie86]

I know you remember me from the ASM forum. You guys were great with all the advice. My G2 is not even close to my new MRC MR-1. My skimmer problems are over. The MR-1 is pulling out good skimmate.

Great,glad to hear it.I was thinking about adding a MRC-1 as my 2nd skimmer.

 

[my2girls]

I started dosing vodka yesterday. 80 gallon total volume. Started with 0.1 ml. Every 3 days I'm going to double the dose until I get to 1.5 ml. I will keep it there for a while and see what happens. I will report back with my experiences. Anyone have any comments on my plan?

 

[Wiskey]

Insted of doubling the dosage every 3 days, I would go up by 0.1 every 3 days. Think about it, when you are at 0.75 ML/day then you would jump straight up to 1.5 ML/Day, that is a big jump.

I am dosing at 4.5 ML/day now, and I plan to go up by 0.1 ml per week. I use the salifert seringes (out of the CA/ALK/MAG test kits for accuracy)

I just can't get past the horror stories of people that went too fast/too much.

Thanks,
Whiskey

 

[solbby]

Is vodka any better than gin or other clear liquors?

What brand of vodka do you guys use?

Since I hate gin, dosing with gin would save more vodka for my consumption, .

 

[wrassie86]

Insted of doubling the dosage every 3 days, I would go up by 0.1 every 3 days. Think about it, when you are at 0.75 ML/day then you would jump straight up to 1.5 ML/Day, that is a big jump.

I am dosing at 4.5 ML/day now, and I plan to go up by 0.1 ml per week. I use the salifert seringes (out of the CA/ALK/MAG test kits for accuracy)

I just can't get past the horror stories of people that went too fast/too much.

Thanks,
Whiskey

Are you going for the bactirial bloom?If not, i think i would have leveled off at 2 ml for your tank size and watch for awile.5ml was my daily dose on a 150g's

 

[wrassie86]

What brand of vodka do you guys use?

Since I hate gin, dosing with gin would save more vodka for my consumption, .

I had good results with this brand KARKOV

 

[PUGroyale]

I had good results with this brand KARKOV

That might explain why my results were better... nothing but Stoli for my tank :lol:

just kidding... cheapest purest carbon filtered is what I use. I think gin, if you were being serious solbby, has more impurities than vodka.

 

[my2girls]

Insted of doubling the dosage every 3 days, I would go up by 0.1 every 3 days. Think about it, when you are at 0.75 ML/day then you would jump straight up to 1.5 ML/Day, that is a big jump.

Maybe I will jump 0.2 ml every 3 days instead unitl I hit 1.5 ml.

Rob (wrassie86)- I was not going to go for the bacterial bloom. I wanted to go slowly and ramp up. Are there any advantages to the "bloom"? I am aware of the 02 delepletion when blooms occur.

 

[wrassie86]

That might explain why my results were better... nothing but Stoli for my tank :lol:

just kidding... cheapest purest carbon filtered is what I use. I think gin, if you were being serious solbby, has more impurities than vodka.

Hey,that was cheapest i could find,the walmart special,Not worth drinking either

 

[sonofgaladriel]

I'd like to start dosing vodka to help with water clarity. Can you help me calculate the amount of vodka to start adding to my 240? To tell the truth, I don't really know how much live rock I have in the tank, maybe 200 pounds?. My sump only has about 20 gallons in it. I suspect around an actual water volume of 180 to 200 gallons? Here's a pic of my tank and maybe you can help me guestimate the amount of vodka I should start with and stop at. The tank is 4'x4'x2'tall.
Thank you guys very much.

 

[wrassie86]

Maybe I will jump 0.2 ml every 3 days instead unitl I hit 1.5 ml.

Rob (wrassie86)- I was not going to go for the bacterial bloom. I wanted to go slowly and ramp up. Are there any advantages to the "bloom"? I am aware of the 02 delepletion when blooms occur.

That sounds good,the bloom works for rapid depletion,I would not recommed getting that far if you like your critters.altho it should take atleast 10ml for your tank size i would guesse.it was 23ml for mine.i would go to 1.5-2ml and just watch your levels for awile.then go from there.it nots gonna happen overnight,nor do you want it to.

 

[wrassie86]

Taken from the big vodka thread


Jörg Kokott
Registered Member

Registered: Aug 2002
Location: Cologne, Germany
Occupation: Marine Biologist (M.Sc.)
Posts: 70


Hi,

Don't know when the article will be online, however, I can provide you with the dosing recommendations, but it's more safe to wait for the article. I mean, it's your tank.

DSB tanks react very sensitively on vodka supplementation, thus be careful! If you run a DSB without a skimmer, you should add one to your tank.

Vodka should be supplemented daily during the lighting phase.

You can start with 0.1 mL/100 L for the first three days.
Then you increase the vodka volume to 0.2 mL/100 L for day 4-7.
Subsequently to this initial week you increase the vodka dose by 0.5 mL per total tank volume (this is important, do not dose on a per 100L basis, but on the total tank volume!) every week.

So, e.g. for a 500 L tank:

day 1-3: 0.1 * 5 = 0.5 mL
day 4-7: 0.2 * 5 = 1 mL
2. week (day 8-14): 1 mL + 0.5 mL = 1.5 mL
3. week: 1.5 mL + 0.5 mL = 2 mL.

After these 3 weeks you should recognize changes in the nutrient levels (nitrate, phosphate). If the nutrient levels are still unchanged, you should further increase the dose by 0.5 mL per total tank volume.
As soon as you recognize either nitrate or phosphate to start dropping you shouldn't further increase the vodka volume but watch the nutrient levels, even in the first three weeks.

You should log your nutrient measurements and monitor the nutrient levels on a regular basis (every 3 days).

As Heinz said, skimming is important and you will recognize your skimmer to work much more effectively.

I have posted the dosing recommendation as I fear that people start dosing vodka by using too high volumes. I still recommend to wait for the article.

Hobby Experience: quite experienced...I think
Current Tanks: 125L Mini-Reef
Interests: reef keeping, diving

 

[sonofgaladriel]

Thank you very much! I appreciate your warnings on caution. I'll certainly read up a little more and go slow.

 

[my2girls]

Wrassie86- :thumbsup:

 

[Wiskey]

Thanks Wrasse86, I was going to post a link to that.

Whiskey

 

[Mark]

I water clarity is you goal, look into ozone. The vodka is good, but nearly as effective for water clarity. Vodka does help with phosphates and nitrates though.

 

[sonofgaladriel]

I water clarity is you goal, look into ozone. The vodka is good, but nearly as effective for water clarity. Vodka does help with phosphates and nitrates though.

I could use the help in all of these areas. Plus, I can't stand the increased skimmate smell often associated with ozone addition.