Vodka help

[ryeguyy84]

I started vodka dosing on Sat with the following parameters on a 29G biocube SPS/LPS mixed reef MH lighting:
Temp: 78.5
PH : 8.12
NO3 : 10
Phosphates : 0
Mag: 1280
Alk: 8.2
Calcium: 430

on Sunday all the same except I brought up Mag to 1400 (maybe to fast, oops)

this morning I have a little Cyno on my sandbed. :eek1: I expected some but not this fast.

I dosed .5ml on Sat, Sun and this Morning. I read that adding some live bacterial could help the situation? should I just ride it out? I was going to increase the dose to .1 tomorrow.

 

[tmz]

I'd use vinegar for the increase in carbon dosing you are planning and skip the bacterial supplement.
It takes 8ml of vinegar to equal 1 ml of vodka in carbon content,fyi.,so 4ml of vinegar equals .5 vodka Using some vinegar often offsets cyano issues which are sometimes associated with vodka dosing. The vinegar should be dosed slowly during the photosynthetic period.

 

[ryeguyy84]

Ok Would you suggest 4ml vinegar and .5ml vodka (50/50 mix)? Or should I do 8ml of vinegar and ditch the vodka?

 

[tmz]

IOk Would you suggest 4ml vinegar and .5ml vodka (50/50 mix)? Or should I do 8ml of vinegar and ditch the vodka?
It's a tie ,imo. I personally use 26 ml vodka and 64ml per day for 600 gallons FWIW but each system is different and some prefer vinegar only with success.

 

[tmz]

That 64 ml is vinegar.

 

[ryeguyy84]

ok thanks for the help i'm going to give a 50/50 mix a shot because i'm not sure what i'll do with a pint of popov brand vodka ($2 a pint). I'll see if that has any noticeable effects and go from there.

 

[hkgar]

ok thanks for the help i'm going to give a 50/50 mix a shot because i'm not sure what i'll do with a pint of popov brand vodka ($2 a pint). I'll see if that has any noticeable effects and go from there.

You could try dosing it to your personal bacterial system located in your intestines. I wouldn't go much beyond 4 oz per day though. (only if you are over 21, it doesn't work well on digestive systems under 21 years old!

 

[ryeguyy84]

yeah I think it works best with red bull. These are great supplements, worst case scenario I get a stiff drink and some salad dressing.

 

[ryeguyy84]

Any reason why to dose during the photo period?

 

[Randy Holmes-Farley]

Yes. All organic carbon dosing reduces O2 (and pH), so dosing during the times of highest O2 (and pH) is my recommendation.

I dose vinegar and spread it out over 24 times doses during the daylight hours.

 

[ryeguyy84]

okay that makes sense, I've been dosing in the AM before the lights come on. I skipped this morning so I can dose after work during lights on.

Randy... do you have a reasoning why you just dose vinegar? still trying to figure out what works best for me.

 

[Randy Holmes-Farley]

Yes, vodka caused cyano in my system, while vinegar did not.

 

[ryeguyy84]

haha fair enough.

 

[Scej12]

Hi Tom/Randy, Sheldon here... I am considering trying vinegar for an existing system on which I dose vodka. The 550gal DT has had cyano periodically in the past, but very little to none currently, which I think is associated with my resumption of zeobak dosing in the display tank, and slightly reduced phosphate levels (GFO). In the very least, the cyano does cycle through various levels of proliferation (sometimes present for a few weeks, then gone for couple of months, then back again if I temporarily interrupt vodka or bac supplement dosing). After reading Tom's TOTM thread, as well as some of the posts regarding the affinity of cyano to vodka over vinegar, I'm seriously thinking of making the transition. I have a single dosing jug and pump, and because I'm only visiting this system a couple times per week, it all has to be done automatically as it is currently...

My question is - if I wanted to make a mixed (gradual) transition, or even consider using both carbon forms as explained by Tom; would there be any ill consequence to mixing a concoction of vodka, vinegar, and RO/DI water in a single jug... i.e. would the vodka and vinegar react with each other... or could I simply calculate the optimal mix and let the single dosing pump deliver. Please advise if this can work. Thanks again.

SJ

 

[ryeguyy84]

If there's one thing I learned in College it's that if you leave a mixed drink sitting stationary the bottom of the glass will be vodka and the top will be whatever you mixed it with. I'm not sure if the vodka will stay in suspense without some stirring.

just throwing that out there.

 

[Randy Holmes-Farley]

The ethanol in vodka will not ever separate from water or vinegar solutions once it is initially mixed in. Your drinks probably were not fully mixed initially.

 

[Randy Holmes-Farley]

Sheldon:

They can be mixed just fine without reaction, but if you dilute them you may experience bacterial growth in the reservoir. Simple mixing dilutes each, but I do not know if that is too much dilution. I'd guess that is OK.

I dose directly from a 1 gallon vinegar container using a 1.1 mL/min dosing pump on a timer.

 

[ryeguyy84]

The ethanol in vodka will not ever separate from water or vinegar solutions once it is initially mixed in. Your drinks probably were not fully mixed initially.

I never said PA had good bartenders .... or maybe that was ice. I think I'm thinking of the layer of ice water that makes its way to the top.

out of scope for the discussion haha

 

[Randy Holmes-Farley]

:lol:

OK, cheers.

 

[Scej12]

Thanks!

Thanks!

Sheldon:

They can be mixed just fine without reaction, but if you dilute them you may experience bacterial growth in the reservoir. Simple mixing dilutes each, but I do not know if that is too much dilution. I'd guess that is OK.

I dose directly from a 1 gallon vinegar container using a 1.1 mL/min dosing pump on a timer.

I never said PA had good bartenders .... or maybe that was ice. I think I'm thinking of the layer of ice water that makes its way to the top.

out of scope for the discussion haha

Thanks Randy - I think I'll give it a whirle...

I've been mixing a 1:12 mix of of 80 proof vodka : RO/DI water into a 5 Gal Kent dosing jug. The Aquatronica program runs for 6 mins each at 9am; 5pm; and 1am every day. I keep increasing by 1 minute per day if the nitrates are still holding measurable. I think I'll just mix in some vinegar on my next recharge.

Sheldon