Vodka, vinegar,biopellets and other organic carbon dosing
- Thread starter tmz
- Start date
Nizz
New member
Yea I read that. Plus I have a life reef skimmer which I am not to happy with. Looking to replace it as well. I will try to get a current picture of the tank now. But so far the LPS are doing fine and the anemone as well. So I figured everything is setting in place with what I have going and thank you for your support.
bif24701
New member
I have been able to keep my phosphates at <.02 ppm so I'm happy with that. Currently I have a mix of 50 pounds reef saver and 50 of the Pukani. Also running GFO, Cheato in fuge, GAC, strong skimmer (wet), and of course vinegar. System been running 8 weeks now and rock is still clean. My Duncan corals and other LPS are growing already. Phosphates haven't been a problem for me and I have to believe it's mostly due to the vinegar.
Ethanol doesn't have a net effect on alkalinity intrinsically given the acetate added.
Increased carbonate akalinity consumtion could increase though. Calcifying organisms may be growing more and increasing biotic precipitiation of calcium carbonate in the adjusted water conditions ( clearer water , consequent increased lighing intensity , less excess nutrients,more bacteria for food , etc .
Another possiblle effect on alkalinity involves the use of nitrogen by the increased bacterial populations exported by skimming . When ammoina oxidizes to nitrate alk is consumed; when nitrate breaks down anaerobically to nitrogen gas it puts it back. If the nitrate is removed before anaerobic activity occurs as with exported bacterial mass and other means ,the nete effect could show some alkainity loss.
Increased carbonate akalinity consumtion could increase though. Calcifying organisms may be growing more and increasing biotic precipitiation of calcium carbonate in the adjusted water conditions ( clearer water , consequent increased lighing intensity , less excess nutrients,more bacteria for food , etc .
Another possiblle effect on alkalinity involves the use of nitrogen by the increased bacterial populations exported by skimming . When ammoina oxidizes to nitrate alk is consumed; when nitrate breaks down anaerobically to nitrogen gas it puts it back. If the nitrate is removed before anaerobic activity occurs as with exported bacterial mass and other means ,the nete effect could show some alkainity loss.
dirtycontour
New member
Hi Tom, thank you for this excellent thread.
I have been dosing vinegar for the past six months. I slowly ramped up my dose to 45 ml/day. My system is a 75 gallon display with a 20 gallon sump. I dose during my photoperiod over the course of 7 hours. Recently, I have noticed a clear buildup on my back glass. For lack of a better description, it looks like snot...All corals are doing well. Is this some kind of bacteria build up? If it is, should I be concerned?
I have been dosing vinegar for the past six months. I slowly ramped up my dose to 45 ml/day. My system is a 75 gallon display with a 20 gallon sump. I dose during my photoperiod over the course of 7 hours. Recently, I have noticed a clear buildup on my back glass. For lack of a better description, it looks like snot...All corals are doing well. Is this some kind of bacteria build up? If it is, should I be concerned?
dirtycontour
New member
bif24701
New member
It's not a huge concern for me when I get a bacteria build up and that's what you got. This just means your dosing is high, cut back until you no longer see the stuff regrowing on your glass. I dose higher than some and don't mind a little build up on the glass no one seems to mind. In fact I would rather clean off a little bacteria than algae because the bacteria wipe off easily and the algae is much tougher to remove. You will find the right dose so that your not getting algae growth on the glass and the bacteria may need to be wiped off every few days to once a week.
rogergolf66
im an addict lol
I have seen a table some where showing how many mill. to start with for first 3 days then day 4-7 then each week after. can someone please post this chart for me. I found one but it was for vinegar not vodka.
Thx
Roger
I have a 240 gal new volume system.
Thx
Roger
I have a 240 gal new volume system.
I do it wipe it about once a week someteimes every 5 days or so to remove light to moderate dusty microalge growth';no observable bacteria. I see alot of the bacteria on the sponge filters I use in the granulated activated carbon box I use( and old fluval filter) .they seem to like to gather there. I also have a lot of surface area in teh tnks and refugia for them to grwo on which might make a differnece. If I up thee dose I will see them where I don't want them to be.
knight2255
New member
I'm dosing 50-60ml's of vinegar on a 160g heavy stocked tank. I use a 1.1 BRS doser 130 seconds every hour.
My alk stays at 6.5 - 7.5. I see you keep yours at 9.6.....did you try keeping your corals at the lower alk? If you recommend an alk in the 9's....what is a good tutorial/regimen to dose baking soda to get mine up to that?
My alk stays at 6.5 - 7.5. I see you keep yours at 9.6.....did you try keeping your corals at the lower alk? If you recommend an alk in the 9's....what is a good tutorial/regimen to dose baking soda to get mine up to that?
knight2255
New member
Thanks.....so looks like i'll need 8.7 teaspoons of soda to raise it up. I use 20g of topoff water a week. Could I just put it in there?
Some folks say that alk should be on the low side when you carbon dose....why is that?
Some folks say that alk should be on the low side when you carbon dose....why is that?
S2minute
New member
My system is about 425 gals but then i deduct 30% for LR and the DSB and so i figure roughly 300 gals net. I recently bought an I2 test kit and got for Iodine undetectable. So i added Lugols tested added and i did not wait long enough and got some GHA that i'm getting the best of ATM.
What's helping i think is me starting to use Bio pellets again but even though i have a system this size, i'm only using a small fistful in a modified phos ban reactor. Prob less than an ounce. After 2 days i noticed everything react in a positive manner with the only side effect was i noticed my Alk very slowly drop. The GHA though was becoming less but it seemed a little faster. To counter the Alk swing i "baked" some baking soda to remove the carbon and would ad 100 ml. That amount would raise it about .5 to a safe 7.5-7.7.
At night on a liter meter 3 i dose a Kalk/Vin mix 1.5 gals a night. My Ca is hovering between 440-50. Then i read this thread.
I thought humm, never tried Vodka and so after using LC and a water change i got my PO4 down to 5ppb via Hanna checker which is 5 x 3.066 =15.33/1000 = .015 ppm and i'm like sweet
So i now have my starting PO4 level and i print out a link via this thread called "Vodka Dosing by 'Genitics' @ Reefkeeking.com. From there i base my starting Vodka dose based on 300 gals of net water volume on day one. Now it's day 4 and i dose 1.2 ml x2.
Some things I've noticed so far. For the last 2 days my Alk remained spot on @ 7.7 which is just where i want it. I have a lot of frags and a lot of frags that are turning into colonies. Their growth has sped up a great deal. It's doing this to the point that i see new growth each day now and PE during daytime is now more noticeable. Even the Stag frags are showing PE more often. I may have just hit it for this system ...i hope.
What's helping i think is me starting to use Bio pellets again but even though i have a system this size, i'm only using a small fistful in a modified phos ban reactor. Prob less than an ounce. After 2 days i noticed everything react in a positive manner with the only side effect was i noticed my Alk very slowly drop. The GHA though was becoming less but it seemed a little faster. To counter the Alk swing i "baked" some baking soda to remove the carbon and would ad 100 ml. That amount would raise it about .5 to a safe 7.5-7.7.
At night on a liter meter 3 i dose a Kalk/Vin mix 1.5 gals a night. My Ca is hovering between 440-50. Then i read this thread.
I thought humm, never tried Vodka and so after using LC and a water change i got my PO4 down to 5ppb via Hanna checker which is 5 x 3.066 =15.33/1000 = .015 ppm and i'm like sweet
So i now have my starting PO4 level and i print out a link via this thread called "Vodka Dosing by 'Genitics' @ Reefkeeking.com. From there i base my starting Vodka dose based on 300 gals of net water volume on day one. Now it's day 4 and i dose 1.2 ml x2.Some things I've noticed so far. For the last 2 days my Alk remained spot on @ 7.7 which is just where i want it. I have a lot of frags and a lot of frags that are turning into colonies. Their growth has sped up a great deal. It's doing this to the point that i see new growth each day now and PE during daytime is now more noticeable. Even the Stag frags are showing PE more often. I may have just hit it for this system ...i hope.
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bif24701
New member
I don't know about keeping it on the low end, maybe TMZ could help out there. Yes you can add to top off or just mix with a small amount of RO water and add half today half tomorrow. If you have a lot of coral you will need to add ALK often and the top off May not supplement fast enough.
I've been running it in the 9's for about 5 and a half years with PO4 in the 0.02 to 0.05 range along with barely detectable nitrate. Dosing kalk 24/7 as top off keeps it there in my tanks. In the past when it dipped , corals exhibited some stn in my tanks.
You can dose baking soda or baked baking soda( soda ash) to increase it if you like . A max of 1 dkh per day is what I would recommend. The calculator noted is a good tool to use. Anything over 7 should be ok but a little higher may be better.
Some folks, like to keep alk it in the low range; 7 to 7.5. Some even lower. It's mostly a vestige of the early so called ultra low nurient systems where the goal is 0 NO3 and 0 pPO4.
In these systems a variety of supplements to make up potential nutrient and elemental deficiencies are usually involved to put back some of what is initially taken out . Some report bunt tips on sps and stn isuues when alk is high in systems virtually void of phosaphate and nitrogen . Corals need some nitrogen and phosphate to grow. When that process is interrupted by a deficiency lower alk may lessens skeletal growth and may make it easier for them to cope in anemic water in terms of producing tissue and skeletal mass in a a balanced and healthy way.
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