Who's dosing vodka? And why?

[melev]

When is the last time you restocked your clean up crew? Large Mexican Turbos consume Cotton Candy Algae.
http://www.reefkeeping.com/issues/2002-12/nftt/index.php

Blue Life's Red Slime Control can wipe out Cyano bacteria, as can Chemi Clean. Or Three Days of Darkness.

You already have an answer to Valonia.

If your NO3 and PO4 are measuring zero, either the kits are inaccurate, or those are bound up in the plants themselves.

 

[trueblackpercula]

ok not the best pictures but i did try. As you can see from the poor pictures should I dose or not?
thank you for your help

SAND BED

LEFT SIDE

SANDBED

RIGHTSIDE

 

[trueblackpercula]

Here is a full tank shot......The more i look at my tank the more i get so mad because i try so hard to make it beautiful and i just can't.
MICHAEL

 

[JCR's Reef]

Micheal- How much flow you have in your Display Tank? You might just need to bump up the flow a little.

 

[Sisterlimonpot]

+1 the red on the sand leads me to believe you need more flow.

 

[ILLiDaN]

well no, if you correctly know what vodka dosing does is make all bacteria in your tank develop at extremely quick rates. Its a good thing because all the beneficial bacteria that makes your tank thrive develops quickly, but all the harmful stuff does as well including cyano, and different kinds of microalgae. That is why you need a kick arse skimmer, and know what you are doing. Simply thinking you can give your tank alcohol and it will look like the tank of the month your are poorly mistaken.

 

[Sisterlimonpot]

<a href=showthread.php?s=&postid=15200462#post15200462 target=_blank>Originally posted</a> by ILLiDaN
well no, if you correctly know what vodka dosing does is make all bacteria in your tank develop at extremely quick rates. Its a good thing because all the beneficial bacteria that makes your tank thrive develops quickly, but all the harmful stuff does as well including cyano, and different kinds of microalgae. That is why you need a kick arse skimmer, and know what you are doing. Simply thinking you can give your tank alcohol and it will look like the tank of the month your are poorly mistaken.

I'm sorry what were you saying?? I was being drawn in by your avatar

 

[melev]

I tend to agree. That tank needs a major cleaning. Take a day, and scrape out as much stuff as you can, off the walls and off the substrate. Siphon out a pile of junk, and add new sand if needed.

Clean the skimmer, clean the skimmer, clean the skimmer. I recommend cleaning the cup and riser daily, although I know some skimmers reportedly may work better with a few days to break in. I disagree. Clean it out regularly, dialing it in. Add a bunch of snails, a few hermits, and a few emeralds. I'd also do a couple of huge water changes (50% since the tank is so small) after cleaning to restart everything nice and fresh.

You may need to consider replacing some lighting - it may be too old and adding to the nuisance algae problem.

 

[kmckay]

+1 to all said above. Also, have you checked your source water lately for contaminants? Thinking that high iron, silicates, or other impurities could contribute to an algae problem. An algae problem that bad is probably multifactorial. You probably need to make multiple husbandry changes to clear this up. Agree with others, vodka probably not the best place to start.

 

[tmz]

I agree with Marc(Melev) and kmckay. Get the tank cleaned up before looking to vodka. Particularly since you report low PO4 and nitrate.

Some of the microbiologists would argue that cyano is not carbon dependent. In any case dosing seems to limit it overall due to a reduction in PO4.

 

[trueblackpercula]

sorry if i derailed this great thread in anyway.

melev

Siphon out a pile of junk, and add new sand if needed.

Are you sure that I should remove and add new sand? I thought putting sand over a live sand bed would sufficate the sand below....I just want to make sure before I take this plung
Thanks
melev

When is the last time you restocked your clean up crew? Large Mexican Turbos consume Cotton Candy Algae.

I have 3 of them and about 15 astera and 150 small snails that my MOM sent me from PR. I also have a yellow tank that is cleaning house.
melev

I would add some new emerald crabs if I were you.

How many do you think i should start with? The tank is a 120 cube with over 100lbs of rock.

Ok so I am going to scrub everything down and another reefer is also helping me out with the Vodka method. I just don't know if I should dose Vodka after reading every ones post. Sounds like once I correct the minor adjustments and follow everyones directives I should be better off. Ahwwwwwwwwwww so many choices


So this is what I have for now.
scrub all walls
remove top layer of sand and add new sand over it
add more of a clean up crew
get green matrix crabs
clean skimmer clean skimmer clean skimmer.
Almost forgot 50% water change dame that's over 60 gallons Ouch!!!
Thanks so Much everyone I am getting there.
Michael Anthony

 

[melev]

<a href=showthread.php?s=&postid=15218350#post15218350 target=_blank>Originally posted</a> by trueblackpercula
Are you sure that I should remove and add new sand? I thought putting sand over a live sand bed would sufficate the sand below....I just want to make sure before I take this plung
Thanks

I have 3 of them and about 15 astera and 150 small snails that my MOM sent me from PR. I also have a yellow tank that is cleaning house.

How many do you think i should start with? The tank is a 120 cube with over 100lbs of rock.

Ok so I am going to scrub everything down and another reefer is also helping me out with the Vodka method. I just don't know if I should dose Vodka after reading every ones post. Sounds like once I correct the minor adjustments and follow everyones directives I should be better off. Ahwwwwwwwwwww so many choices

So this is what I have for now.
scrub all walls
remove top layer of sand and add new sand over it
add more of a clean up crew
get green matrix crabs
clean skimmer clean skimmer clean skimmer.
Almost forgot 50% water change dame that's over 60 gallons Ouch!!!
Thanks so Much everyone I am getting there.
Michael Anthony

If the surface of the sand is mucked up, you can rake together all that mess into a small pile with a credit card or Kent Scraper. Then siphon out that nasty hill. Replace the sand with a little more if you siphon out too much. Or if you prefer, add 1/2" to the surface, not more. In a few days, you can add another 1/2" and thus not have to worry about smothering the sandbed's critters.

3 Mexican Turbos in a 120g - you probably need three new hungry ones at least. I would put them near the affected areas too. The 15 Astreas may want some help as well, if those are getting lazy. We don't know what kind the other 150 are, but they may be perfectly good.

I put three Emeralds in my 20g. You could probably put in 10 or more in your tank, and after a bit you could sell or trade them to other hobbyists in your area.

A couple of huge water changes can really help get things on track, especially after you foul up the water with a massive cleaning. Do you have a 44g Brute trashcan? What do you make your water in? Be sure to match pH, temperature, and salinity before making such a big water change. Here's an article on water changes I wrote some time ago:
http://reefkeeping.com/issues/2007-11/nftt/index.php

 

[trueblackpercula]

Thanks Again you have made it very clear on what i need to do. I have a 55 gallon plastic drum that I store water in for water changes. I will have to get some sand this weekend and start getting a clean up crew together. You can see a picture of the snails I am talking about in the sand bed picture.
well its going to be a little while before taking on such a big job remember its going to be fathers day this sunday
thank you
Michael
Now i am off to the link you just posted.
:lol: :mixed: :eek2: :rollface:

 

[trueblackpercula]

one in the middle of the Picture and a few in the back and ther eis one on its side.

 

[melev]

I can't think of a better thing to do on Father's Day than to tinker in your tank.

 

[spleify]

And every father deserves it

 

[trueblackpercula]

Ok waiting on my test kits and I should be ready to start dosing by Monday. I will stop using GFO and just turn up the skimmer. I have read the instructions many times let's hope I get the faults I am looking for. Anyone have before and after pictures of there tanks?????? Would love to see them

 

[melev]

I've been posting them from time to time. Since I've been dosing vodka for just over a year, here's the latest after shot. :lol:

 

[dnsfpl]

is it better to split the dosing or do all at 1 shot?

when should i reduce my dosage by half?
when my no3 reach near 0?

thanks

 

[melev]

It depends on the dosage size. If it is two or three ml, you might as well add it in one session. I prefer to drip it in rather than dump it in though.

If it is a lot, like 15 ml per day, you might opt to dose 7.5 in the morning and 7.5 at night. I made a drip system for my daily doses, which I can pour into the doser and it drips over the next 5 to 10 minutes. That's worked pretty well for me.

You reduce your dose to the maintenance dose when NO3 and PO4 are nice and low, around 0 hopefully.