Who's dosing vodka? And why?

I tend to agree. Trace elements are more than adequately replaced with water changes. I have been dosing V for some time and I find that I do have to add nutrients back in some form regularly. These might include: increased feeding, amino acids, homemade coral food (recipe on Melev's site I believe), and fatty acid blends (like reef booster).

I totally agree that one should test for something one is adding. The PO4 photometer is very useful for this purpose. It is precise and can be used to adjust the nutrient dosing over time. My target is 0.01 to 0.03. Moreover, do not add extra nutrients in any form other than food until the vodka has been allowed to lower the nutrients significantly (PO4<0.08 and NO3 < 1) and a maintenance dose is being applied. HTH
 
<a href=showthread.php?s=&postid=15505872#post15505872 target=_blank>Originally posted</a> by Stanley-Reefer
2 weeks in and up to 1.9cc in 170 gal of water. Cyano coming in. How long to back off the vodka? Also doing some MB7 and Prodibio.
Click to expand...

I seriously doubt that a vodka dose of 1.9cc in 170 gal is contributing to a cyano problem. For me, this occured months into dosing during the maintenance phase.
 
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Ok so no AA or trace elements until system becomes stable got it. The tank is looking nice for a change. I wish I would have found this thread two year ago. The only reason I asked about aditives is because I have read the sps get to light in color because 'N' becomes so low that feeding and additives will help.
 
Ok did my Saturday testing and this is where my system is at.
Alk/Dkh 7.5 finally got it up
calcium test kit is bad waiting on new one
salinty 1.026
temp80 steady with chiller
nitrates stil around .15 to .25 something like that.
No for the funny part my PO4 is reading zero tested it two times. Is this normal for a system to drop to zero before the nitrates go to zero? In anycase I think there is a small problem. I see on a couple of sps tips not a lot just a few looks like the tips are STN or look like ALK burns. I have never seen this and would like to know if I am doing some thing wrong or dose this happen when dosing vodka? I think something is missing from the water iodine/iodide or stontium something can't pinpoint it.I am dosing 1.8 ml a day of vodka and 2 drops if Microbaxter 7 also how does one know when to start dising AminoAcids to the tank again when sps get lighter?
Thanks
Michael Anthony
 
I've seen PO4 drop to zero with high nitrates. Bacteria and other organisms use carbon ,nitorgen and phosphorous: the absence of any one( not very likely in a tank with fed fish) can be limiting on overall growth and thus the consumption of the other two. The most commonly cited ratio in marinie organisms for these elements is: 106 carbon: l6 nitrogen: 1 phosphorous.

I don't think 7.5 dkh would cause the stn. All of the changes going on with supplementation might: sps are pretty sensitive to alk changes.. My guess would be that the waer is clearer and the resulting increased lighting intensity combined with increased calcification absent the inhibitiing PO4 may have something to do with it.

Aminos are a source of nitrogen. If your nitrates are high , I see no need to add them.
 
I don't know if feeding them would help stn. A zooxplankton food containing small micron foods such as Coral Frenzy might be of value If you do feed it use it sparingly or you may raise nutirents.
 
When I asked about feeding Sps it was not to stop Stn. I was talking about once they settle in should I add a food source to a tank that is dising Vodka? If I get nitrates and po4 to zero at that point something has to be feed are corals will start to pale out correct? What are the creators of vodka dosing doing with there tanks on a daily basis and can someone post some pictures.
Thanks

Michael Anthony
 
An update on the results to date. First my starting numbers:

8/9/2009 Temp 78.0
Sg 1.023
Calcium 410
Magnesium 1320
Phosphate 0.50
Nitrate 40

Todays:

8/16/2009
Sg 1.026
Calcium 380
Magnesium 1500
Phosphate 0.25
Nitrate 0!!!

This week I dose 1.5 ml. It appears to be working. The corals look much happier, and I'm starting to see small pieces of GHA free floating around. DIE you scum-sucking GHA!!! :D
 
Qucik question about dosing vodka. I would like to start dosing my 12 gallon Nano cube as it too has some GHA going on. Do I have to have a protein skimmer in there to do this? I have one, but it does not allow the cover to be on the tank when in use.
 
Think a 12 gallon nano is great but I would try GFO and water changes before trying to add vodka with out a protien skimmer. do you have fish in there? Carbon dosing in a 12 gallon tank I would wait for the pros to chime in.
Michael Anthony
 
When you add vodka you are adding organic carbon(ethanol). The bacteria consume it and N and P. The skimmer exports them. Without a good skimmer the carbon you add will build up and is harmful. GAC may help remove it as well.
 
I would wait for one of the following signs before adding nutrients: pale SPS, loss of coraline algae, shrinkage of zoanthids or xenia
 
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