NEW Vodka and Vinegar Dosing Charts

[Randy Holmes-Farley]

Just started following this regimen last week. Nitrates are down 3 points from 18.5 to 15.1 using vodka. Although it says to up the dose in week 2, I might stick with the ~5ml for my tank as I monitor - don't want to bottom out the tank.

Sounds like a fine plan.

 

[SocalS14]

Sounds like a fine plan.

BTW - your two-part rocks. Alk holding steady at 8.1! Thanks again for all the help!

 

[Dmax]

I started dosing 5ml of vodka to my 450 gallon tank back in January. I have since bumped up the dose to 15 ml and held that dose for the last 2-3 months. I dose when the lights come on via Apex Dos. This past week I've noticed cyano growing on my sand bed.

N03 12.5
P04 .40

Should I stop dosing until the cyano is under control?
Switch to vinegar?

 

[Randy Holmes-Farley]

I started dosing 5ml of vodka to my 450 gallon tank back in January. I have since bumped up the dose to 15 ml and held that dose for the last 2-3 months. I dose when the lights come on via Apex Dos. This past week I've noticed cyano growing on my sand bed.

N03 12.5
P04 .40

Should I stop dosing until the cyano is under control?
Switch to vinegar?

The vodka may spur the cyano, but it might have happened anyway. Switching to vinegar is a fine plan, or maybe jyst stopping the vodka fir a bit and see if the cyano declines.

 

[Dmax]

Thank you. I will stop it and see if it subsides.

 

[javajaws]

A couple things I haven't seen mentioned in this thread that I'm curious about:

1) Has anyone noticed a more rapid (or slower) decrease in nitrates if they increase the frequency of cleaning the glass while dosing carbon? Just wondering if fresh/clean glass might enable faster bacteria growth or if it would slow it down.

2) Would dosing carbon in combination with calcium carbonate (as part of a coral snow solution with mb7, etc) be as beneficial as pure dosing carbon alone? Can the two even be combined into one solution or would you need to dose separately? Anybody do both?

 

[Randy Holmes-Farley]

I would not assume that there is any desirable interaction between the calcium carbonate and the bacteria. I doubt it matters much.

I’ve not seen anyone comment on glass cleaning frequency and carbon dosing efficiency. The bacteria may mostly grow elsewhere and leave the lit areas to photosynthetic organisms such as algae or diatoms that out compete bacteria.,

 

[lmfbs]

A couple things I haven't seen mentioned in this thread that I'm curious about:

1) Has anyone noticed a more rapid (or slower) decrease in nitrates if they increase the frequency of cleaning the glass while dosing carbon? Just wondering if fresh/clean glass might enable faster bacteria growth or if it would slow it down.

2) Would dosing carbon in combination with calcium carbonate (as part of a coral snow solution with mb7, etc) be as beneficial as pure dosing carbon alone? Can the two even be combined into one solution or would you need to dose separately? Anybody do both?

re 1) - I found exactly zero difference if I did or didn't clean the glass. There's so much other surface area in the tank, the glass I'd suggest is quite minimal.