300 gallon oasis build in AZ

[luis angel]

Following!

 

[jpshoemaker46]

Following! Also a fellow AZ resident!!

 

[1ocean]

ok made the home made formula of carbon dose...today...lets see how this does compared to store bought...so far number did start to come down with nopox. lets see how this does..gonns take it slow as I was with nopox...but now save $$$$$....

 

[JustAnotherNanoTank]

ok made the home made formula of carbon dose...today...lets see how this does compared to store bought...so far number did start to come down with nopox. lets see how this does..gonns take it slow as I was with nopox...but now save $$$$$....

Awesome tank!!

Where about in AZ if you don’t mind me asking? (If you do tell me to kick rocks lol all good!)

I ask because I’m from Lake Havasu.

 

[jpshoemaker46]

Awesome tank!!

Where about in AZ if you don’t mind me asking? (If you do tell me to kick rocks lol all good!)

I ask because I’m from Lake Havasu.

Im located in scottsdale!

 

[Sisterlimonpot]

Litchfield Park (west Phoenix)

 

[1ocean]

Awesome tank!!

Where about in AZ if you don’t mind me asking? (If you do tell me to kick rocks lol all good!)

I ask because I’m from Lake Havasu.

Chandler/Gilbert border....

 

[1ocean]

After alot of research and chating , I am using this formula. There are a good amount of formula's out there but this is the most used I found and close to nopox formula ratios.
500ml vinegar + 375ml vodka and 125ml rodi water..

Along with following nopox formula directions and maintenance.
NO3 above 10ppm dose 3ml/25 gal
NO3 above 2.5ppm but less then 10ppm dose 2ml/25gal
NO3 above 1ppm but less then 2.5pmm dose 1ml/25gal

For my 300 once I get my numbers where I want it then it will be 11 ml daily for Maintenace.

If you got to red sea nopox dosing calculation page it will tell you based on your type of tank and size...

 

[Sisterlimonpot]

Is your formula based on wanting to utilize the dosing calculator for nopox?

I'd question the addition of rodi water, and the only thing that makes sense is the fear of not having a chart to guide you.

 

[cilyjr]

After alot of research and chating , I am using this formula. There are a good amount of formula's out there but this is the most used I found and close to nopox formula ratios.
500ml vinegar + 375ml vodka and 125ml rodi water..

Along with following nopox formula directions and maintenance.
NO3 above 10ppm dose 3ml/25 gal
NO3 above 2.5ppm but less then 10ppm dose 2ml/25gal
NO3 above 1ppm but less then 2.5pmm dose 1ml/25gal

For my 300 once I get my numbers where I want it then it will be 11 ml daily for Maintenace.

If you got to red sea nopox dosing calculation page it will tell you based on your type of tank and size...

This is very similar to what I am doing. How do you arrive at 11 ml a day?

My maintenance dose is around 40 ml daily.
It gets bumped up if I see a rise in no3

 

[1ocean]

This is very similar to what I am doing. How do you arrive at 11 ml a day?

My maintenance dose is around 40 ml daily.
It gets bumped up if I see a rise in no3

I went to the red sea nopox free calculation page...When I put in my mixed reef and 300 gal tank that is what they said...

 

[1ocean]

Is your formula based on wanting to utilize the dosing calculator for nopox?

I'd question the addition of rodi water, and the only thing that makes sense is the fear of not having a chart to guide you.

Yes , found formula's that said close to nopox..vinegar/vodka/rodi or distilled water...500/375/125 or 500/350/150 and even formulas that said 600/400 and no water added...some say water could grow bacterial others say no it wont. So to be even sure, I took rodi water and boiled it as this is a procees for distilled water.. I am following the chart for nopox dosing...on their web site as many said they are doing with great results...If you have ideas I am open to them....

 

[Sisterlimonpot]

My implication is why add water just so you can continue to follow a set of instructions?

I'd maintain that carbon dosing doesn't need strict guidelines to dose. As long as you're in the ballpark your system will be fine. Plus, you're testing nitrates often anyway to see the results. That will help figure out your maintenance dose.

Besides, I'd imagine the water dilution for commercial products is primarily done for smaller systems so that 1 ml doesn't nuke a nano tank. In a 300+ gallon system, that's moot. One can make the argument that you don't want the dilution so that you can maximize concentration in a container.

But it boils down to comfortability. If you need to follow the strict guidelines to make it make sense, then I get that too.

 

[cilyjr]

My implication is why add water just so you can continue to follow a set of instructions?

That was my line of thinking.

 

[1ocean]

My implication is why add water just so you can continue to follow a set of instructions?

I'd maintain that carbon dosing doesn't need strict guidelines to dose. As long as you're in the ballpark your system will be fine. Plus, you're testing nitrates often anyway to see the results. That will help figure out your maintenance dose.

Besides, I'd imagine the water dilution for commercial products is primarily done for smaller systems so that 1 ml doesn't nuke a nano tank. In a 300+ gallon system, that's moot. One can make the argument that you don't want the dilution so that you can maximize concentration in a container.

But it boils down to comfortability. If you need to follow the strict guidelines to make it make sense, then I get that too.

Thanks...Yep I did not really get the % of water added to the mix but I guess it is close to the commercial formula and easy for someone to say, ok just follow Red Sea or Tropic Marin dosing chart...I guess the next batch I might just do the 600ml vinegar/400ml vodka and call it done. Of course dose way less to see how things react...

 

[Mschmidt]

is there a reason to mix the two? other than to reduce risk?
asking cuz I dose Everclear and if it's better to add vinegar I want to know.

 

[Sisterlimonpot]

is there a reason to mix the two? other than to reduce risk?
asking cuz I dose Everclear and if it's better to add vinegar I want to know.

Are you asking about the benefits of combining multiple organic carbons? Or why someone would mix 2 together?

 

[Sisterlimonpot]

Are you asking about the benefits of combining multiple organic carbons?

It's speculated that using multiple organic carbon allows for different bacteria strains to form. There isn't hard evidence to this except that people perceive different outcomes with using different mixtures.

The 3 popular carbon sources are vinegar, sugar and vodka.

Over the years sugar has been removed from them list because of the effects seen in corals. It's believed that the impurities also found in sugar may be the reason. Either way, vodka and vinegar remain to be the most popular now.

The accepted theory as to why use both, is that vodka alone seems to have a higher chance of promoting cyano growth over having a mixture of both. Although you also have to consider that vodka is 8x as effective than vinegar, so perhaps that leads to overdosing.

Whatever your poison, mixing or not mixing will have a similar outcome.

Or why someone would mix 2 together?

It eliminates the need for multiple dosers. You definitely can keep them separated and dose them independently, but there isn't a benefit to doing so.

 

[Mschmidt]

It's speculated that using multiple organic carbon allows for different bacteria strains to form. There isn't hard evidence to this except that people perceive different outcomes with using different mixtures.

The 3 popular carbon sources are vinegar, sugar and vodka.

Over the years sugar has been removed from them list because of the effects seen in corals. It's believed that the impurities also found in sugar may be the reason. Either way, vodka and vinegar remain to be the most popular now.

The accepted theory as to why use both, is that vodka alone seems to have a higher chance of promoting cyano growth over having a mixture of both. Although you also have to consider that vodka is 8x as effective than vinegar, so perhaps that leads to overdosing.

Whatever your poison, mixing or not mixing will have a similar outcome.

This above was the question I had. I understand vodka to have no Ph change as well. into 300 gallons I don't think you would worry about "overdosing" with vodka alone as any margin would be quite wide.

Diversity of biome seems like a good goal and it would be understandable that the bacteria that thrive on one source don't do well with the other.

Only reason I dose Everclear over vodka is that I will drink the latter, not the former.

It eliminates the need for multiple dosers. You definitely can keep them separated and dose them independently, but there isn't a benefit to doing so.

can the mix be dosed all at once?

 

[Sisterlimonpot]

I understand vodka to have no Ph change as well.

Not technically true. Yes vinegar is a mild acid and has an immediate effect on pH, vodka does it later as the bacteria it promotes lowers pH. Both have an equal effect on pH.

can the mix be dosed all at once?

I don't understand the question. If your system can handle what you mixed, then yes you can dose it all at once.