NEW Vodka and Vinegar Dosing Charts

[Marc Pardon]

I´m sorry - I read this but my brain was somewhere else. 0.05 ppm NO2 is a normal value in mature tanks IMO. Below is my OCEAMO measurement of NO2 since 2020

And last year Hanna NO2

How much have your NO3 rise?

Sincerely Lasse

In march 2024 I had a No2 value of 0,01 ppm (according to FM lab test). I have read that but didn't pay much attention to it. Now I measure 0,05 ppm (according to TM pro test). So I suppose I am creeping up. And I wake up call for better reading of previous results

With the TM pro test kit I measure 25 ppm of No3. So according to their diagram I have +/- 20 ppm No3. I am waiting for the ATI lab test for backing up my No3 reading .... ion chromatography should gave me a better direction of my real No3 ......

Thanx for sharing your No2 results. Any thoughts about the increasing and decreasing events? Something to do with your DSB and carbon injections amounts?

Are you active dosing trace elements ? Did you ever pay attention to your zinc level?

 

[Lasse]

Recommendation 1-3 µg/L

Thanx for sharing your No2 results. Any thoughts about the increasing and decreasing events? Something to do with your DSB and carbon injections amounts?

Nope - just normal biological movements or/and user error

Yes I dose Sr, Fe, V, I, Mn, B, F and sometimes Ru. At OCEAMO you can order customized correction set based on the last measurements. If it was ICP - MS it also contain the micro,micro elements like different metals. I use to invest in such set when I have done ICP-MS (every second test). I test around each 3-4 months

Sincerely Lasse

 

[jackalcodon]

Leave the skimmer on. Try to let it run at all times. It won’t remove any vinegar nor vodka. You can add the vodka or vinegar directly into the tank.

You definitely can keep dosing those products.

AB+ contains nitrogen, but it doesn’t really spike nitrate in my experience. Use it sparingly, since rising nitrate means you have enough nitrogen in your tank. Adding more in the form of amino acids isn’t mandatory for coral health and growth in your case IMO.

Good luck and please report back on your results.

UPDATE: I dosed vinegar from your chart from Wednesday until today. During that day, I tried to measure the NO3 and the numbers seem not changed, still 50mg/l. Today I replace 20% of water (switch to TM salt), and re-test, the numbers goes down approx 25 mg/l (I use sera test kit). Hope the number is correct and I will continue to dose. But, it seems my Ca and Mg dropped, is there something wrong? Below are
My parameters

 

[Miami Reef]

You may need to increase the dose.

 

[jackalcodon]

You may need to increase the dose.

You means the vinegar dose?

 

[Miami Reef]

You means the vinegar dose?

Yes. The vinegar dose.

I would buy salifert tests to double check calcium and magnesium. It’s almost certainly a test error.

 

[Randy Holmes-Farley]

I have done carbon dosing several times in the past with success and no issues, but over the past 5 years I have tried it twice in my current aquarium and had the same issue both times. After roughly a month, my Regal Tang gets red marks on her belly and one of my PJ Cardinal's gets a white growth on it's fins. When I stop carbon dosing, both issues go away within about 2 weeks. I know it could be a coincidence, but that seems unlikely considering they never have these issues when I am not carbon dosing.

I also tend to get a very thick build up of gooey white "stuff" on my pumps and inside my overflow, along with some of my plumbing. It's not a big deal until it starts to clog things up.

This is a 200G aquarium, oversized skimmer, UV, and both times I was dosing NoPox. The issues continue even at half strength, so I stopped. I haven't carbon dosed in a few years now, but I am itching to try again... just not with NoPox.

Anyone else have issues like this? I have yet to read anyone else mentioning anything.

What organic were you dosing?

While such fish issues could possibly be related to organics, it’s super uncommon to see folks report them.

 

[Randy Holmes-Farley]

Doesn't dosing the vinegar lower alk? I'm trying to lower nitrates without effect alk. What would the best approach to this?

No, vinegar dosing doesn’t lower alk. When acetate from the vinegar is still in the water, there may be a slight reduction, but once it is all metabolized, there’s no net change to alk.

In a related vein, reducing nitrate will add alk. A 50 ppm reduction adds 2.3 dKH.

 

[Phil Adams]

Newbie here. Forgive me for jumping in on this particular thread but it seems to be the most suitable and I don’t want to start a new thread on a topic that’s probably been beaten to death many times.
I have years of experience from the 70s to to 2002, however many will recognise that things are very different now compared to back then.
I got back into reefing 15 months ago when I bought a 120 litre + sump Minireef as a going concern and moved it in buckets. I’ve had a steep learning curve as you might imagine because now only did I have to learn the ropes, I also had to make judgements on the way the tank had been running under the guidance of the previous owner, also dealing with a cycling which I wasn’t expecting etc etc.
Anyhow, 15 months down the line everything is fine. I only had softies and majanos and CUC when I took it over, the previous owner took his fish back to the LFS. I’ve added some more softies, and some beautiful fish, and in that time NOTHING of any significance has died, but it’s partly good judgement but mostly luck.
Anyway, having got this far, I am seeking some guidance to help me keep in shape and possibly move towards some more delicate corals.
I’ll give a brief rundown of where I am, I don’t want to write a book about it.
120 litre plus sump. Fish, softies, snails, and a blue leg hermit with living rock in the DT.
Sump approx 30 litres, mechanical filtration via cup with carbon in the bottom and filter wool on the top which I change approx every 3 days.
Reasonably efficient skimmer, middle sump chamber with small amount of bio material and coral pieces, end chamber with the return pump and a reactor with Cuprisorb in (long story)! UV in the return side.
My main concerns are stability. I know I’m on a hiding to nothing with such a small system but the swings are huge imo, but that’s really down to me making the correct decisions and monitoring religiously.
Where I feel I need guidance is with nutrient export. I’ve tried NoPox and Rowaphos, and it seems like you’ve either got too much nutrient, or zero and you have to dose it. I’m up and down like a yo-yo. I’m currently starting dosing vodka/vinegar but I’m wondering what other options are open to me.
Simple questions:
If I increase the capacity of the biological filter, ie add more medium in the sump, will it reduce my nutrients? If so how, and where does it go?
In my last tank in the 90s it had an anaerobic chamber which was designed to split the NO3 to be consumed, is this the same?
Secondly, am I correct in thinking that a reefmat would remove more pollutants before the became nutrients?
Sorry that’s so long, just hope you will get some idea of where I’m coming from.
Thanks in advance.
Phil
PS, my other parameters are ok, I’m dosing alkalinity and calcium because my numbers were low, but my pH is consistently high at 8.6 flashing Hanna.

 

[Miami Reef]

Use less NOPOX and GFO. Then you won’t have to worry about it bottoming out the nutrients.

Rollermats aren’t effective for nutrient removal. Most of the nutrients released from fish are soluble and aren’t skimmable or removed mechanically. The skimmer and wool will remove some organics that will break down into nutrients.

 

[Randy Holmes-Farley]

I’ll also add that more biological media won’t reduce nitrate much (if at all) and phosphate not at all.

 

[Reefering1]

A healthy refugium can act as a buffer to prevent bottoming out as it dies back, releasing/ supplying nutrients to water column. Your job would be to reduce dose before refugium is completely dead. Alternatively, if it seems to be growing too much- increase carbon dose. You can find a balance without ever hitting a true zero

 

[Phil Adams]

Thanks guys,