Can I dose milk?

Alpha_and_Gec · Oct 10, 2023

Regular kalkwasser is boring. is dosing milk advantageous in comparison for carbon and calcium contents?

CoralB · Oct 10, 2023

Only if the cookies are fresh !

Dan_P · Oct 10, 2023

Alpha_and_Gec said:
Regular kalkwasser is boring. is dosing milk advantageous in comparison for carbon and calcium contents?

I would say buttermilk or yogurt would be better because of the larger number of beneficial bacteria.

Anemone_Fanatic · Oct 10, 2023

Oh boy, here we go again... This was a legendary thread the last time it happened.

On the off chance you're serious, no. There isn't much calcium at all in milk compared to kalkwasser, and the nutrients from it would far outweigh the benefits.

JGT · Oct 10, 2023

But what about chocolate milk?

Alpha_and_Gec · Oct 10, 2023

Anemone_Fanatic said:
Oh boy, here we go again... This was a legendary thread the last time it happened.

On the off chance you're serious, no. There isn't much calcium at all in milk compared to kalkwasser, and the nutrients from it would far outweigh the benefits.

Gotcha, thanks. On the off - chance if I need to boost ny chaeto growth I’ll do it.

Anything about the carbon content? Is there enough sugar to make a worthwhile boost?

Anemone_Fanatic · Oct 10, 2023

Alpha_and_Gec said:
Gotcha, thanks. On the off - chance if I need to boost ny chaeto growth I’ll do it.

Anything about the carbon content? Is there enough sugar to make a worthwhile boost?

Not a good idea. Milk has lots of nutrients (no surprise there, it's meant to have a calf grow 2lbs a day), so if you are to dose it, only use a little. No more than a drop or two per gallon. It would basically be just feeding your tank, except the fish and corals won't be able to eat it. Just stick with fish food. If you're really worried about carbon dosing (never been an issue with me), do it one of the tried and tested ways. Vinegar or vodka are most common.

ISpeakForTheSeas · Oct 11, 2023

If you click my name in the quote below, it’ll link to the other thread mentioned above:

ISpeakForTheSeas said:
Actually, in complete seriousness, there was an SPS reefer in Taiwan back in 2014 who dosed his tank with literal milk and honey (if you google “dose milk and honey reef tank” you’ll see a ton of results about it) and it seemed to work for him.

My understanding is he used the milk for nutrients and the honey as a carbon replacement, but I could be off there. Anyway, his tank looked pretty good, but I don’t know if anyone would recommend the approach.

Randy Holmes-Farley · Oct 11, 2023

I'm not sure why one would dose milk. It contains lots of stuff, whether that benefits the tank or not. That said, I also doubt dosing small amounts would hurt anything.

here's what it does contain:

Nutrient Content of Milk Varieties | MilkFacts.info

Aquariumaddictuk · Oct 11, 2023

I'm dairy free so hoping oatmilk will work

TheSheff · Oct 11, 2023

Alpha_and_Gec said:
Regular kalkwasser is boring. is dosing milk advantageous in comparison for carbon and calcium contents?

You weren't talking about kalk slurry were you? Like the milky looking liquid right after mixing it up?

Randy Holmes-Farley · Oct 11, 2023

TheSheff said:
You weren't talking about kalk slurry were you? Like the milky looking liquid right after mixing it up?

Since he mentions carbon, I presume not.

Pickle_soup · Oct 11, 2023

The Good Stuff Milk in an acid, your pH would drop. However, chocolate milkshakes have a higher pH, those are ok. If you really want to be fancy, you can use Portillo's Chocolate Cake Shake.