Can I mix Vinegar and amino acids?

[FranklinDattein]

Hi fellow reefers,
Can you see problems or benefits from dropping liquid Amino acids in the Vinegar container?

My expectation is that vinegar will work as a preservative and not change the properties of AA.


I dose Vinegar and amino acids daily, on a ULNS. Vinegar is on a dosing pump, AA are manually dosed and I would like to automate AA dosing, too.
However, the only brand of AA that claims it can be hooked to a pump is acropower, which I think is too diluted and expensive.
I've had better results with either seachem's AA or 100% reef safe AA.

Has anyone tried it? Does it make sense?

Thanks

 

[Randy Holmes-Farley Verified Community Expert]

Assuming it is a mix of pure amino acids, there will be no problem.

 

[FranklinDattein]

Randy,

do you see any problems with seachem reefplus? It also contains vitamins.

http://www.seachem.com/reef-plus.php

* It is the only brand of AA that I know that lists its contents, which is a big plus for me.

Thanks for the prompt response.

 

[Triggreef]

Awesome thought. I'm always thinking of things that can be mixed together safely to conserve dosing pumps.

@Randy Holmes-Farley whats your thought on his question about the vinegar acting to preserve the additive?

 

[Randy Holmes-Farley Verified Community Expert]

Some of the vitamins may begin to decompose. Vitamin C may oxidize and others may hydrolyze.

Vinegar helps preserve against bacterial issues, but not against chemical oxidation and hydrolysis.

 

[FranklinDattein]

I've been using Vinegar + Aminoacids for the past 10 days and so far so good. It is still too early to celebrate, but this is what I found so far:
- The mix remains homogeneous, hence no need for a magnetic stirrer.
- Since I went ULNS, some softies like GSP and zoas have gone pale. Both are coloring up again.
- Previously the skimmer would increase skimmate right after AA dosing. This is no longer happening, for obvious reasons.
- I have an acro with burt tips, from an alk spike 2 months ago, which wasn't producing any new tissues. Its tissue is now recovering by the day. Unfortunately, I can't be sure it is the vinegar+aa mix, because I also switched off a chiller that was causing strain voltage.
- SPS polyp extension went from mostly at night to 24hs, but that could also be because of no more strain voltage.

It is worth saying the amounts of Vinegar and AA I dose, remain roughly the same as before.

Mix is 800ml Vinegar + 100ml Seachem Reef Plus AA
Daily dose is 120ml on a 180l tank, spread over 24hs period.

 

[marke]

I've been using Vinegar + Aminoacids for the past 10 days and so far so good. It is still too early to celebrate, but this is what I found so far:
- The mix remains homogeneous, hence no need for a magnetic stirrer.
- Since I went ULNS, some softies like GSP and zoas have gone pale. Both are coloring up again.
- Previously the skimmer would increase skimmate right after AA dosing. This is no longer happening, for obvious reasons.
- I have an acro with burt tips, from an alk spike 2 months ago, which wasn't producing any new tissues. Its tissue is now recovering by the day. Unfortunately, I can't be sure it is the vinegar+aa mix, because I also switched off a chiller that was causing strain voltage.
- SPS polyp extension went from mostly at night to 24hs, but that could also be because of no more strain voltage.

It is worth saying the amounts of Vinegar and AA I dose, remain roughly the same as before.

Mix is 800ml Vinegar + 100ml Seachem Reef Plus AA
Daily dose is 120ml on a 180l tank, spread over 24hs period.

I mix vinegar and ME amines with good results.

 

[Randy Holmes-Farley Verified Community Expert]

Thanks for the updates folks.