Acroman79
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I have mainly sps coral and was recently reading on vodka dosing. I have a 220 gallon tank and has been up for about two and a half years. Will it help bring out the brightest colors possible? Should I try bio pellets?
Carbon dosing
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Dosing Vodka to reduce NO3 and PO4 in Saltwater Aquarium | Aquariums Life
Not sure but read this and it says it could bring out more colors
But if your Phosphate is at .00 i dont see how it could help..
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Corey
Not sure but read this and it says it could bring out more colors
But if your Phosphate is at .00 i dont see how it could help..
following
Corey
I just gave up on Vodka dosing. Frankly, I was uncomfortable doing it. My anemones seemed adversely affected by it. It seems to have worked out great for a lot of people though. You may want to try Amino Acid supplement for color.
spscrazy
Well-Known Member
I tried using vodka for several months in 2011. Did not see any improvement. Then bio pellets became a big thing so I gave it a go. They might have worked but I kept getting hard white calcium thing growing in the reactor. Forget the name of them but the pellets stuck tothem making for a globe that blocked the reactor. After several start overs I gave up. Sfarted with red sea no3po4x. Took a month or so but i started seeing growth and color from my sps. That was July 2012. In the last 4 months my 1-2" frags are small colonies. I love this product.
Low nutrients are part of the criteria for getting color in SPS. What are your N and P readings, what do you use to test them with. What kind of lighting do you have? What do you use to feed them with? What are your other parameters, starting with Salinity, what do you use to measure it with? Ca, Mg and Alk?
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Acroman79
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I run 3 hqi 250w halides 4 39w actinics and a 6 ft long bar of 3w royal blue Crees. And I run a bubble magus doser with brs 2 part dosing sys. I am always struggling with stability. I still can not get it dialed in perfectly. I always have to dose more cal than dkh. These are supposed to be equal I thought. As far as nitrates and phos never test it any more. I do a 50 gallon water change weekly. Was using salinity brand salt for about 18 months now I use instant ocean I find it to be cleaner and dissolves better. I know stability is key for sps for me I just can't seem to get it perfect. I can tell you I have been doing much better though I have lost 30 or so sps because of a red turf algae that grows on them I have bought this or that, been on many forums to fix it and I have finally found something that has really helped! Not fixed. I bought 1000 blue legs they have really been a help and my sps are bouncing back slowly! Cal 390 ppm. Dkh 8 mag 1300. Use the Red Sea kit. And I know calcium is low.
Alex27
Active Member
As stated, part of carbon dosing is to bringdown the nutrients in your tank. if you already have that, then maybe you might want to tank a different approach. A few different approachs to coloring up your SPS are amino acids, pappone and a few other additives. Take a look at what you are trying to achieve and then go slow in your approach.
Alex27
Active Member
Pappone is a coral fish food mixture that people feed to their aquariums. If you do a search in google you'll be able to find a few good articles. Let me see if I can find a few I have around.
Nuisance algae is a sign that your N and P is too high, you should be checking them. I'd suggest you get a Hanna meter for your PO4, and get it down below .03. One of the carbon dosing methods will help here, I've tried most of them, and they will work, but ultimately, I found it a whole lot easier to use bio-pellets.
Are you running and GFO and/or GAC?
I would check your salinity with a calibrated(35ppt) refractometer, and adjust it to 1.026. You might consider using Reef Crystals instead of the regular IO.
As far as your two part is concerned, the uptake proportions of all "stoney" corals, coraline algae, etc. for Ca and Alk is 20ppm Ca to 50ppm(2.8dKH) Alk(CaCO3), which is a ratio of 2 pts Ca to 5 pts Alk (2:5). Dosing equal amounts of two part supplements are designed to provide the same ratio's. So, if you are getting readings of more Ca being used than Alk, I'd be suspicious of: #1 the test kit/test proceedure, #2 the 2 part solution(which is why I make my own), or #3 using buffers to get your pH up, which will add alk. You should get your parameters where you want them first, and then calculate your dosing amount. Make sure you aren't mixing the different recipes, since this will thow off the proportions.
Saturated kalkwasser also contains this same ratio, @ ~ 800 ppm Ca(2pts.) to 2,000 ppm CaCO3(5pts.).
If you're using a "reef" grade of salt mix, i.e. Reef Crystals, I'd make sure my salinity is right, by measuring it using a calibrated refractometer, or calibrated metering device. If you're using a swing arm type of hydrometer and it's giving you bad information, you may not be adding enough salt mix, which means that you're also not adding enough of the other elements as well, i.e. Ca, Mg, etc. and you'd require more dosing. With normal WC's at a salinity of 1.026, I've never had to add Mg, using this type of salt mix.
Are you running and GFO and/or GAC?
I would check your salinity with a calibrated(35ppt) refractometer, and adjust it to 1.026. You might consider using Reef Crystals instead of the regular IO.
As far as your two part is concerned, the uptake proportions of all "stoney" corals, coraline algae, etc. for Ca and Alk is 20ppm Ca to 50ppm(2.8dKH) Alk(CaCO3), which is a ratio of 2 pts Ca to 5 pts Alk (2:5). Dosing equal amounts of two part supplements are designed to provide the same ratio's. So, if you are getting readings of more Ca being used than Alk, I'd be suspicious of: #1 the test kit/test proceedure, #2 the 2 part solution(which is why I make my own), or #3 using buffers to get your pH up, which will add alk. You should get your parameters where you want them first, and then calculate your dosing amount. Make sure you aren't mixing the different recipes, since this will thow off the proportions.
Saturated kalkwasser also contains this same ratio, @ ~ 800 ppm Ca(2pts.) to 2,000 ppm CaCO3(5pts.).
If you're using a "reef" grade of salt mix, i.e. Reef Crystals, I'd make sure my salinity is right, by measuring it using a calibrated refractometer, or calibrated metering device. If you're using a swing arm type of hydrometer and it's giving you bad information, you may not be adding enough salt mix, which means that you're also not adding enough of the other elements as well, i.e. Ca, Mg, etc. and you'd require more dosing. With normal WC's at a salinity of 1.026, I've never had to add Mg, using this type of salt mix.
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Alex27
Active Member
A search of "pappone in aquariums" brings up several articles. you can also look up "blu coral method". You will also find articles about aquariums in Italy where these methods where/are used.
However, I seen that you also have an algae problem, before starting to add things such as this or any other method it is best to get your parameters under control. Without calling out names, i found that all my parameters were good. However, my corals were doing horrible. I checked and did everything, Until i finally gave in and took the tank down. recently I was about to trade a piece of equipment and upon inspecting it found that this piece of equipment was in the process of rusting. It was rusting bad and I had no idea. In retrospect, I won't say that this was the cause of my problems but but all parameters being acceptable what else could have been the problem. In essence, take care of the known problem first. Good luck and keep us posted.
However, I seen that you also have an algae problem, before starting to add things such as this or any other method it is best to get your parameters under control. Without calling out names, i found that all my parameters were good. However, my corals were doing horrible. I checked and did everything, Until i finally gave in and took the tank down. recently I was about to trade a piece of equipment and upon inspecting it found that this piece of equipment was in the process of rusting. It was rusting bad and I had no idea. In retrospect, I won't say that this was the cause of my problems but but all parameters being acceptable what else could have been the problem. In essence, take care of the known problem first. Good luck and keep us posted.
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Acroman79
Community Member
I used to run Gfo and carbon at the same time. It seemed like it made things worse. I only use the carbon reactor now I put about in a cup and a half in my jumbo reactor once a month. When I used bio pellets I filled the jug int he reactor and I was told this was making water to clean!!! So I took it down. I do use the reef crystals sorry I did not elaborate. Thanks guys. I have an organ tort with the algae on the tips I will try to post later at sons wrestling tournament right now!!
fishman77
Community Member
I have 155 gallon reef tank and dose 10ml everyday. Since i have been dosing vodka in the last two years my nitrates have gone from 50 to 0. I still use gfo because my phosphates are about .06.
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I just don't get it,How can anyone nitrates be above 0.if you have a great skimmer and do water changes i just cant see it..I do that and my nitrates are 0 and Phos 0.00 but ph is 7.8 (gotta work on it) Do yall have enough live rock where u need to dose vodka to create more bacteria ,Id rather drink it..lol
Aquaph8
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I figured that.... but I feed my fish twice a day and i know i overfeed...Isnt it the size of there eye daily in food?
I just got me some of this HP food and its suppose to be killer..Im hoping
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you use vodka?
