Did you automate vodka dosing? How

[BZOFIQ]

I know I'll forget to dose daily so I'm looking for ways to automate this task.

Thinking to dilute vodka and dose with a small peristaltic pump. Anything I should worry about?

How did you set it up?

 

[redfishbluefish]

I use BRS 1.1ml dosing pump.....works great....with the DIY version of NOPOX, which is a mix of vodka and vinegar.​

 

[BZOFIQ]

Did you dilute the NoPox solution? I need to dose small amounts so im thinking to dilute it 1:100 and calculate the time from there; refill container weekly or bi-weekly.

 

[redfishbluefish]

I do not dilute, but don't see any reason why you couldn't. The DIY version (as determined by a college professor and his grad students using NMR) is to mix of 500 mls vinegar (5%), 375 mls vodka (80 proof), and 125 mls RO/DI water. Dose as per instructions for NOPOX which is:

 

[JGT]

So looking to start this as water changes ain’t cutting it. So to be sure my math is right, for 250 gallons mixed reef, nitrates in 30’s, this would mean starting with 3ml per 25 gals or 30ml dosed daily. If I follow the “start with half of the RS recommendation” this would mean 1.5ml per 25 gals or 15 ml dosed daily.
My goal is around 10 so I presume I continue dosing the 15 ml until I get close to that number. Then, do I reduce the dosage in half and monitor and tweak as necessary?

 

[redfishbluefish]

So looking to start this as water changes ain’t cutting it. So to be sure my math is right, for 250 gallons mixed reef, nitrates in 30’s, this would mean starting with 3ml per 25 gals or 30ml dosed daily. If I follow the “start with half of the RS recommendation” this would mean 1.5ml per 25 gals or 15 ml dosed daily.
My goal is around 10 so I presume I continue dosing the 15 ml until I get close to that number. Then, do I reduce the dosage in half and monitor and tweak as necessary?

I'd suggest starting slower than what you've stated. The reason is other bacteria, such as cyano, could also use this as a carbon source and start to grow like crazy. My recommendation is to start with 1 m! Per 25 gallons, and use that for a week. If no outbreak of nasty bacteria, up the dose to 2 mil per 25 gallons....again for another week. If all looks good after this week, then go up to 3 mls per 25 gallons. Once your nitrates get down to where you want them, cut back to 1 mil per 25 gal as your maintenance dose.

 

[JGT]

I'd suggest starting slower than what you've stated. The reason is other bacteria, such as cyano, could also use this as a carbon source and start to grow like crazy. My recommendation is to start with 1 m! Per 25 gallons, and use that for a week. If no outbreak of nasty bacteria, up the dose to 2 mil per 25 gallons....again for another week. If all looks good after this week, then go up to 3 mls per 25 gallons. Once your nitrates get down to where you want them, cut back to 1 mil per 25 gal as your maintenance dose.

Great, will give that a shot. Thanks! So that comes to 10ml daily dosing. Gosh in the cup it looks like nothing.

 

[dedragon]

i havent figured out how to automate it yet, after a hard days work I take 2 shots of tequila preferably but vodka will do but if only i could work on a dosing system, i think im pretty close though

 

[dedragon]

 

[FurrierTransform]

that's what I thought, too. Someone needs to explain this to me (or I will go look it up)

 

[dedragon]

lol, vodka dosing is a form of carbon dosing to lower nutrient levels in tanks. It should really be reserved for experts that constantly monitor parameters as it is very easy to mess up in the first couple of months using it

 

[JGT]

I'd suggest starting slower than what you've stated. The reason is other bacteria, such as cyano, could also use this as a carbon source and start to grow like crazy. My recommendation is to start with 1 m! Per 25 gallons, and use that for a week. If no outbreak of nasty bacteria, up the dose to 2 mil per 25 gallons....again for another week. If all looks good after this week, then go up to 3 mls per 25 gallons. Once your nitrates get down to where you want them, cut back to 1 mil per 25 gal as your maintenance dose.

Circling back here just to confirm that once 3ml per 25 gals is reached, maintain that until nitrates come down to where I want them and then adjust to 1 ml/ 25 gals based upon desired nitrate levels. There is no further raising from the 3ml/25 gals, correct?

 

[redfishbluefish]

Circling back here just to confirm that once 3ml per 25 gals is reached, maintain that until nitrates come down to where I want them and then adjust to 1 ml/ 25 gals based upon desired nitrate levels. There is no further raising from the 3ml/25 gals, correct?

You got it! That is what Red Sea says about it's instructions for NOPOX. They only go to 3 mls/25g gallons, but I know others go past this.

 

[JGT]

You got it! That is what Red Sea says about it's instructions for NOPOX. They only go to 3 mls/25g gallons, but I know others go past this.

Thanks. Will stick with the instructions. Slow and steady.

 

[sprungson]

I'd suggest starting slower than what you've stated. The reason is other bacteria, such as cyano, could also use this as a carbon source and start to grow like crazy. My recommendation is to start with 1 m! Per 25 gallons, and use that for a week. If no outbreak of nasty bacteria, up the dose to 2 mil per 25 gallons....again for another week. If all looks good after this week, then go up to 3 mls per 25 gallons. Once your nitrates get down to where you want them, cut back to 1 mil per 25 gal as your maintenance dose.

I don't think dosing would cause cyano bacteria to grow faster. I think the beneficial macro bacteria outcompetes the cyano. I think the main concern of dosing large amount is a bacteria bloom which causes tank to be cloudy and lowers oxygen in your tank

 

[BZOFIQ]

I don't think dosing would cause cyano bacteria to grow faster.

Some industry experts confirmed that it will. I'll let you know how it goes, I'm starting this weekend with 1/3 dose.

 

[JGT]

I’m at the 3ml/25 gals now for 2 weeks, nothing so far in the way of cyano. Having to dose PO4 though as it has come down to .01 and don’t want to be PO4 limited.

 

[sprungson]

Some industry experts confirmed that it will. I'll let you know how it goes, I'm starting this weekend with 1/3 dose.

When I had cyano in my tank, I used Dr Tim's waste away and it worked. His selling point was that the macrobacteria outcompeted cyano and dino.bb

 

[DaJMasta]

Start low, gradually increase at a low rate, then if you run into nitrates suddenly dropping and bottoming out, or you start seeing cyano/dinoflagellates, back off the dosage, wait a week or two, and then start ramping up again if they've gone away and your nitrates are again rising.

I'm basically dosing the same way as described above, started at around 1mL/day on a 45g tank that is heavily fed and stocked, slowly ramped up, and then found myself with a cyano bloom and some dinos, ended up cutting back quite significantly, and my optimum dosage seems to be around 3mL a day right now. It may even be wise to slowly increase the dosing until your nitrates drop to the desired level, then immediately cut the daily dosage by 1/3 or 1/2 to a more maintenance level, but I haven't personally tried it - it just may be a good way to dodge cyano/dino issues.

 

[jerl77]

Home made nopox on apex dos