Dosing vinegar

marcinpolak · May 29, 2023

Hi all,
If my tank is high in nutrients and I want to start dosing vinegar will running a skimmer only at night be ok? It turns on at 2030 and shuts off 0830. If the vinegar gets dose at 2100 will this be ok?

Also how much should I be dosing in a 15 gallon tank (what’s the ml/g for vinegar) and will this vinegar be ok?

Thank you in advance

A Young Reefer · May 29, 2023

why not run the skimmer 24/7? you already have a nutrient problem, cutting your skimmer working hours is not going to help...

bushdoc · May 29, 2023

Second refeer above about running skimmer 24/7.
Additionally you want to export nutrients in form of bacteria feeding on carbon and also aerate water.
Below link for dosing:

https://reefkeeping.com/joomla/images/magazine/vinegar_dosing/vinegar_lg.jpg

dwest · May 29, 2023

Agree with above. I would run the skimmer 24/7 and dose vinegar during day when lights are on.

I never finish anythi · May 29, 2023

I'd just do a few water changes over the course of a week or two to bring nutrients back in check . It's only a small tank . What's it stocked with ???

secret_reefer337 · May 29, 2023

For that size of a tank, I’ll just do a weekly water change of 5 gallons, after few months see if it is helping then if not I will figure out something.

marcinpolak · May 29, 2023

I do have an auto water changer that removes about a gallon a day. Only reason I don’t run the skimmer 24/7 is because it’s quite loud but I’ll move it around and see if I can get it into a better position.

Thank you all!

marcinpolak · May 29, 2023

Nutrients aren’t bad nitrates are 20 and phosphates are at .03. This was more of a hypothetical question

I never finish anythi · May 29, 2023

marcinpolak said:
Nutrients aren’t bad nitrates are 20 and phosphates are at .03. This was more of a hypothetical question

With all that gha I wouldn't believe the test .

marcinpolak · May 29, 2023

I never finish anythi said:
With all that gha I wouldn't believe the test .

Are you speaking of the floating Sps tank, if so that’s only film algae I thought.

EeyoreIsMySpiritAnimal · May 29, 2023

marcinpolak said:
Nutrients aren’t bad nitrates are 20 and phosphates are at .03. This was more of a hypothetical question

These are not high.

Clownfishy · May 30, 2023

If you do dose any carbon source, suggest dosing during the day as carbon dosing will reduce your pH. Therefore dosing it during the day when you pH is higher can offset some of the negative pH effects.

am3gross · May 30, 2023

I would not do vinegar for that size tank. Water changes is what I would do. What kind of tests are you using, how old are they? I would go with a good name brand. So many areas of reefing get "cheaped" out on, tests should not be one of them. If your tests are good, and you still have an issue, I would be interested in an ICP test. Just to confirm the tests you have.

Randy Holmes-Farley · May 30, 2023

FWIW, my opinion about skimming and carbon dosing is that keeping the O2 as high as possible when organic carbon dosing tends to lower it is desirable, so I would not want to dose organic carbon without strong aeration, either by skimmer or some other means.

marcinpolak · May 30, 2023

am3gross said:
I would not do vinegar for that size tank. Water changes is what I would do. What kind of tests are you using, how old are they? I would go with a good name brand. So many areas of reefing get "cheaped" out on, tests should not be one of them. If your tests are good, and you still have an issue, I would be interested in an ICP test. Just to confirm the tests you have.

I actually have no issues currently, just want to be proactive(which sounds dumb now that I think of it). I use Hanna and salifert