How Do I Begin Carbon Dosing with Vinegar?

john.m.cole3 · Nov 5, 2015

My nitrates are at 50 and phosphate at 0 (salifert)

Can dosing vinegar help lower my nitrates?

How do I get started?

Randy Holmes-Farley · Nov 5, 2015

Can you describe the tank and why phosphate is low when nitrate is high?

john.m.cole3 · Nov 5, 2015

I would love to.
46 gallon bowfront (10 month old system), 10 gallon sump w/ a SCA 301 skimmer (rated for 65 gallons), small fuge w/ macro fern-like algae w/ live mysis and pods, RW 8 for flow, Current USa LED 36" long
Salinity 1.026
nitrate 50
phosphate 0
calcium 450
alkalinity 8 dkH
magnesium 1120
temp 77- 78 degrees
5 gallon bi-weekly water changes
2 clowns, bi color blenny, firefish, bengai cardinal, and engineer goby
10 blue leg hermits in fuge
25 snails mixed variety in display
started w/ 40 lbs dry reef ready rock
40 lbs crushed coral topped w/ 40 pounds fine grain sand (both dry)

I think my problem was a rookie mistake in the beginning. I added the crushed coral first, then sand, then rock. I'm in the process of removing all substrate 2 red solo cups a week w/ water changes. I heard the crushed coral can act as a nitrate trap. I was wanting to start carbon dosing to help remove nitrates until I can fix my rocks to the glass and get new substrate.

Randy Holmes-Farley · Nov 5, 2015

Carbon dosing is a fine way to reduce nitrate, but one concern is dropping phosphate too low (or having it actually limit the nitrate drop by being so low). It might also limit the growth or, or possibly even kill the macroalgae (although I dose vinegar, run GFO, and grow macroalgae).

How did you measure phosphate?

No corals yet?

john.m.cole3 · Nov 5, 2015

Phosphate measured via salifert.

I have some mushrroms, zoas, kenya tree, a duncan, and a small hammer coral. Also a red tree sponge

I have been struggling with coral growth with everything except mushrooms and the kenya tree from the beginning

Randy Holmes-Farley · Nov 5, 2015

OK, so it may not really be all that low.

These articles can help guide you with organic carbon dosing. Ordinarily I suggest folks can ramp up the dosing a lot faster than the articles suggest. I use vinegar, but vodka works well too, and some like a mix.

http://reefkeeping.com/issues/2008-08/nftt/

http://reefkeeping.com/joomla/index...ar-dosing-methodology-for-the-marine-aquarium

john.m.cole3 · Nov 5, 2015

Thank You. I will re-post results in a month or so!

Randy Holmes-Farley · Nov 5, 2015

Sounds good.

Good luck!

gt93pony · Nov 28, 2015

Randy Holmes-Farley said:
Ordinarily I suggest folks can ramp up the dosing a lot faster than the articles suggest.

Would you elaborate on this? I am going to start dosing vinegar and would like to do so correctly. My total water volume is about 180 gallons. My stats are KH 8.3, Ca 450, Mg 1350, NO3 25ppm, PO4 .03ppm...this was right after a 40 gallon wc on Wednesday.

Randy Holmes-Farley · Nov 28, 2015

It is fine to go slow. I just think the rate the dosage ramps up is unnecessarily slow.

In a 180, I might start at 10 mL per day, and over a month or so, increase to 50-75 mL per day, while monitoring nitrate and seeing if that much is needed.

rosshamsandwich · Jun 15, 2018

Do we keep dosing this until nitrate reaches 0??? then we stop dosing vinegar once nitrates are gone?

Randy Holmes-Farley · Jun 16, 2018

rosshamsandwich said:
Do we keep dosing this until nitrate reaches 0??? then we stop dosing vinegar once nitrates are gone?

Depends on your goal. If the goal is nitrate reduction, you continue until you get close to your goal (I'd recommend a few ppm) then back off in dosed amount until you reach a steady state nitrate concentration near your goal. But it will often require ongoing dosing to keep it there.

rosshamsandwich · Jun 16, 2018

is it also to feed the corals? who absorb the vinegar?

Randy Holmes-Farley · Jun 17, 2018

rosshamsandwich said:
is it also to feed the corals? who absorb the vinegar?

Corals and other organisms can directly take up the acetate from the vinegar to use as an energy source, and the bacteria that grow can also act as a food for filter feeders.

rosshamsandwich · Jun 17, 2018

who needs Acro Power or Aqua Vitro Fuel when you can feed Vinegar?

Randy Holmes-Farley · Jun 18, 2018

FWIW, those products add more than organic carbon. The also add sources of nitrogen (amino acids and some vitamins) and certain trace elements.

Matevz Savarin · Mar 19, 2019

Hello does annyone knows ratio of vinegar/sugar mix? Some informations states 50ml/1tbs and some 100ml/1tbs
I just removed my refugium and algea reactor and want to start carbon. My nitrates are steady 2.5ppm, so I just need to maintain this values.Thank you for info...