Moving from NOPOX to Vodka

Mindi · May 17, 2018

Have pretty much completed the change. Before stopping NOPOX my 520l required 20mls of NOPOX daily to maintain Nitrates at 2-4 approx.
When I made the switch my Nitrates initially went up over 2 weeks to around 20 but then started coming down again and I am now seeing similar stability and levels as before the change ...and am dosing 15mls of Vodka a day.
I realise that I am probably putting more carbon in now than before.... but that is where my equilibrium seems to be. No tank changes at the time, but did dose a little Seachem Stability to cheer the bacteria on when I looked like getting out of control. I guess I wonder whether NOPOX and Vodka encourage different bacteria..?
So anyway I went 20mls NOPOX to 15mls Vodka.

Randy Holmes-Farley · May 18, 2018

We have no data on which bacterial species the different types of organic carbon drive in reef tanks, but I would not be surprised if they were different. In your case, ethanol is the main ingredient in both, so you may not have gotten a substantial population shift.

overclockwise · May 18, 2018

I was thinking about doing this recently since NOPOX costs a fortune. Which brand of vodka did you use and what's it's alcohol % / volume?

Randy Holmes-Farley · May 18, 2018

overclockwise said:
I was thinking about doing this recently since NOPOX costs a fortune. Which brand of Vodka did you use and what's it's alcohol % / volume?

Most people who dose vodka use cheap, 80 proof vodka. Vinegar is another good option.

Mindi · May 18, 2018

I used the cheapest I could find which was from Aldi at $28 for 700mls and standard 80 proof strength.

Mindi · May 18, 2018

Randy Holmes-Farley said:
Most people who dose vodka use cheap, 80 proof vodka. Vinegar is another good option.

Yes I would like to take the step from Vodka to vinegar at some stage to really reduce the cost but I have had my pH all over the place in the last 12 months with changing Alkalinity supplement and faulty measurement. Once I am happy I stopped messing up my pH I will think about vinegar. Going NOPOX ($6oaud litre) to Vodka ($40 litre) is a start.

redfishbluefish · May 18, 2018

Realize NOPOX is a combination of ethanol (vodka) and acetic acid (vinegar). If you wish to make your own, it's simply 500 mls Vinegar (5%), 375 mls Vodka (40%) and 125 mls of RO/DI water. Dose per NOPOX instructions. And Yes, I use the least expensive vodka I could find....in my case, Travelers...$12.99 US for 1.75 liters.