NEW Vodka and Vinegar Dosing Charts

[Randy Holmes-Farley Verified Community Expert]

Just started following this regimen last week. Nitrates are down 3 points from 18.5 to 15.1 using vodka. Although it says to up the dose in week 2, I might stick with the ~5ml for my tank as I monitor - don't want to bottom out the tank.

Sounds like a fine plan.

 

[SocalS14]

Sounds like a fine plan.

BTW - your two-part rocks. Alk holding steady at 8.1! Thanks again for all the help!

 

[Dmax]

I started dosing 5ml of vodka to my 450 gallon tank back in January. I have since bumped up the dose to 15 ml and held that dose for the last 2-3 months. I dose when the lights come on via Apex Dos. This past week I've noticed cyano growing on my sand bed.

N03 12.5
P04 .40

Should I stop dosing until the cyano is under control?
Switch to vinegar?

 

[Randy Holmes-Farley Verified Community Expert]

I started dosing 5ml of vodka to my 450 gallon tank back in January. I have since bumped up the dose to 15 ml and held that dose for the last 2-3 months. I dose when the lights come on via Apex Dos. This past week I've noticed cyano growing on my sand bed.

N03 12.5
P04 .40

Should I stop dosing until the cyano is under control?
Switch to vinegar?

The vodka may spur the cyano, but it might have happened anyway. Switching to vinegar is a fine plan, or maybe jyst stopping the vodka fir a bit and see if the cyano declines.

 

[Dmax]

Thank you. I will stop it and see if it subsides.

 

[javajaws]

A couple things I haven't seen mentioned in this thread that I'm curious about:

1) Has anyone noticed a more rapid (or slower) decrease in nitrates if they increase the frequency of cleaning the glass while dosing carbon? Just wondering if fresh/clean glass might enable faster bacteria growth or if it would slow it down.

2) Would dosing carbon in combination with calcium carbonate (as part of a coral snow solution with mb7, etc) be as beneficial as pure dosing carbon alone? Can the two even be combined into one solution or would you need to dose separately? Anybody do both?

 

[Randy Holmes-Farley Verified Community Expert]

I would not assume that there is any desirable interaction between the calcium carbonate and the bacteria. I doubt it matters much.

I’ve not seen anyone comment on glass cleaning frequency and carbon dosing efficiency. The bacteria may mostly grow elsewhere and leave the lit areas to photosynthetic organisms such as algae or diatoms that out compete bacteria.,

 

[lmfbs]

A couple things I haven't seen mentioned in this thread that I'm curious about:

1) Has anyone noticed a more rapid (or slower) decrease in nitrates if they increase the frequency of cleaning the glass while dosing carbon? Just wondering if fresh/clean glass might enable faster bacteria growth or if it would slow it down.

2) Would dosing carbon in combination with calcium carbonate (as part of a coral snow solution with mb7, etc) be as beneficial as pure dosing carbon alone? Can the two even be combined into one solution or would you need to dose separately? Anybody do both?

re 1) - I found exactly zero difference if I did or didn't clean the glass. There's so much other surface area in the tank, the glass I'd suggest is quite minimal.

 

[fishybizzness]

Question. I started dosing vodka to my 120 display last month. My nitrates were in the middle to upper 20s. I do a 15 gallon water change every week. I started with 3 ml for 2 weeks and went up to 6 ml 2 weeks ago. During the first 2 weeks I didn't notice much change but in the last 2 weeks they have been starting to creep up and are now at around 40-42. I have been feeding exactly the same. Only difference is I started dosing more phyto as I've been culturing it. Could the phyto be raising my nitrates?

 

[Randy Holmes-Farley Verified Community Expert]

Yes, the phyto or the water they get added with might boost nitrate.

 

[doubleshot00]

Just started Monday with 2ml of vodka for my 90.

How often are you guys testing during the first two weeks?

I tested yesterday and saw no change so maybe test every other day or something?

 

[Randy Holmes-Farley Verified Community Expert]

Just started Monday with 2ml of vodka for my 90.

How often are you guys testing during the first two weeks?

I tested yesterday and saw no change so maybe test every other day or something?

Things generally move more slowly than folks want. Once a week may be plenty.

 

[1ocean]

Good question.

The premise of mixing vodka and vinegar is to avoid a “monoculture” of bacteria. Carbon dosing, especially vinegar, can spur a wide variety of organisms. I have also seen great tanks with vodka dosing.

I believe that fear is not warranted, but you can mix them both if you want to. I will consider making a new graph for those who want to use both.

Corals, sponges, and filter feeders can directly consume the acetate in vinegar for energy. They can use acetate as a building block to make fatty acids, too.

Vinegar is one of the most highly processed organic in the ocean; dosing vinegar can be very natural to the organisms in our tank.

A few potential downsides to vinegar:

1) May increase zooxanthella (darker corals)

2) May increase pest organisms like aiptasia, vermitids, and dinoflagellates, especially with higher doses.

3) Lower pH spikes when not using a doser.


The downsides 1 & 2 won’t happen in every tank. It’s only theoretical. If you aren’t getting cyano with vodka, there’s no reason to switch it. I like vodka as a carbon source. Both work equally well for NO3 when using the charts I made.

I am still reding this post , but a graph of dosing vodka and vinegar mix would be great. I am thinking of doing a formula I found that is simular to nopox????? 50% vinegar, 25% vodka and 25% rodi water.

 

[1ocean]

Ok, who are you? What do you do? Why are you being so helpful?

he is a cool dude...as the wizard of oz said,,, don't pay attention to the mad behind the red curtain...so he is the man behind the red curtain here to help all that want or need the help...my Thank you to you...

 

[Randy Holmes-Farley Verified Community Expert]

I am still reding this post , but a graph of dosing vodka and vinegar mix would be great. I am thinking of doing a formula I found that is simular to nopox????? 50% vinegar, 25% vodka and 25% rodi water.

Graph of what? You should adapt the dosing by your tank needs as you dose it over time.

 

[1ocean]

Graph of what? You should adapt the dosing by your tank needs as you dose it over time.

Ops wrong word(graph) I meant dosing schedule and how many ml for a formula as I mentioned above of a mixed vinegar and vodka, rodi solution. I found people using this sort of mix and following the red sea calculations for dosing. I just wanted to get other options.

 

[Randy Holmes-Farley Verified Community Expert]

Ops wrong word(graph) I meant dosing schedule and how many ml for a formula as I mentioned above of a mixed vinegar and vodka, rodi solution. I found people using this sort of mix and following the red sea calculations for dosing. I just wanted to get other options.

I dosed just vinegar and think it a fine option. The first post of this thread has some dosing suggestions.

 

[Miami Reef]

I found people using this sort of mix and following the red sea calculations for dosing. I just wanted to get other options.

I think you can make the Red Sea vodka x vinegar recipe and raise the dose by 20% every week until you achieve your goal.

It’s a trial by error kind of thing until you find a dose that manages your nitrates.

 

[Miami Reef]

This is the rough recipe:

"Mix one part vinegar to one half part vodka and one half part water. If you want to get even closer, add a little more vodka and a little less water."

Click on Randy’s name to get taken to the original thread it was posted it (where people shared the DIY NOPOX recipe).

 

[doubleshot00]

My nitrates haven’t went down yet. Been dosing vodka for a few weeks now and at 6ml for around a 100-110 gal system.

Ive dosed 6 ml for 5 days now and still haven’t budged.