Switching from Nopox to vodka?

[Magicalmidnight]

Hi

I'm currently using nopox and i am happy with the results. I heard that nopox is basically vodka, so I was thinking of switching to vodka since it's cheaper.

I was wondering do i use the same dosage of vodka to nopox?

Also

How similar is vodka to nopox? Will there be a shock to my system from switching to vodka immediately after nopox? Should i gradually mix both and then move to vodka?

Thanks!

 

[Randy Holmes-Farley Verified Community Expert]

Hi

I'm currently using nopox and i am happy with the results. I heard that nopox is basically vodka, so I was thinking of switching to vodka since it's cheaper.

I was wondering do i use the same dosage of vodka to nopox?

Also

How similar is vodka to nopox? Will there be a shock to my system from switching to vodka immediately after nopox? Should i gradually mix both and then move to vodka?

Thanks!

NOPOX has several organics in it, mostly acetic acid (vinegar) and ethanol (vodka). It also has methanol and isopropanol (possibly only so they can buy cheap, nondrinkable ethanol).

IMO, the exact ratios are quite unimportant, and i actually prefer vinegar alone, but a rough and ready recipe to mimic NOPOX is

"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."

 

[Magicalmidnight]

NOPOX has several organics in it, mostly acetic acid (vinegar) and ethanol (vodka). It also has methanol and isopropanol (possibly only so they can buy cheap, nondrinkable ethanol).

IMO, the exact ratios are quite unimportant, and i actually prefer vinegar alone, but a rough and ready recipe to mimic NOPOX is

"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."

Ok thanks

Why do you prefer vinegar over vodka?

Isn't it less potent and thus you have to use more?

 

[andrewkw]

I have been doing diy nopox for I dunno 5 years maybe longer. This is the ratio I use :

375 ml vodka
500 ml vinegar
125 ml ro/di

 

[Randy Holmes-Farley Verified Community Expert]

Ok thanks

Why do you prefer vinegar over vodka?

Isn't it less potent and thus you have to use more?

Potency doesn't really matter, does it?

yes, you use more (maybe 8x the amount), but it costs a ton less if you live in a place that taxes vodka.

I started with vodka and got a resurgence of cyanobacteria. Switching to vinegar reduced the cyano back to normal.

 

[Thaxxx]

@Randy Holmes-Farley
Do you have a vinegar only dosing chart somewhere?

 

[ReefBeta]

I prefer vodka instead, because when I tried to use vinegar as well, it grows some nasty yellow film all over my sump and clogging the pumps. I heard nopox have similar effect. Vodka don't have that problem. They feed different types of bacteria.

 

[Thaxxx]

I prefer vodka instead, because when I tried to use vinegar as well, it grows some nasty yellow film all over my sump and clogging the pumps. I heard nopox have similar effect. Vodka don't have that problem. They feed different types of bacteria.

What did your NO3 start out at, and what did you get it down to?
How long did it take?

 

[ReefBeta]

What did your NO3 start out at, and what did you get it down to?
How long did it take?

It was my previous setup, so memory may not be accurate. I think it started from 5~10ppm. I was dosing daily, upping dosage by 0.5ml per week. I think I ended to 5ml daily dosage. So took about 10 weeks? or sooner, don't remember the starting dosage. The end nitrate was at 0.25~0.5 ppm consistently. I tested with red sea test kit, the only one that has that precision. It was also pretty easy to control it. Test weekly, if it gets higher, add 0.5ml dosage, if gets too low, reduce 0.5ml dosage, the effect shows within a week.

 

[Big E]

@Randy Holmes-Farley
Do you have a vinegar only dosing chart somewhere?

 

[chaoticreefer]

Sorry for bringing an old thread back to alive, but I am curious what common container do you guys use to mix and store extra vodka/vinegar mixture? I learnt the hard way about you don't put vodka in some types of plastic containers (I destroyed my DOS container in matter of minutes, so I have been fearful to use plastic containers other than the one that vodka comes in. I assume you all use glass containers to mix and store, but I can't think up a common container that's really big enough to mix and store without a plastic top. Right now I just dose straight vodka so I just use that container since there's no mixing and storing extras, but lately I have been thinking about trying the mixture so I can have more diversity in good bacteria.