Switching from vodka to vinegar

[gaz]

Hi I was just wondering if I can switch straight over to vinegar from vodka or will that course problems. I was thinking about using my dosing pump to drip it through the day, would this be more efficient then dosing all in one go? Do you think a vodka vinegar mix is better? If so what ratio of vodka and vinegar do you mix
Thanks for any help

 

[Randy Holmes-Farley Verified Community Expert]

Dosing through the day is best, IMO,. I do that.

I use straight vinegar. The mix may also be fine.

I'd put it in a doser and swap from straight vodka to whatever you want to use over about 2-3 weeks. If fully switching, use about 8x more vinegar than vodka.

 

[gaz]

Ok thanks randy. So if I fade the vodka out about 1ml a day-2 days and replace that with 8ml of vinegar for each ml of vodka is that ok? Thanks again

 

[Hawain_Rob]

What kind of vinegar do you use?

 

[gaz]

Just ordered 10ltrs of white distilled vinegar from Amazon

 

[Randy Holmes-Farley Verified Community Expert]

Ok thanks randy. So if I fade the vodka out about 1ml a day-2 days and replace that with 8ml of vinegar for each ml of vodka is that ok? Thanks again

Yes, that sounds right. Fad it over 2-3 weeks to give bacteria a chance to adjust.

 

[Randy Holmes-Farley Verified Community Expert]

What kind of vinegar do you use?

Yes, just ordinary distilled white vinegar from a grocery store is fine. 5% acidity. Usually less than $3 per gallon.

 

[Hawain_Rob]

I know nuffin about doseing vinegar. What does it do and how much would I dose in a 20g tank?

 

[Randy Holmes-Farley Verified Community Expert]

I know nuffin about doseing vinegar. What does it do and how much would I dose in a 20g tank?

This describes it:

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

 

[gaz]

Which one is better for lowering phosphate? That's where my problem seems to be. I do run 200g of rowa in a 800ltr tank in a media bag on my return to sump but I'm not sure if it's doing much, I think I need to use a reactor.

 

[Randy Holmes-Farley Verified Community Expert]

Which one is better for lowering phosphate? That's where my problem seems to be. I do run 200g of rowa in a 800ltr tank in a media bag on my return to sump but I'm not sure if it's doing much, I think I need to use a reactor.

I don't know of a difference in that respect of any soluble organic. But many folks dosing organic carbon also use GFO. I do. THere are obvious reasons that organic carbon preferentially uses nitrate and less phosphate.

 

[gaz]

Ok so I presume that you use vinegar so you can dose it over long period of time through a dosing pump but what is best way to keep po4 down?

 

[Randy Holmes-Farley Verified Community Expert]

I stated with vodka and switched to vinegar because the vodka seemed to contribute to cyano more than the vinegar did.

I also like vinegar because so many more creatures than bacteria are known use it, so whether you have sufficient bacteria or not, it won't build up as much and may directly support the growth of higher organisms.

 

[Randy Holmes-Farley Verified Community Expert]

GFO is a good way to limit phosphate.

 

[Reef_Hobbyist]

GFO is a good way to limit phosphate.

Randy if I recall correctly you are using vinegar in your lime water to increase the solubility of the lime. Is that your form of vinegar dosing or is that separate?

 

[Randy Holmes-Farley Verified Community Expert]

Randy if I recall correctly you are using vinegar in your lime water to increase the solubility of the lime. Is that your form of vinegar dosing or is that separate?

No, I don't mix it into my top off limewater. When I first started it I was manual dosing, and in that format the pH drop from once or twice a day dosing was concerning to me so I added solid calcium hydroxide into the full strength vinegar until there was excess solid material, then dosed the clear liquid. That avoided any pH lowering.

But then I switched to a dosing pump which spread out the dosing and any pH effect, so now I dose straight vinegar by having the dosing tube suck from a 1 gallon bottle of vinegar.