Vinegar dosing - bolus or drip feed?

[griff500]

I started vinegar dosing with 12 small doses spread through the 24-hour period. I’ve noticed a good reduction in Cyano but I was told recently it works better if you bolus dose. I have also read people saying that it is better to dose during the light period, although the bacteria we want to encourage live in the rock and substrate and so I’m not quite sure why the light period would be important.

What are current thoughts on this and rationale?

 

[Daddy-o]

I dose slowly all day/night to keep my bacterial colonies fed and consistent. I believe most of the bacteria that you are feeding are not in your rock or substrate so you skim heavily to remove them.
Cheers! Mark

 

[griff500]

Anyone else? I seem to recall @Randy Holmes-Farley talking about drip-feeding but a lot of people seem to bolus dose and recommend one or two times per day and during tank daylight hours.

 

[Randy Holmes-Farley Verified Community Expert]

I’m not certain how effective it is in removing cyano at any dosing schedule, but I prefer to slow dose over the daylight part of the light cycle to spread out any pH and O2 drops that accompany dosing.

 

[griff500]

I’m not certain how effective it is in removing cyano at any dosing schedule, but I prefer to slow dose over the daylight part of the light cycle to spread out any pH and O2 drops that accompany dosing.

Thanks @Randy Holmes-Farley.

I have been dosing during the 24-hour period - only 0.5ml every two hours at the moment as I am only in the fourth day of dosing. At these levels and frequency of dosing I am not seeing any particular difference in the graphs for pH (ranges between 8.1 and 8.3) or Redox (ranges between 407 and 434).

Do you recommend limiting dosing to the tank lighting period regardless?

I am seeing Cyano reducing on a daily basis since I started to dose a vinegar and sugar mixture (DSR) and the sand is gradually looking whiter (although that could be as much to do with the new Wrasse). Presumably this Carbon source is doing better for the bacteria I want than the 'bad' bacteria. It is the EZ version being used so it has some FE in there as well. It could be coincidence as well of course.

 

[Randy Holmes-Farley Verified Community Expert]

Thanks @Randy Holmes-Farley.

I have been dosing during the 24-hour period - only 0.5ml every two hours at the moment as I am only in the fourth day of dosing. At these levels and frequency of dosing I am not seeing any particular difference in the graphs for pH (ranges between 8.1 and 8.3) or Redox (ranges between 407 and 434).

Do you recommend limiting dosing to the tank lighting period regardless?

I am seeing Cyano reducing on a daily basis since I started to dose a vinegar and sugar mixture (DSR) and the sand is gradually looking whiter (although that could be as much to do with the new Wrasse. It is the EZ version being used so it has some FE in there as well.

I would dose during the daylight due to O2.