Vinegar Dosing Journey

[Joe Grubbs]

280 g operating volume for a 160g mixed reef peninsula, 3+ yr old, NO3 had been running 8 - 16 ppm, general issue with green/red algae on gravel & rocks...home test kits are Red Sea plus Triton lab test as a back up.

In July of this year started dosing Vinegar at 20 ml/day and increased to 36 ml/day over 6 weeks. NO3 dropped to about 0.25 ppm (Red Sea test kit). During the startup time, there was a significant bloom of red algae (not unexpected), mechanical removal and water changes removed the most of it. Running at 36 ml/day, there is no green/red algae, and the algae growth on the glass has reduced.

Started reducing the dos rate at 2 ml/day/week, at 32 ml/day the red algae began returning to the gravel. NO3 is still about 0.25 ppm.

So, do I keep reducing until NO3 comes up or go back up to 36 ml/day till the algae is gone?

The goal is to enjoy the tank, heavily feed fish & corals, and not work so hard to 'keep it clean' (the dream - right?)

 

[Dan_P]

If you find dosing vinegar a pain, stop it. See if you like the results and then decide your next step.

There is a school of thought that says you keep dosing forever but at a reduced level. Since you aren’t adding much now, stay at the maximum dose you added when the nitrates dropped. See if you like the results and decide later whether to wean your system of vinegar (an automatic doser might be an option). You might guess that I don’t like making quick changes

I am skeptical of any connection between carbon dosing and cyanobacteria growth. I started a year long study to see if the twice a year cyanobacteria bloom in the display tank disappears. By June of 2019, I will have a better idea if dosing stopped the periodic mat formation (I don’t care if it grows in the refugium).

 

[Joe Grubbs]

If you find dosing vinegar a pain, stop it. See if you like the results and then decide your next step.

Started with auto dosing using the unused 4th head of the pump being used for 2-part. There is little effort beyond making sure the bottle does not run out.

Your recommendation is to go back to the max dose and watch the system from that point. Got it...

 

[C Hawk]

I have been carbon dosing with vinegar for 8 months now. No cyano. In the past I carbon dosed with an alcohol based carbon source (NoPox) with resulting cyano blooms.

 

[Joe Grubbs]

OK, that sounds like, stick with the vinegar and go back up in the dose. Thanks.

 

[C Hawk]

I would. I dose a lot of vinegar for my 300 gallon system. I am very pleased with the results no algae and no cyano.

 

[Joe Grubbs]

Quick update, based on your experiences, I increased back to 36ml/day, and the green/red cyano is slowly going away... I'll run at this level for the time being. Thank you all.

 

[Cory]

One cyanobacteria grows when carbon dosing kills off old hair algae. It then grows on top.