Vodka dosing whos doing it?

[Cory]

So ive been dosing vodka since the start of my new tank. Its been going for about 3 weeks now. Im dosing based on foggyness. I dose between 5-10ml of vodka per day of 80 proof. The doser doses 5 ml a day, and I manually add 1-5 ml extra.

So far its eliminated almost all the green algaes. Hair algae on my old live rock is withering away. As soon as i swapped the old live rock from my 20 gallon into the 240, all the bubble algae turned white after a week. The remaining is dying off slowly.

Softies hate vodka, probably due to low no3/po4. But my monti is loving it and growing again with white tips.

I find it interesting that i never get green algae on the glass, just an opaque whitish film, which is easily whiped off.

What's everyones thoughts on carbon dosing with vodka/ vinegar etcetera?

Question: if you overdose vodka, it can essentially evaporate from the tank right? If you overdose vinegar, there is nothing to correct it but a water change. So in this sense, isnt it better to dose vodka?

 

[trevormass7]

Never vodka dosed but I use about an 8th of a teaspoon of sugar on my 30g and that wipes out phosphates

 

[chipmunkofdoom2]

If vodka evaporated quickly enough to not cause a bacterial bloom in the event of an overdose, it would not be an effective method of nutrient reduction. It would simply evaporate shortly after you dose it and not feed bacteria. If you overdose vodka, you will still get a bacterial bloom. It has happened to many reefers. Vodka does not appear to be any "safer" than vinegar in this regard.

I dose vinegar. The amount varies with how much algae is growing on my MP10 and in my overflow's U-tube.

More food for thought for the conversation. I have undetectable nitrates, very low phosphates (0.015ppm), no coral growth, and cyano in patches on the rock. I suspect my problem now is that I have phosphates bound in my rockwork. If you have balanced nutrients in your tank (lots of nitrates, a little bit of phosphates), then organic carbon dosing is excellent. Phosphates may still be an issue depending on your tank and your situation. This isn't an argument against organic carbon dosing, just something to keep in mind.

 

[Cory]

Never vodka dosed but I use about an 8th of a teaspoon of sugar on my 30g and that wipes out phosphates

Thats pretty effective! Ive heard people have had problems with sps dosing sugar so i used vodka instead. Have you had any problems? 1/8th tsp of sugar is like adding 5ml iirc of vodka to your tank. Does it get foggy?

 

[Cory]

If vodka evaporated quickly enough to not cause a bacterial bloom in the event of an overdose, it would not be an effective method of nutrient reduction. It would simply evaporate shortly after you dose it and not feed bacteria. If you overdose vodka, you will still get a bacterial bloom. It has happened to many reefers. Vodka does not appear to be any "safer" than vinegar in this regard.

I dose vinegar. The amount varies with how much algae is growing on my MP10 and in my overflow's U-tube.

More food for thought for the conversation. I have undetectable nitrates, very low phosphates (0.015ppm), no coral growth, and cyano in patches on the rock. I suspect my problem now is that I have phosphates bound in my rockwork. If you have balanced nutrients in your tank (lots of nitrates, a little bit of phosphates), then organic carbon dosing is excellent. Phosphates may still be an issue depending on your tank and your situation. This isn't an argument against organic carbon dosing, just something to keep in mind.

Yeah i doubt it would evaporate quick enough too. Ive heard it gets converted to something else in seawater. So it probably wouldnt.

Cyano is an uncertain player. Ive had it grow in areas of low flow, but what ive noticed is it grew over dead algae. I bet it's consuming some organic in it while hair algae dies off. I also read that cyano can use ethanol, or was it acetate from vinegar? But yeah cyano loves organics in various form from my experience.

 

[trevormass7]

Never been foggy but I don't have sps so I can say for those

 

[Tautog]

I've asked this question many times, but was always told it isn't the answer.
A WC is always a good fix, but guys that don't do WC's regularly, dose all kinds of stuff. So, it depends on what your keeping

 

[Cory]

I've asked this question many times, but was always told it isn't the answer.
A WC is always a good fix, but guys that don't do WC's regularly, dose all kinds of stuff. So, it depends on what your keeping

Scientists recently discovered that a drop of seawater contains 10 million viruses and it has an impact on marine biology. They state microbes make up 95% of the biomass!

http://www.futurity.org/millions-of-marine-viruses-ebb-and-flow/

An article long ago tested our reef aquarium water for bacteria, and found it relatively devoid of bacteria! You might want to reconsider dosing if youve got algae problems or high no3/po4. I cant find it but if someone does post it.

 

[Waterjockey]

I'very been dosing carbon for a few years now. Currently dosing roughly a 50/50 mix vodka/vinegar...probably go back to straight vinegar whenever this batch is done. First 6 months or so I used to get a white haze on the glass every couple of days, but not so much anymore. I just use a maintenance dose to keep bacterial levels up as coral food and allows me to feed very heavy.

 

[Cory]

I found this on cyano i know its not about vodka:

"My reef is a 230 gallon tank with DSB 9 years old, doing great. had an outbreak of red slime. this occurs wherever my brain and hammer coral sting the Stoneys, the die off turns to slime fuel."

 

[Cory]

I'very been dosing carbon for a few years now. Currently dosing roughly a 50/50 mix vodka/vinegar...probably go back to straight vinegar whenever this batch is done. First 6 months or so I used to get a white haze on the glass every couple of days, but not so much anymore. I just use a maintenance dose to keep bacterial levels up as coral food and allows me to feed very heavy.

Ive noticed less white as time goes on too. Have you gotten green algae on the glass? Or never?

 

[Waterjockey]

Ive noticed less white as time goes on too. Have you gotten green algae on the glass? Or never?

Yup, usually when I change carbon sources (did lots of that while experimenting), and after a few weeks/months it just kinda stops. Same with the other uglies, cyano, etc...had some outbreaks, again when switching sources or changing doses. ...but haven't had any issues like that for 10 months or so (started this mix I am using about a year ago). It eventually reaches an equilibrium....just requires patience

 

[Cory]

Yup, usually when I change carbon sources (did lots of that while experimenting), and after a few weeks/months it just kinda stops. Same with the other uglies, cyano, etc...had some outbreaks, again when switching sources or changing doses. ...but haven't had any issues like that for 10 months or so (started this mix I am using about a year ago). It eventually reaches an equilibrium....just requires patience

Im thinking my tank is bacterial driven. I cant seem to get algae on the glass, just a thick white film. Ive been thinking of dosing some micro elements for the bacteria too. Like copper, vandium, zinc etcetera. Maybe something becomes limiting. My tanks also bb.

 

[Waterjockey]

Im thinking my tank is bacterial driven. I cant seem to get algae on the glass, just a thick white film. Ive been thinking of dosing some micro elements for the bacteria too. Like copper, vandium, zinc etcetera. Maybe something becomes limiting. My tanks also bb.

I'm not sure what you mean by being "bacterial driven"? Aren't all systems? Are you worried you're not get any films but white? I don't really get much in the way of films anymore if that helps...I tend to notice it when I scrape the coralline off the front and side glass every few weeks.
What makes you think something is "limiting"?

 

[Gweeds1980]

So ive been dosing vodka since the start of my new tank. Its been going for about 3 weeks now. Im dosing based on foggyness. I dose between 5-10ml of vodka per day of 80 proof. The doser doses 5 ml a day, and I manually add 1-5 ml extra.

So far its eliminated almost all the green algaes. Hair algae on my old live rock is withering away. As soon as i swapped the old live rock from my 20 gallon into the 240, all the bubble algae turned white after a week. The remaining is dying off slowly.

Softies hate vodka, probably due to low no3/po4. But my monti is loving it and growing again with white tips.

I find it interesting that i never get green algae on the glass, just an opaque whitish film, which is easily whiped off.

What's everyones thoughts on carbon dosing with vodka/ vinegar etcetera?

Question: if you overdose vodka, it can essentially evaporate from the tank right? If you overdose vinegar, there is nothing to correct it but a water change. So in this sense, isnt it better to dose vodka?

I used to dose vodka. I gave it up as it was feeding a massive cyano bloom...

The whitish film you refer to is the bacteria that you're feeding... I think (I may be wrong) that if you're getting this, you should dial back the dosing.

What do you mean when you say you're dosing based on fogginess? If you're getting cloudy water, that's excess bacteria too.

I moved to biopellets in a reactor... The effluent flows directly into the skimmer intake. My nutes are higher than when I dosed vodka but overall results are better imo.

 

[Cory]

I'm not sure what you mean by being "bacterial driven"? Aren't all systems? Are you worried you're not get any films but white? I don't really get much in the way of films anymore if that helps...I tend to notice it when I scrape the coralline off the front and side glass every few weeks.
What makes you think something is "limiting"?

What i mean by bacterial driven is that the supplied carbon in vodka is driving bacterial growth to the point that they are completely consuming all available nutrients that algae cant get. Thus bacterial driven. Rather than algal driven. If i didn't supply the carbon dosing, algae would dominate. Corraline still grows, but not hair algae or other greens. Its dying. On my previous tank with an ats on po4/no3 were zero but algae would grow in the tank when i didn't clean the screen for two weeks. But in this new system its bacteria doing the work.

Yeah im kind of worried that the white film wont show. I want this film instead of algae. I suspect those biological micro elements may become limiting that bacteria need to grow. Like copper iron or vandium. This is a no water change tank, just like my previous ats system was non waterchange.

 

[Cory]

I used to dose vodka. I gave it up as it was feeding a massive cyano bloom...

The whitish film you refer to is the bacteria that you're feeding... I think (I may be wrong) that if you're getting this, you should dial back the dosing.

What do you mean when you say you're dosing based on fogginess? If you're getting cloudy water, that's excess bacteria too.

I moved to biopellets in a reactor... The effluent flows directly into the skimmer intake. My nutes are higher than when I dosed vodka but overall results are better imo.

Yes ive heard that too, to dial it back. I have seen only good things in "overdosing". Ill dial it back if something goes bad.

Im intentionally creating bacterial fog. If i dont see a fog or bloom, im inclined to dose more. But my max is at 10ml per day. I know most dose based on no3/po4 tests, but im dosing based on coral growth and algae in the tank. If algaes growing i think it needs more vodka. Not a lot,just enough until it receeds.

I like the idea of biopellets, but hate the fact that i suggested biodegradable plastic like 10 years ago on rc and someone made them a year later, so i dont use them

 

[Waterjockey]

Just a couple of notes....I'm not sure dosing so much carbon that you see a bloom is a good thing....you could be riding the edge of a tipping point.....I've read a number of horror stories where people have had bacterial blooms wipe out their tanks.

It is also very easy to drive nitrates to zero, and if you dose nitrates along with carbon, you can drive phosphates to zero as well (zero being below measurable levels)....I've done it (intentionally), and it didn't work out well for my mixed mostly LPS tank. I have a Trachyphylia that is still recovering flesh from that incident 18 months ago, and a Wellso that never did recover. I feed very heavy, and dose enough carbon to maintain about 10ppm nitrates or so....I don't even bother testing for phosphate anymore and my LPS corals are much happier.

 

[Gil03]

I've been using Red seas NoPoX for the past year and it works great for keeping nitrates and phosphates in check. The only time I get a white slimy film is when I'm dosing too much which I'll dial it back slightly and it goes away for good. I use 1ml a day on a 50 cube and it strips my phosphates to zero and nitrates are at 5, because of this I have to dose reef energy. I do not run GFO or biopellets.

 

[happyhourhero]

I have been doing the DIY NoPox since the end of June.