Vodka dosing

[FunkyFish]

Have been vodka dosing in my 90 fowlr for a couple months and notice I get a white film on glass I have to scrape off like algae which I don't get anymore, well not much anyway. Any ideas. I don't have a sump. Have a dual bak pak skimmer and 110 HOB along with 125lbs live rock on two inch sand bed. Been running about a year with 9 two inch fish on the average

 

[joeyhatch11]

I've been dosing my 40G total system now for a little over 3 months. I started out low and slow with the dosing. I'm currently only dosing .8ml each morning. I started dosing 1ml and found with my system, because its so small, that it started producing that white film on my glass. I've since cut back to my .8ml and its gone away. So id like to think you may just be dosing too much. My tank has no algae issue or high phosphates. I just started the dosing to see how much better my sps would do and its made a world of difference on my tank. How much are you dosing? Try cutting back some and see if it makes a difference.

 

[FunkyFish]

Cool I'll try that. I just poor in a half cap full a day I'll cut it to a 1/4

 

[stanleo]

Is it just cheap vodka that people use or Is it the good stuff?

 

[StikHedRon]

If you are seeing white film, this is bacteria and you just need to cut the dosage back a little. And yes most people just use the cheap vodka.

 

[J062682l]

How much should I use on my 55 I wanna start this

 

[StikHedRon]

Google Randy Holmes Farley Vodka and you'll find your answer to this. With such a small tank, it might be easier to dose vinegar as it takes more vinegar to equal the carbon amount of vodka, allowing for tweaking of your dosage more.

 

[joeyhatch11]

Its not so much on how much to use. You need to start reallllllly slow when carbon dosing. Most use a 1ml syringe and start at .2ml a day and up the dosage by .2ml every 7 days. You keep doing this till you see a change in the tank. Meaning the white build up or finding your filter socks covered in a slim coat after just a day or two. At that point you'll cut back on the dosing by .2ml and that's your daily dosage. I'm at .8-.9 a day on my 40G system. Doesn't sound like much but when adding it to the sump, it does seem perfect for that volume of water.

 

[FunkyFish]

I wouldn't drink Georgi but I'd give it to my fish. I'm def going to cut back on my dose. What exactly is the white film?

 

[StikHedRon]

Bacteria bloom

 

[Dustyboots]

I vodka and vinegar dose. I had a weird bacterial bloom briefly last week which really just showed on the surface of my aquarium. I have an Ehiem standalone surface skimmer which took care of that problem in 5 minutes. My params are amm 0 nitrite 0 nitrate 10 phos > trace temp 78 calc 440 Kh 10 ph 8.2 sg .024
I much agree carbon dosing should be taken very slowly, I started with less than .5 ml and that dosing was for a 50 gallon. I have a 65 with a 10 gal +- sump, so I'm dosing sparely. Best if luck to you.

 

[Reefing Madness]

Its just bacteria build up from the carbon dosing, its going to happen, no worries though, doesn't harm anything. Its not a bloom, as it will be on going as long as you dose.
Just use el cheapo vodak, but can't have any flavoring in it.
Start out at 2mls the first week, go to 5mls the second week, then add 5mls every week until you see yor Trates drop. At the point you see them start to drop, do not up the doseage anymore. That will be your daily doseage until your Trates come down to where you want them. When they are down, then cut that dose in half, that is your new daily dose.

 

[Dustyboots]

Bacteria are more of an eyesore than anything, I see a little on the surface, a string now and then... You need a **** of a skimmer when doing carbon dosing btw. It works though.

 

[J062682l]

I wouldn't drink Georgi but I'd give it to my fish. I'm def going to cut back on my dose. What exactly is the white film?

Who u talking too

 

[J062682l]

Its just bacteria build up from the carbon dosing, its going to happen, no worries though, doesn't harm anything. Its not a bloom, as it will be on going as long as you dose.
Just use el cheapo vodak, but can't have any flavoring in it.
Start out at 2mls the first week, go to 5mls the second week, then add 5mls every week until you see yor Trates drop. At the point you see them start to drop, do not up the doseage anymore. That will be your daily doseage until your Trates come down to where you want them. When they are down, then cut that dose in half, that is your new daily dose.

Thank u sir!