kireek Posted June 3, 2015 Share Posted June 3, 2015 After dosing vodka for less than a week the nitrates in my 60 gallon mixed reef dropped to zero.In a effort to bring the nitrates back up I have reduced vodka dosing to 1 drop per day.Is this tiny amount capable of making a notable difference?My primary reason for dosing is to control nuisance algae. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
TheClark Posted June 3, 2015 Share Posted June 3, 2015 My experience with vinegar was... Once carbon dosing knocks nitrates down, it takes a while for them to come back. Took so long I gave up testing. Maybe a couple of weeks later it was registering again. Perhaps the bacteria stick around for a while until they starve out... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Exodus Posted June 3, 2015 Share Posted June 3, 2015 nuisance algae is easily controlled by using peroxide as well, just as long as you don't have an anemone in the tank Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
pledosophy Posted June 3, 2015 Share Posted June 3, 2015 If you feed more the nitrates will come back up. That is one of the great things about carbon dosing. It allows you to feed the corals much more often and not have the same algae/water quality issues. I have been dosing vodka daily for 6 or 7 years, was doing sugar before that. IME I would not start and stop with it. Find the dose that does the job, then find your maintenance dose (most people it is half of the original dose) and do that daily. JMO 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Lexinverts Posted June 3, 2015 Share Posted June 3, 2015 (edited) I've been dosing Acropower to my tank at the same time as carbon (I use NoPox by Red Sea) to prevent the nutrients from getting too low. If you let things get too low, it can cause problems for SPS. I've dialed it back to adding only .5 ml per day, so it can be very effective even in tiny doses. Edited June 3, 2015 by Lexinverts Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
kireek Posted June 3, 2015 Author Share Posted June 3, 2015 My experience with vinegar was... Once carbon dosing knocks nitrates down, it takes a while for them to come back. Took so long I gave up testing. Maybe a couple of weeks later it was registering again. Perhaps the bacteria stick around for a while until they starve out... Yes it has been weeks and my nitrates are barely detectable.This is what makes me think the drop a day is a effective dose,for my particular system.I will have to wait it out a month or two to be sure. nuisance algae is easily controlled by using peroxide as well, just as long as you don't have an anemone in the tank I had a bad experience with peroxide so I prefer not to use it. If you feed more the nitrates will come back up. That is one of the great things about carbon dosing. It allows you to feed the corals much more often and not have the same algae/water quality issues. I have been dosing vodka daily for 6 or 7 years, was doing sugar before that. IME I would not start and stop with it. Find the dose that does the job, then find your maintenance dose (most people it is half of the original dose) and do that daily. JMO I have always been good at over feeding the corals.With my initial dosing the nitrates dropped much faster than I expected.I should have tested the water every day. I've been dosing Acropower to my tank at the same time as carbon (I use NoPox by Red Sea) to prevent the nutrients from getting too low. If you let things get too low, it can cause problems for SPS. I've dialed it back to adding only .5 ml per day, so it can be very effective even in tiny doses. My concern exactly,I don't want my nutrients too low.My half dose was only .2 ml for my system.So I am fairly certain the tiny dose is doing something. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
earthbound Posted June 4, 2015 Share Posted June 4, 2015 I use the zeovit Carbon source, but my daily dose is .3ml in about 100g water volume, so .2 is not out of place for a maintenance dose. My nitrates stay right in 3-4 range if they change I just adjust my daily dose .1ml per week . Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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