Vodka dosing.

[jonas503]

Has anyone tried vodka dosing and could give me some pointers perhaps?

[xmas_one]

I did it for a while years ago. The tank was small so ideally I should have just been doing water changes for nutrient removal. 

 Can you tell us about your system and what you want to achieve with carbon dosing?

 

[milesmiles902]

I think xmas has it right. Why do you want to do it?

In my experience of doing it for 4-6 months, in the end, it didn't help anything. Sure, it brought down phosphates and nitrates, but I later found out that I could achieve the same results with activated carbon. Also, coming off of a vodka bender is no fun. You'll get spikes in nitrates or phosphates and if you miss a day, it also spikes.

[Lexinverts]

Don't do it. It is possible to be successful with it, but most people who try it end up having unhappy corals at best and crashing their system at worst. In my opinion, a better approach is nutrient removal in another way, such as using macro algae in a refugium, an algae scrubber, or frequent water changes.

[jonas503]

So I have a reefer 350 and have been battling cyno and can't get it to stay gone. I have a curve 7 skimmer that I hate. I have a carbon reactor and a gfo reactor and now I also have been running a cheato reactor. The carbon and gfo reactors have been going for about 3 weeks now and cheato reactor for a week. It is growing the cheato so so fast it's crazy. Anyway I use chemi clean and it's gone for about 3-4 days then comes back. I have two mp10s at 90% for flow. To me I have plenty of flow but maybe I don't. Idk. So frustrating. Any help is greatly appreciated. 

[jonas503]

I guess my ? Is how long before I start seeing results with all my reactors? Or what else should I do? I also do weekly 20% water changes with fritz. I only have 6 fish and only feed them every other day. I use two hydra 26. 

[jonas503]

Also I think what started my high nutrients was reef roids. Haven't used in awhile. 

[jonas503]

Here's my phos and nitrate test this morning. I don't really understand how I have cyno and hair algae with 0 nitrates and that low of phos. 

[milesmiles902]

Hair algae = Lawnmower Blenny

Cyanobacteria = Antibiotics

 

[Jeremevans]

After you eliminate the nutrient source you will need to be patient and wait out the algae. Get your toothbrush (mechanical removal) out and make sure your export schedule is excellent (socks every few days, water changes).

If you haven't reduced feeding and nutrients coming in then the algae could be uptaking them quickly and leading to low readings in tests. If algae is a problem then either to much nutrients are and / or are continually entering. I would consider eliminating any non frozen foods as they are much more nutrient dense than frozen.

An algae living fish isn't a bad idea as a second piece of algae control but nutrient in control and export are the first line.


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