Ocean In a Box Posted August 23, 2009 Share Posted August 23, 2009 I just started drinking....I mean dosing Vodka. Some of my frag tanks have had some algae that I am wanting to see if Vodka dosing will cure. I ran across a very nice artice which I wll share below which shows some incredible before and after photos. Take a look if you havent already. http://www.reefkeeping.com/issues/2008-08/nftt/index.php Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
coralreefer Posted August 23, 2009 Share Posted August 23, 2009 I have been dosing vodka for 3 months..does make a great improvement...but you greatly increase the effectiveness if you dose bacteria at the same time...Microbacter 7 from Brightwell, ZEObac from ZEOvit...greatly speeds what you are trying to accomplish and well worth the effort...IMHO... DrMerle Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Smann Posted August 23, 2009 Share Posted August 23, 2009 I read the article awhile back but it states not to dose carbon if you dont have detectable Nitrate or phosphate. I have some algae on the sand bed and tuffs on the powerheads but I test 0 for both. Are people dosing just because of algae or testing and have phos/nitrates? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
coralreefer Posted August 23, 2009 Share Posted August 23, 2009 If you've got algae, you've got nitrates/phos... You can test zero for both, but nitrates/phosphates could have been absorbed by your rocks and is now leaching out and is being used by algae... If you had higher nitrates/phosphates in the past, you've improved your husbandry but are paying for past sins...continue with husbandry and see if eventually you can deplete your nitrate/phosphate reservoirs in the rock... DrMerle Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
impur Posted August 25, 2009 Share Posted August 25, 2009 I am going to dose vodka starting this weekend and i have no detectable NO3/PO4. I want to try and starve out the turf algae that has been growing since i first got my rock. The key is to go slow as with everything in this hobby Keep us updated on how it goes Perry! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
pledosophy Posted August 25, 2009 Share Posted August 25, 2009 IME, IMHO going to slow is a waste of time. I would start with a dose. Dose three times, every other day, then double the dose. I no longer use vodka, but prefer sugar. I have doses many tanks. Only good results so far. If you see white strings in the display, skip a dose. This does not work as well without a skimmer IME. Dosing right before the lights turn on have reported less problems, but I have not had any issues with vodka or sugar IMO. I have dosed a carbon source with detectable nitrate, it is why I dosed in lieu of water changes, I saw no issue with it IME. HTH Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Barelycuda Posted August 26, 2009 Share Posted August 26, 2009 I had read that same article when I started dosing vodka in my systems. The above article does seem to be very conservative to start out but I have been dosing for a couple months now and am very pleased. Dave Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
dsoz Posted August 26, 2009 Share Posted August 26, 2009 I don't think going slow is a waste of time. If you start out too fast, you risk a bacterial bloom. The bacteria use up all the oxygen in your system and the fish are the first thing to die. Then some of the more sensitive corals. Go slow, especially with a set-up with expensive critters like you have Perry!!! dsoz Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ocean In a Box Posted August 26, 2009 Author Share Posted August 26, 2009 I'm am following the dosing regiments for 500 gal systems since each one of my systems are 600 gal. I figure since it is relatively a new procedure I sure dont want to toast my corals. Not really any fish to be concerned with at this time. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
nwcoralfarm Posted August 26, 2009 Share Posted August 26, 2009 Please keep us posted on how this is working for you, I have been very interested in this for some time. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Barelycuda Posted August 26, 2009 Share Posted August 26, 2009 I am in total agreement with you Dennis. I had started out per the article and it has taken some time to start to get results but in the long run it will be worth it. Dave Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
grassi Posted August 26, 2009 Share Posted August 26, 2009 I was reading that in plastic industry the usage of phosphorus, mainly as phosphate plasticizers, stabilizers, flame-proofing agents, is huge. Most of the plastic materials we put inside our tanks do leak phosphates. For example egg-crate. It is produced to be a light filter. So flame-proofing agents are added, and phosphates are easy and cheap to add. I'm for triple checking the cause of the algae bloom before to add some more variables into the tank. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
impur Posted August 27, 2009 Share Posted August 27, 2009 My gosh i started off on the wrong foot with vodka dosing. Got my vodka, tonight, pulled 6ml from the bottle and shot it into my overflow......then i thought 6ml sounds like too much. Hmmmm Went back to the chart and i should have done .6ml!!!! UGH!!!! Shut off the return pump ASAP and i'm currently making up water for a WC. Luckily i think most of it should still be in the sump. It was maybe 5-10min from when i dosed to when i shut off the pump. Gonna wait a week or so now before i continue. Looks like the worst i can expect is some white stringy stuff and possibly the death of my fish due to lack of O2. I'll be adding an airstone overnight to help compensate. So stupid.... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
reef165 Posted August 27, 2009 Share Posted August 27, 2009 Thats whare ya screwed up! the first shot goes in you not the tank! its one for you one for the tank! Kinda like its your buddy but hes cut off after the first shot and you get to keep going! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
coralreefer Posted August 27, 2009 Share Posted August 27, 2009 impur--if you don't have white cloud in am, that's your starting point...I would dose 3 ml tomorrow night if you aren't seeing any problems (white cloud) in am... no white cloud in am is telling you it can handle what you threw at it...not to tempt fate, you can cut dose in 1/2 and attack tank with 3 ml nightly...I feel I was very cautious in attacking my tank with vodka and could have been much more aggressive...I was dosing 10ml twice daily and decided to back off as nitrates/phosphates reached zero and now dose 5ml twice daily plus 1 1/2 ml of vinegar/sugar...you will be fine...breathe deep DrMerle Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
impur Posted August 27, 2009 Share Posted August 27, 2009 I ended up doing about a 15gal WC, and adding an airstone. Everything is fine this morning. I think i'm going to continue at .6ml again today if all is well when i get home. Thats .6 Miles notice the decimal!!!!!!! (laugh) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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