vodka problem (tank not me...)

[hadad]

Hello

I just start dosing vodka to bring down N and P
I got a 250G tank and about 80 ppm NO3, and 0 PH (phosban reactor)
I started with 10 ml of vodka and I have increase the volume
Every day with 1 ml

It's been 7 days now and I didn't got any bacteria bloom
And the worst, the NO3 is still very high

all the sps look the same.

What should I do?

Thanks

[nismo driver]

i take more then a week to get results and it sounds like you didnt quite follow the dosing directions for increasing the amount, full on bacteria bloom (clouded out tank) is not necessarily the desired result and from what i have read tends to happen when you reach a point where the dosage is higher then what you should be maintaining. lastly i belive the bacteria uses both the n and p so for the method to be effective both should be present, and despite your test showing zero p there are still phosphates. if you wish to continue then i suggest you re read the thread about dosing and follow the incriments more closely and be patient and look for other indicators of change aside from a bloom, are your corals changing color at all? is the algae receeding? what kind and quantity of skimmate are you getting?


i ranthe method for close to 2 months and eventually determined my skimmer was not effective enough to use the vodka dosing. during that timethough i did have excellent color but eventually the nutrient in my tank got too high and conditions swugn teh other way the next month was battleing algae.. i will try vodka dosing again when i upgrade my skimmer

[bertoni]

[welcome]

I agree that some more time might be required before seeing results. Bacterial blooms can suffocate animals, so I'd be careful to watch for signs of trouble.

[hadad]

My skimmer is BK250 internal
What is the right dosing for me?
The corals look fine and the color is almost the same
Maybe a little improvements.

Thanks

[Billybeau1]

I'm not a big vodka fan. Or sugar for that matter.

Have you tried any of the conventional ways of lowering NO3.

Nitrate in the Reef Aquarium
http://www.advancedaquarist.com/issues/august2003/chem.htm

[steve9]

You should do three 55 gallon water changes ...one per week..this should get your nitrates down under20,than dose 2 ml per 50 gallons which should get you to 0 nitrates in a month...

[Billybeau1]

Water changes are a short term fix and the nitrates will just keep coming back until you find the cause and battle it on a continuous basis.

Unless you plan to keep doing large scale water changes.

The other ideas mentioned in the above article will keep your nitrates low. Everyones tank is different. Some plans work for some and not others. :)