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solitude127
12/21/2009, 01:29 PM
I've read the vodka dosing article in ReefKeeping magazine and I've started dosing vodka. Fortunately, I have access to Lab grade ethenol. Will 40% ethenol be the same as 40%(80proof) vodka?

Randy Holmes-Farley
12/21/2009, 01:32 PM
Yes, you'll not notice any difference between them.

In my tank, I've found that vinegar (saturated with calcium hydroxide) and/or vinegar (saturated with calcium hydroxide) plus vodka led to less cyano than vodka alone. :)

solitude127
12/21/2009, 01:42 PM
That's what I was looking for. Thanks Randy.

Randy Holmes-Farley
12/21/2009, 01:44 PM
You're welcome.

Good luck. :)

Randy Holmes-Farley
12/21/2009, 01:44 PM
Actually, one thing.

Is it denatured ethanol?

That has other stuff in it, and what it is may matter.

solitude127
01/13/2010, 03:07 PM
Actually, one thing.

Is it denatured ethanol?

That has other stuff in it, and what it is may matter.

It's actually pure ethenol diluted to 40%.

Randy Holmes-Farley
01/13/2010, 03:10 PM
OK, if it is not denatured, then it is OK to use.

Happy Reefing. :)

solitude127
01/13/2010, 03:10 PM
In my tank, I've found that vinegar (saturated with calcium hydroxide) and/or vinegar (saturated with calcium hydroxide) plus vodka led to less cyano than vodka alone. :)

Is there a table of how much vinegar to dose? Also, when you saturate the vinegar with calcium hydroxide, how much calcium hydroxide do you put?

Randy Holmes-Farley
01/13/2010, 03:17 PM
No, there is no table I've seen, but from a straight amount of organic, it is about 8 times more dilute than vodka (vinegar in the US is usually 5% organic by weight). That said I use a pretty large amount, more than 200 ml per day (plus some vodka) to my 120 (which also has multiple large "refugia").

I just add solid calcium hydroxide to the vinegar bottle and shake, repeat, until there is excess solid remaining on the bottom.

Genetics
01/13/2010, 05:23 PM
Would pure alcohol be 90-95% ethanol and then diluted or would it be 100% denatured alcohol diluted with water? I would just check. For some reason I remember both being available for laboratories.

It seems a 1:1 carbon molecule substitution works well from vodka to vinegar. As Randy said, just make sure you buffer the vinegar and that you use the more dilute vinegar proportionately.

tmz
01/13/2010, 05:58 PM
FWIW, I also use vodka 24ml and vinegar 60ml per day for 550 gallons. Roughly a 75% vodka to vinegar carbon source proportion. I dose calcium hydroxide separately as a calcium and alkalinity supplement and dose the vinegar straight up to the sump. Since increasing the vinegar to this level about 2 months ago there has been almost no cyano

solitude127
01/14/2010, 09:47 AM
If you Overdose on vinegar, does it have the same reaction as ODing Vodka? It's seems it's trial/error for the dosage of vinegar.

Randy Holmes-Farley
01/14/2010, 11:43 AM
I expect overdose issues are the same (low O2, etc), and determining a dose of vinegar is no different than vodka, IMO. :)

DL
01/14/2010, 03:58 PM
Randy,


I just add solid calcium hydroxide to the vinegar bottle and shake, repeat, until there is excess solid remaining on the bottom.

Just to be sure, do you add the Calcium directly to the vinegar bottle from the store, thereby only having to do this once per gallon jug? If so, then I assume that this mix would stay "good" for long periods of time.


Thanks

Randy Holmes-Farley
01/14/2010, 04:07 PM
Yes. I take out a little vinegar from the 1 gallon plastic jug to give some air space, then add solid lime (try maybe a half cup). It gets a little warm but not hot. I shake it vigorously and then let it settle and pour off the clear liquid into the container I allow my dosing pump to suck from. Don't deliver the lime solids, as the pH may skyrocket.

It is good for a long as you want, I expect, when it has excess solid lime in it, assuring that the pH is too high for bacterial growth. :)

solitude127
01/17/2010, 09:35 PM
Yes. I take out a little vinegar from the 1 gallon plastic jug to give some air space, then add solid lime (try maybe a half cup). It gets a little warm but not hot. I shake it vigorously and then let it settle and pour off the clear liquid into the container I allow my dosing pump to suck from. Don't deliver the lime solids, as the pH may skyrocket.

It is good for a long as you want, I expect, when it has excess solid lime in it, assuring that the pH is too high for bacterial growth. :)

Roughly, how much vinegar do you dose a day?

Randy Holmes-Farley
01/18/2010, 08:22 AM
I dose about 200-250 mL of vinegar (saturated with lime) and maybe 5-15 mL of vodka a day to my 120 plus some large refugia (maybe 120 gallons of refugia and 50 gallons of sump).

Genetics
01/18/2010, 12:00 PM
I dose about 200-250 mL of vinegar (saturated with lime) and maybe 5-15 mL of vodka a day to my 120 plus some large refugia (maybe 120 gallons of refugia and 50 gallons of sump).

With such a large dosage, do you find that your caulerpa grows slowly or not at all?

Randy Holmes-Farley
01/18/2010, 12:16 PM
Yes, it grows much more slowly, but still grows. :)

Givatcho
02/15/2010, 11:27 AM
Randy, how long did it take you to ramp up to that dosage amount?

Randy Holmes-Farley
02/15/2010, 01:09 PM
Well, I started high and stayed high, but I'm reluctant to recommend that path to others whose systems may deviate from mine in important ways that we may not understand.