Will vinegar reduce PO4

[shaggss]

Hi all

Two weeks into dosing vinegar now (10ml/day in a 50G). NO3 is not detectable (La Motte). But my PO4 has gone up from 0.016 to 0.06 due to increased feeding as my corals were looking starved.

Should I increase the vinegar dosing. I am running GFO & GAC too.

TTAIA!!!!

[Mock]

I would say cut back the dose and change out the GFO

[shaggss]

Hi Mock

Thanks for your time!

The GFO has just been changed (3 days ago). Will too much vinegar raise the PO4?

[Randy Holmes-Farley]

Vinegar should not cause any rise in phosphate, unless you add so much you kill something. In general, the growing bacteria and other organisms will take up nitrogen and phosphorus. :)

[Mock]

Isnt 10ml in a 50 a lil much.. I was under the impression it was something like 1ml per 100 gallons or something like that?

[Randy Holmes-Farley]

For vinegar, that dose is not high. Distilled white vinegar is 8 times more diluted than 80 proof vodka, which may be what you are thinking of. :)

[shaggss]

Many thanks for all the replies!

So my understanding is Vinegar will help reduce NO3 and I should increase the dosing until it is zero then slowly reduce the dosing amount?

GFO/GAC, WC and sensible feelings will look after PO4?

TTAIA!

[bif24701]

Many thanks for all the replies!

So my understanding is Vinegar will help reduce NO3 and I should increase the dosing until it is zero then slowly reduce the dosing amount?

GFO/GAC, WC and sensible feelings will look after PO4?

TTAIA!

once your PO4 is zero you could cut the dose in half. Slowly raise the dose until PO4 and nitrate are at zero.

[bertoni]

You might be able to reduce the dosage once the level is zero. That depends on how much food is going into the system, and how well the other filtration can remove nutrients. Likely, you'll be able to reduce the dose at least a bit.

[Aqualund]

When dosing vinegar all your doing is providing more carbon which is not naturally in the system for your nitrate/phosphate eating bacteria to use in order to increase its population size. Increasing the the does will only increase the amount of vinegar in your system...wheras the bacteria will only increase in population at a specific rate.

Im not sure the ratio...but I will use fake numbers to illistrate the nirate to phosphate usage for this bacteria. Its something like for every 10 molecules of nitrate the bacteria eats it uses 1 molecule of phosphate for its cell processes.

In other words the bacteria dont use phosphates and nitrates at the same rate and so if you are seeing reduced nitrates and elevated phosphates...dosing vodka or vinegar isnt going to reduce your phosphates.

You should use another means to reduce your phosphates (GFO reactor)

[Randy Holmes-Farley]

So my understanding is Vinegar will help reduce NO3 and I should increase the dosing until it is zero then slowly reduce the dosing amount?



Personally, I don't think that when dosing vinegar one needs to reduce the amount as nutrients decline. Just get to a goood maintenance dose and keep it there. :)

[shaggss]

Awesome thanks again Randy and everyone!

[Randy Holmes-Farley]

:thumbsup:

Good luck. :)

[Ron Reefman]

[QUOTE=shaggss;19591469]Two weeks into dosing vinegar now (10ml/day in a 50G). NO3 is not detectable (La Motte). But my PO4 has gone up from 0.016 to 0.06 due to increased feeding as my corals were looking starved.
[QUOTE]

I'm just curious, I have a 180g mixed reef with everything from zoas to big sps corals. So I have to ask, just what does a starving coral look like?

[Reef Noob]

Ditto. So far, I know the difference between dead and dying. I'm slowly getting better though.