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View Full Version : [B]Where[/B] to dose vinegar (do not use kalk)?


Crabb
08/17/2015, 10:09 AM
To those who may have experience...

I have started dosing vinegar and am curious if I've located it in a good spot or if I'm doomed to experience fluctuations. I have a 120 gallon DT plumbed to a staged RDSB and sump in the basement.

Currently I am dosing into the RDSB, which then flows into the 1st stage of the sump which consists of a filter sock and protein skimmer. I know I ought to have them reversed, however it was a space limitation. My concern is that by dosing before the filter sock I may be removing large quantities of bacteria growing in the sock each time I clean it. I currently change the sock every couple of days.

Could this cause fluctuations in nitrate and phosphate? I know we want to have an export method to remove the nutrients, however, I don't want to remove so many that I crash my system either. Any input? Or anecdotes?

TylerHaworth
08/17/2015, 11:06 AM
I dosed mine directly next to the intake of the skimmer... Don't know if that was correct or not, but that's where I put it.

Crabb
08/24/2015, 01:37 PM
I'm thinking that the growth of the bacteria in the system is why one would dose. However I'm curious to know if causing the majority to grow in the filter sock might cause too easy a method of exporting that may result in fluctuations. Slow and steady is better for me and my reef I think...

Crabb
08/27/2015, 09:26 AM
Well, I've noticed that my nitrates are going down now, it's been a couple weeks. My water is getting clearer which is exciting. Cyanobacteria still present, I plan on vacuuming it off the rocks and possibly getting some hermits if needed. I may also run both BRS GFO and phosguard to see about killing off cyano.

Also noted, my protein skimmer is obtaining a lot more skimmate very quickly, about a day or day and a half before needing emptying (I usually wet skim). And my filter socks as I had mentioned before are clogging, with water climbing and almost overflowing the sock in about three days. Whereas I could rinse and clean them pretty effectively before dosing, now they seem impossible to clean! They have a brown tinge to them and no matter how forcefully I attempt to rinse them out they hold onto whatever it is (bacteria?).
I suppose it's an easy way to export, but I am concerned about transient ups and downs with doing it this way, I am also concerned with putting used socks back into the system, I wonder if dead bacteria held in the sock would leach nutrients back into the system.

jmm
08/27/2015, 10:44 AM
Do you have dual socks? Why not alternate replacing/cleaning and only change one at a time?

Crabb
08/27/2015, 10:51 AM
Nope just one 2" pipe from RDSB dropping into sump. I suppose in retrospect two pipes would have been better.

TylerHaworth
08/27/2015, 04:41 PM
Some folks postulate that having the carbon source next to the skimmer input is best because it encourages the bacteria to grow inside the skimmer...

When it clumps up and breaks off, this allows most of it to be skimmed out immediately.

I would avoid dosing it into the sock(s) for the exact reason you mentioned... Too much maintenance.

Crabb
08/28/2015, 05:12 AM
Huh, I would never have thought to dose carbon into the skimmer, I will try that and update thread. It seems things are getting better pretty fast with the dosing. I'm currently dosing 3mL per hour, my nitrates went from 5 ppm to 2.5 so far, and I'm expecting further declines over time. We shall see if dosing into skimmer gives same results.

I've also decided that I'm tired of paying 5.99 per filter sock, so I'm thinking about buying Kunin Eco-Fi felt and making my own. I estimate that it will yield each sock at about 50 cents (90 for a 10 yard bolt @ 72"). With that I'd be willing to wash once or even just throw it away after its full.

I know Randy Holmes-Farley doses his tank in the sump area where he has live rock, it then goes into another area of live rock (At least according to older threads). Don't know if by dosing into the skimmer I will be defeating the purpose of encouraging bacterial growth in areas where the bacteria resides? Does it even matter??? Guess I'll find out.

MrineLfRlz
09/12/2015, 01:15 PM
update?