I trying the Vodka to reduce nitrates and phosphates - Page 2

scaryperson27 · 03/25/2009, 12:17 AM

This list is Subject to change due to the fact that I am still trying to learn about it.

In the order by preference:

For alk
Lamotte
API
Salifert

Calcium
Elos
API

Nitrates
Elos
API

Phosphates
Not sure exactly. Hannah Photometer.

scaryperson27 · 03/25/2009, 12:18 AM

I've used the Redsea at the LFS that I work and it always gives me high results compared to other test kits.

reefloverd1 · 03/25/2009, 12:38 AM

i c, so it looks like if I get the API I'll be covered.

Could that mean the redsea is more sensitive or just unreliable?

Don't think I can spring for a photometer right now. the test kits will have to do.

sunrise1982 · 03/25/2009, 06:56 AM

I have tried vodka method and got success. So, my exprience is patient and keep dosing vodka. It will be better if you use some good products which provide good bacterias to your tank at the same time as dosing vodka. Also, I change water as routine.
My tank is about 40 gallon, so I start at 2ml/day in 1 week and keep increasing dosing volume to 5ml/ day. At that point my nitrate goes to 0. I hope u will also be succesfull

SWINGRRRR · 03/25/2009, 07:10 AM

Iâ€™m sure you are, but at 9:30 at night, are your lights still on? Itâ€™s best to dose with lights on.

I have been dosing for a couple of weeks, but Iâ€™m only up to adding 1.5ml/day on a 135 gallon tank. Needless to say Iâ€™m taking it extremely slow.

reefloverd1 · 03/25/2009, 02:45 PM

WOW, sunrise1982, that is alot to start with, why did you start with that much? Do you mean 0.2 and 0.5mL?

SWINGRRRR, no my lights are off then, why is it best to dose when the lights are on?

SWINGRRRR · 03/25/2009, 02:54 PM

I understand that there a reduction in disolved oxygen due to the bacteria uptaking it. After lights out, there's already a reduction in disolved oxygen because no photosynthesis is taking place.
I think it's best to dose within an hour or so of lights on. This way photosynethsis happening by tank algea well help compensate for the bacteria respiration.
Even people that run chaeto, there's still a huge dissolved oxygen reduction.

reefloverd1 · 03/25/2009, 03:28 PM

i c, thanks for the advice.

sunrise1982 · 03/25/2009, 09:23 PM

to reefoverd1: the reason was because I started at a low level. And I didn't get a good result as I expected. A friend from Germany instructed me to dose slowlly from 2ml/week to 5ml/week (based on my volume tank water). So, I tried patiently to follow his instruction for 3 months. Now, I got No3: 0. I also made a small experiment to make sure that No3 is still 0 winthin 2 weeks without water change or not????. After the experiment, I realized that when I dose vodka everyday within 2 weeks I see No3 is till the same as 0. Nothing change at all.

That is my experience. maybe it's good for me to do that. But it may be unsuitable to you. However, one thing I would say...more risk and more return..hehehe...If you don't want to get risk, it will take you long time to success...

reefloverd1 · 03/26/2009, 07:55 AM

sunrise,
I understand how you feel about getting results fast, but I think I will stick with the slow "safe" side of the method.
Thanks for the input and I hope that keeps working for you.

reefloverd1 · 03/26/2009, 03:51 PM

this is the 7th day to dose. Dose will be 0.4mL of vodka. tomarrow that dose should be increased by 0.5 mL(per RK mag), But To make it easier on myself, I am going to increase it by 0.6 mL to make it an even 1mL. I am also going to start dosing an hour earlier each day until I reach 7:30 am (when my lights turn on. i.e. 8:30pm, 7:30pm,6;30pm......etc.

SWINGRRRR · 03/26/2009, 04:14 PM

Sounds like a good plan. My lights come on in the late evening, when I am home, and I spread my dose out over 30 minutes. Although, I'm not sure if it matters or not. I dose .5ml then 15 minutes, .5ml, then 15 minutes, then the final dose. Again, I don't know if it matters.

I haven't really seen any kinda of difference yet though in my tank. My system is probably about 150 gal total, and I only dose 1.5 ml total. I started about 3 weeks ago, maybe more.

reefloverd1 · 03/27/2009, 12:33 AM

I did another water change, but this time I did a 10% water change. I tested my nitrates and it's 20ppm.

reefloverd1 · 03/29/2009, 01:03 PM

Todays dose will be at 5:30pm and 1mL. No ill effects so far @ 10 days into this. Inhabitants seem normal and happy. No no visible change whatsoever.

reefloverd1 · 04/02/2009, 01:42 PM

1:30 pm last dose @1 mL, tomorrows dose will be 1.5mL.

martinhal · 04/05/2009, 12:18 AM

Tagging along with keen interest

zooxanth · 04/05/2009, 07:39 AM

If your NO3 has dropped from 50 to 20ppm in 10 days, I would not increase the vodka dose as it is working well at 1ml. I would continue at 1ml a day and keep a check before increasing dose. So long as NO3 is still dropping stick to 1ml untill NO3 at 0 then reduce by half and check there is no increase

reefloverd1 · 04/06/2009, 12:15 PM

something was faulty with that test kit, zooxanth, that is why I am still increasing my dosage. I bought a new API test kit and my nitrates have not changed from 50ppm, sorry everyone forgot to relay that bit of info.

reefloverd1 · 04/09/2009, 12:36 AM

so I am finally dosing @7:30 am when my lights come on. Today is the 1 wk mark for 1.5mL vodka dose. I will be testing later today to see if I should maintain this dose or increase it another 0.5 mL.

SWINGRRRR · 04/09/2009, 12:46 PM

See any results yet? I slacked off for about a week while work was crazy. Ive started again at a lower dose than when I quit. I'm still not seeing a reduction in the little bit of GHA I have. I have seen my coral colors darkening up and popping alot better though. I don't know if its because of the vodka though. I changed skimmers from a RS80 to a NW200 w/ Sicce. And my VHO's have burned out.

reefloverd1 · 04/09/2009, 01:31 PM

Yes! SWINGRRRR I just finished testing and it looks like 1.5mL is the magic # for my tank The nitrates tested 10ppm and the phosphates are unchanged unfortunately. they are still 0.5ppm

reefloverd1 · 04/09/2009, 01:40 PM

The nitrate test.

[/IMG]

And the phosphate test

[/IMG]

I am very excited that things are starting to show results.

Now I will maintain 1.5mL until I reach 0 nitrates then I will reduce my dosage by half and monitor to make sure they don't creep back up on me.

i dunno but it really seemed to help while dosing while my lights were on. cant be sure that is why it is greatly reduced but seems like it happened about the same time. could be the length of time I had been dosing as well. I guess the only way to tell would be to eliminate all but one factor, and that is hard to do when you have stuff living in your tank.

reefloverd1 · 04/09/2009, 01:50 PM

ok dont know why pics arent working lets try that again

reefloverd1 · 04/09/2009, 01:52 PM

[/IMG]

reefloverd1 · 04/09/2009, 01:53 PM

weird :-(

03/25/2009, 12:38 AM	#28
reefloverd1 returns Join Date: Jan 2009 Location: Kansas Posts: 214	i c, so it looks like if I get the API I'll be covered. Could that mean the redsea is more sensitive or just unreliable? Don't think I can spring for a photometer right now. the test kits will have to do. __________________ reefloverd1 Before you criticize someone, you should walk a mile in their shoes. That way when you criticize them, you're a mile away and you have Their shoes. Current Tank Info: 14 gal. Biocube

03/25/2009, 06:56 AM	#29
sunrise1982 Registered Member Join Date: Oct 2007 Posts: 21	I have tried vodka method and got success. So, my exprience is patient and keep dosing vodka. It will be better if you use some good products which provide good bacterias to your tank at the same time as dosing vodka. Also, I change water as routine. My tank is about 40 gallon, so I start at 2ml/day in 1 week and keep increasing dosing volume to 5ml/ day. At that point my nitrate goes to 0. I hope u will also be succesfull __________________ quan

03/25/2009, 07:10 AM	#30
SWINGRRRR Premium Member Join Date: Sep 2007 Location: Pcola FL Posts: 2,504	Iâ€™m sure you are, but at 9:30 at night, are your lights still on? Itâ€™s best to dose with lights on. I have been dosing for a couple of weeks, but Iâ€™m only up to adding 1.5ml/day on a 135 gallon tank. Needless to say Iâ€™m taking it extremely slow. __________________ Have you ever tried to hold a monkey still if it is not drunk ~ insteng Current Tank Info: 45gal Rimless mixed reef--SWC 150BMK--2xMP10ESW--Giesemann 150W HQI

03/25/2009, 02:45 PM	#31
reefloverd1 returns Join Date: Jan 2009 Location: Kansas Posts: 214	WOW, sunrise1982, that is alot to start with, why did you start with that much? Do you mean 0.2 and 0.5mL? SWINGRRRR, no my lights are off then, why is it best to dose when the lights are on? __________________ reefloverd1 Before you criticize someone, you should walk a mile in their shoes. That way when you criticize them, you're a mile away and you have Their shoes. Current Tank Info: 14 gal. Biocube

03/25/2009, 02:54 PM	#32
SWINGRRRR Premium Member Join Date: Sep 2007 Location: Pcola FL Posts: 2,504	I understand that there a reduction in disolved oxygen due to the bacteria uptaking it. After lights out, there's already a reduction in disolved oxygen because no photosynthesis is taking place. I think it's best to dose within an hour or so of lights on. This way photosynethsis happening by tank algea well help compensate for the bacteria respiration. Even people that run chaeto, there's still a huge dissolved oxygen reduction. __________________ Have you ever tried to hold a monkey still if it is not drunk ~ insteng Current Tank Info: 45gal Rimless mixed reef--SWC 150BMK--2xMP10ESW--Giesemann 150W HQI

03/25/2009, 12:17 AM	#26
scaryperson27 Moved On Join Date: Jun 2006 Location: Cape Coral, F.L. Posts: 2,106	This list is Subject to change due to the fact that I am still trying to learn about it. In the order by preference: For alk Lamotte API Salifert Calcium Elos API Nitrates Elos API Phosphates Not sure exactly. Hannah Photometer.

03/25/2009, 12:18 AM	#27
scaryperson27 Moved On Join Date: Jun 2006 Location: Cape Coral, F.L. Posts: 2,106	I've used the Redsea at the LFS that I work and it always gives me high results compared to other test kits.

03/25/2009, 03:28 PM	#33
reefloverd1 returns Join Date: Jan 2009 Location: Kansas Posts: 214	i c, thanks for the advice. __________________ reefloverd1 Before you criticize someone, you should walk a mile in their shoes. That way when you criticize them, you're a mile away and you have Their shoes. Current Tank Info: 14 gal. Biocube

03/25/2009, 09:23 PM	#34
sunrise1982 Registered Member Join Date: Oct 2007 Posts: 21	to reefoverd1: the reason was because I started at a low level. And I didn't get a good result as I expected. A friend from Germany instructed me to dose slowlly from 2ml/week to 5ml/week (based on my volume tank water). So, I tried patiently to follow his instruction for 3 months. Now, I got No3: 0. I also made a small experiment to make sure that No3 is still 0 winthin 2 weeks without water change or not????. After the experiment, I realized that when I dose vodka everyday within 2 weeks I see No3 is till the same as 0. Nothing change at all. That is my experience. maybe it's good for me to do that. But it may be unsuitable to you. However, one thing I would say...more risk and more return..hehehe...If you don't want to get risk, it will take you long time to success... __________________ quan

03/26/2009, 07:55 AM	#35
reefloverd1 returns Join Date: Jan 2009 Location: Kansas Posts: 214	sunrise, I understand how you feel about getting results fast, but I think I will stick with the slow "safe" side of the method. Thanks for the input and I hope that keeps working for you. __________________ reefloverd1 Before you criticize someone, you should walk a mile in their shoes. That way when you criticize them, you're a mile away and you have Their shoes. Current Tank Info: 14 gal. Biocube

03/26/2009, 03:51 PM	#36
reefloverd1 returns Join Date: Jan 2009 Location: Kansas Posts: 214	this is the 7th day to dose. Dose will be 0.4mL of vodka. tomarrow that dose should be increased by 0.5 mL(per RK mag), But To make it easier on myself, I am going to increase it by 0.6 mL to make it an even 1mL. I am also going to start dosing an hour earlier each day until I reach 7:30 am (when my lights turn on. i.e. 8:30pm, 7:30pm,6;30pm......etc. __________________ reefloverd1 Before you criticize someone, you should walk a mile in their shoes. That way when you criticize them, you're a mile away and you have Their shoes. Current Tank Info: 14 gal. Biocube

03/26/2009, 04:14 PM	#37
SWINGRRRR Premium Member Join Date: Sep 2007 Location: Pcola FL Posts: 2,504	Sounds like a good plan. My lights come on in the late evening, when I am home, and I spread my dose out over 30 minutes. Although, I'm not sure if it matters or not. I dose .5ml then 15 minutes, .5ml, then 15 minutes, then the final dose. Again, I don't know if it matters. I haven't really seen any kinda of difference yet though in my tank. My system is probably about 150 gal total, and I only dose 1.5 ml total. I started about 3 weeks ago, maybe more. __________________ Have you ever tried to hold a monkey still if it is not drunk ~ insteng Current Tank Info: 45gal Rimless mixed reef--SWC 150BMK--2xMP10ESW--Giesemann 150W HQI

03/27/2009, 12:33 AM	#38
reefloverd1 returns Join Date: Jan 2009 Location: Kansas Posts: 214	I did another water change, but this time I did a 10% water change. I tested my nitrates and it's 20ppm. __________________ reefloverd1 Before you criticize someone, you should walk a mile in their shoes. That way when you criticize them, you're a mile away and you have Their shoes. Current Tank Info: 14 gal. Biocube

03/29/2009, 01:03 PM	#39
reefloverd1 returns Join Date: Jan 2009 Location: Kansas Posts: 214	Todays dose will be at 5:30pm and 1mL. No ill effects so far @ 10 days into this. Inhabitants seem normal and happy. No no visible change whatsoever. __________________ reefloverd1 Before you criticize someone, you should walk a mile in their shoes. That way when you criticize them, you're a mile away and you have Their shoes. Current Tank Info: 14 gal. Biocube

04/02/2009, 01:42 PM	#40
reefloverd1 returns Join Date: Jan 2009 Location: Kansas Posts: 214	1:30 pm last dose @1 mL, tomorrows dose will be 1.5mL. __________________ reefloverd1 Before you criticize someone, you should walk a mile in their shoes. That way when you criticize them, you're a mile away and you have Their shoes. Current Tank Info: 14 gal. Biocube

04/05/2009, 12:18 AM	#41
martinhal Registered Member Join Date: Feb 2009 Location: Johannesburg Posts: 107	Tagging along with keen interest

04/05/2009, 07:39 AM	#42
zooxanth Registered Member Join Date: Feb 2009 Location: Scotland, United Kingdom Posts: 149	If your NO3 has dropped from 50 to 20ppm in 10 days, I would not increase the vodka dose as it is working well at 1ml. I would continue at 1ml a day and keep a check before increasing dose. So long as NO3 is still dropping stick to 1ml untill NO3 at 0 then reduce by half and check there is no increase __________________ The Solotion To Pullution Is Dillution Current Tank Info: 450ltr bowfront, 6 54w t5's, sumpless, Deltec mce 600, aquatronica with dosing pumps for balling lite

04/06/2009, 12:15 PM	#43
reefloverd1 returns Join Date: Jan 2009 Location: Kansas Posts: 214	something was faulty with that test kit, zooxanth, that is why I am still increasing my dosage. I bought a new API test kit and my nitrates have not changed from 50ppm, sorry everyone forgot to relay that bit of info. __________________ reefloverd1 Before you criticize someone, you should walk a mile in their shoes. That way when you criticize them, you're a mile away and you have Their shoes. Current Tank Info: 14 gal. Biocube

04/09/2009, 12:36 AM	#44
reefloverd1 returns Join Date: Jan 2009 Location: Kansas Posts: 214	so I am finally dosing @7:30 am when my lights come on. Today is the 1 wk mark for 1.5mL vodka dose. I will be testing later today to see if I should maintain this dose or increase it another 0.5 mL. __________________ reefloverd1 Before you criticize someone, you should walk a mile in their shoes. That way when you criticize them, you're a mile away and you have Their shoes. Current Tank Info: 14 gal. Biocube

04/09/2009, 12:46 PM	#45
SWINGRRRR Premium Member Join Date: Sep 2007 Location: Pcola FL Posts: 2,504	See any results yet? I slacked off for about a week while work was crazy. Ive started again at a lower dose than when I quit. I'm still not seeing a reduction in the little bit of GHA I have. I have seen my coral colors darkening up and popping alot better though. I don't know if its because of the vodka though. I changed skimmers from a RS80 to a NW200 w/ Sicce. And my VHO's have burned out. __________________ Have you ever tried to hold a monkey still if it is not drunk ~ insteng Current Tank Info: 45gal Rimless mixed reef--SWC 150BMK--2xMP10ESW--Giesemann 150W HQI

04/09/2009, 01:31 PM	#46
reefloverd1 returns Join Date: Jan 2009 Location: Kansas Posts: 214	Yes! SWINGRRRR I just finished testing and it looks like 1.5mL is the magic # for my tank The nitrates tested 10ppm and the phosphates are unchanged unfortunately. they are still 0.5ppm __________________ reefloverd1 Before you criticize someone, you should walk a mile in their shoes. That way when you criticize them, you're a mile away and you have Their shoes. Current Tank Info: 14 gal. Biocube

04/09/2009, 01:40 PM	#47
reefloverd1 returns Join Date: Jan 2009 Location: Kansas Posts: 214	pics of results The nitrate test. [/IMG] And the phosphate test [/IMG] I am very excited that things are starting to show results. Now I will maintain 1.5mL until I reach 0 nitrates then I will reduce my dosage by half and monitor to make sure they don't creep back up on me. i dunno but it really seemed to help while dosing while my lights were on. cant be sure that is why it is greatly reduced but seems like it happened about the same time. could be the length of time I had been dosing as well. I guess the only way to tell would be to eliminate all but one factor, and that is hard to do when you have stuff living in your tank. __________________ reefloverd1 Before you criticize someone, you should walk a mile in their shoes. That way when you criticize them, you're a mile away and you have Their shoes. Current Tank Info: 14 gal. Biocube

04/09/2009, 01:50 PM	#48
reefloverd1 returns Join Date: Jan 2009 Location: Kansas Posts: 214	ok dont know why pics arent working lets try that again __________________ reefloverd1 Before you criticize someone, you should walk a mile in their shoes. That way when you criticize them, you're a mile away and you have Their shoes. Current Tank Info: 14 gal. Biocube

04/09/2009, 01:52 PM	#49
reefloverd1 returns Join Date: Jan 2009 Location: Kansas Posts: 214	pics [/IMG] [/IMG] __________________ reefloverd1 Before you criticize someone, you should walk a mile in their shoes. That way when you criticize them, you're a mile away and you have Their shoes. Current Tank Info: 14 gal. Biocube

04/09/2009, 01:53 PM	#50
reefloverd1 returns Join Date: Jan 2009 Location: Kansas Posts: 214	weird :-( __________________ reefloverd1 Before you criticize someone, you should walk a mile in their shoes. That way when you criticize them, you're a mile away and you have Their shoes. Current Tank Info: 14 gal. Biocube