need vodka dosing advuce before i start

[stlcard]

Originally Posted by tmz

FWIW. 34 mls per day for 600gallons ;(less than a quarter of the 40ml for 170 gallons noted above) has been my maintenance dose for over 3.5 years in a system with lots of well fed fish and corals . In my experience 100ppm NO3 starting out is very high and it's easier and safer to reduce it via water changes , denitrators, less feeding etc. before starting the vodka dosing and then settle in on the organic carbon dose suited to maintaining low NO3 and PO4 to match the inputs from feeding.

FWIW, NO3?-> can you explain what you mean. Dosing with something else safer than vodka you mean? Sorry still a newb on salt tanks.

all, is protein skimming absolutely necessary if i want to consider trying vodka dosing? I have a 33 gal reef tank. and high nitrates, possibly from high bioload. I do not skim though, just water change..

[tmz]

Yes, a skimmer is necessary to take out the excess bacteria fed by the vodka and the nutrients they take up and to provide aeration..
I mean reduce the NO3 via water changes. light feeding a denitrator or another export method before starting with vodka dosing.On a small tank waerchanges should be fine. In my case a 600gallon, I used a sulfur dentirator.

[BROTHERSPIZZERIA]

3 days in. Noticeable clarity in water. A lot more skimate considering I didn't have much before starting because of no bio load since I don't have fish. Nitrates obviousely not dropping yet.

[stlcard]

Originally Posted by tmz

Yes, a skimmer is necessary to take out the excess bacteria fed by the vodka and the nutrients they take up and to provide aeration..
I mean reduce the NO3 via water changes. light feeding a denitrator or another export method before starting with vodka dosing.On a small tank waerchanges should be fine. In my case a 600gallon, I used a sulfur dentirator.

okay i should've known. Confession: i did one dose of vodka to my tank (33gal) the other night to begin a regime according to the article, but before knowing skimmer was critical. I dosed .1ml into 16oz of tank water then reintroduced that 16 oz back into the tank in front of one of my powerheads.

everything was peachy until about an hour in, when my duncan frag got ****ed. He looked paralyzed or something because some of his tentacles were expanded while the other shrunk up real tight like when you move them. He has since not returned to his normal mood which is pretty huge.

Also, my water seems to have gotten cloudy. Is this a bacteria bloom because of that 1 vodka dose i did? I am jumping ship on vodka dosing since i dont have a skimmer, and it seems more practical of tanks 100 Gal+

Was thinking i need to do a water change? and run mechanical filtration for a bit?
Temp-81F
SG-1.024
Alk-8
Calcium- 420
Nitrite - 0
Amonia - 0
Nitrate - 10ppm (After the vodka dose) - unknown if the vodka lowered this, i normally am battling 30-40ppm.
Trace ele - unknown

Could it be the salt mix? I used a crappy Topfin brand because i didnt have anymore of the Kent i had been using.

I also have red cyano now it seems.

[BROTHERSPIZZERIA]

When you read the vodka article it stressed more than anything else the skimmer. I don't know from experience but I'm sure that's the problem. I started with .1 ml less than reccomended to avoid these problems and doing great so far. I think I've read that article 10 times already.

[stlcard]

yeah. im just going to do a water change tonight with better salt mix. Im sure things will turn around. Hes just probably angry right now.

[bertoni]

The cloudiness could be bacteria feeding on the vodka. That'd be my best guess. I might try a few 10% water changes to help remove the cloud, whatever it is.