Vodka To Remove Nitrate

[Rscomia]

What exactly is a algae scrubber?

 

[FTMMWS]

What exactly is a algae scrubber?

Here is a great write up ...
Mine is very basic and so simple to build and maintain
http://www.aquariumadvice.com/forums/f20/algae-scrubber-basics-163817.html

 

[Tomchong22]

Keep in mind it is an absolute must!!!!! You have a protein skimmer when dosing vodka. if not you will overload your system and it will crash. You will notice a difference in the sludge, it will turn darker and you will have increased amounts.

 

[David S]

I have worked up to 6 ml it is a 90 gallon tank You dont want to start at that amount because its not right for every ones tank I give my dose as early in the morning as possible because it will deplete the oxygen in the water and since the oxygen level naturally is lower at night it is best in the morning

That is a very large amount for a small tank,you should have stopped upping the dosage as soon as you noticed a reduction in trates and phosphates.If I remember its 0.4ml/100g of water after offsetting for live rock,after a week add 0.5ml as a one off and double your dosage for that week.Are you sure your dosing correctly?

 

[LordErrorprone]

Its actually different per tank, I've heard of 1 ml for a 100 gal, depends on bio load.

 

[LordErrorprone]

Wait, maybe he mean .6 ml.

 

[Rscomia]

Each week after you add a half of a mil to your dose it took six mil for me to see a difference i also have a 30 gallon sump i have seen no signs of a overdose or any negative effects on anything in my tank

 

[Rscomia]

I have a 55 gallon that I am dosing at 5 mil with no negative effects either but I have also been dosing for 3 plus months

 

[LordErrorprone]

What proof are you using?

 

[Rscomia]

80 proof

 

[LordErrorprone]

You must have a high bio load then or a really strong skimmer because those doses seem high but as long as you not getting any negative effects, its all good.

 

[Rscomia]

I have several coral and fish in my 90 gallon tank and a reef octopus skimmer rated for 150 gallons on my 55 i just have 4 fish and a carpet anemone and it just has a seaclone skimmer rated for 100 gallons

 

[MikeYQM]

Vodka dosing works well, I did it before I got me pellet reactor; same method, different media. But you NEED a skimmer and you should have a dosing plan before you start - when & how much to increase & when & how to determine a maintenance dose. I like pellets better for many reasons.

 

[LordErrorprone]

I would rather have a pellet reactor too but vodka is cheaper.

 

[huma-huma]

I def second the turf scrubber thought... its fairly simple to build and insanely cheap to make yourself...id say if you do build one, simply build it, then start running it while dosing, then dial back your dosing and let the scrubber take the workload

 

[medic747]

Would like to know more about the scrubber

 

[huma-huma]

Use the AA search option and type in "diy turf scrubber", it'll literally take you longer to read the entire article then it will for you to build it

 

[David S]

Each week after you add a half of a mil to your dose it took six mil for me to see a difference i also have a 30 gallon sump i have seen no signs of a overdose or any negative effects on anything in my tank

I thought each week you add a one off of 0.5ml then double your dosage,have you not seen any difference in the stuff the skimmer takes out?

 

[David S]

Its actually different per tank, I've heard of 1 ml for a 100 gal, depends on bio load.

Its no different for any bio load it calculates by gallons in your system.0.1ml/25 gallons.

 

[huma-huma]

Just for knowledges sake, why wouldn't bioload matter? Obviously if you have a 100 gallon tank with a single fish in it and another 100g with 20 fish in it. . . You are gonna need a heck of alot more vodka to neutralize the excess nutrients/trates