Vodka To Remove Nitrate

[LordErrorprone]

I recently ran across an article saying you can use Vodka to remove nitrate from saltwater tanks and enhance the color of coral, upon further research I started to try it. Has anyone here ever tried it?

 

[AquaRick]

Not here but interested to see your results

 

[Decaf]

I used to dump the remainder of water bottles into my tank, until the day i tossed half a water bottle of VODKA into my freshwater tank.

tank was cloudy for a week at least and the filters turned to slim/sludge but no fish death somehow

 

[LordErrorprone]

I probably wont get results until the first week is up, today is day 3. I only put .1 ml in per day so its very little.

 

[medic747]

Would like to follow

 

[Rscomia]

I have been vodka dosing for a couple of months now you must be very careful with it cause you can crash your whole system

 

[medic747]

Any luck with reducing nitrates

 

[Rscomia]

Yes I have been dosing because I have some green hair algae So I have been dosing for nitrates and phosphates although my nitrates were never real high they basically at 0 now

 

[medic747]

How much do you dose and when

 

[Rscomia]

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

 

[medic747]

Ok my SW reef tank is only a 10gallon nano. And I don't have a refugium to help kill nitrates

 

[Rscomia]

So a small amount may be all you need Do you have a good nitrate test kit?

 

[medic747]

Yeah its the api saltwater and reef test kits I can go from no nitrates to 30-40 ppm in a week

 

[Rscomia]

Here is a good article for dosing Vodka Dosing by 'Genetics' and 'Stony_Corals' - Reefkeeping.com this is how I found my maintenance dose

 

[LordErrorprone]

I found a nice table that takes it very slowly, over about a month to find the maintenance dosage.

 

[Whitegurl84]

Is this vodka dosing safe for a fish only tank too?

 

[LordErrorprone]

My tank is fish only. This is the article i'm using: Dosing Vodka to reduce NO3 and PO4 in Saltwater Aquarium | Aquariums Life

 

[Rscomia]

Yes one of the advantages with vodka dosing is it will make your water nutrient poor which will allow you to feed more and that seems to have made my fish brighter in color and IMO made them grow alot faster

 

[Whitegurl84]

Ok thanks, I'm going to try it so wish me luck.

 

[FTMMWS]

Yes one of the advantages with vodka dosing is it will make your water nutrient poor which will allow you to feed more and that seems to have made my fish brighter in color and IMO made them grow alot faster

Thats not the only advantage ...A shot a vodka will certainly warm you up in the winter too...
I have also heard of people using vinegar...IMO i wouldn't do it ...
Just build an algae scrubber and say bye-bye to trates