dose vodka......

R

Rick

What natural balance might be put out of whack by intentionally boosting one bacteria up so high? The basics, stick with the basics it is a lot safer. Might be more work, but is safer than dumping vodka or some of the other quick fixes into an aquarium.
 
there's a lot of info on vodka, sugar dosing on reefcentral, with recommended amounts, etc.

the theory behind it is that vodka contains ethanol, which is a carbon source that can fuel the growth of bacteria. the hope is that you encourage the growth of nitrate-reducing bacteria, which in turn will reduce nitrates in your system. the logic behind it seems sound to me.

i've never tried it, but IMO it's worth a try if your system has a high nitrate problem that can't be resolved using traditional means. if you have your nitrates under control, probably don't bother with trying it.
 
The only ways to reduce nitrates in a system, is removal,(water changes,nitrate sponges,nitrate binders,sulfur reactors), something using them(macro algae,nuisance algae,clams,corals,etc.),bacteria in anaerobic areas of the aquarium. You can have all the bacteria you could want in a system, but unless that bacteria is in a anaerobic areas it will not need the nitrates to live. It gets rid of nitrates by stealing the oxygen molecules of No3(nitrates), (which it needs to survive in anaerobic areas of the system) and thus converting it to N(nitrogen) which escapes out of the water.
Or you can feed less, or remove the waste through mechanical means before it is converted to ammonia.
Not saying that some people have not dosed sugars and reported positive results. But there also have been many reports of disasters and probably many many more that no one ever heard about.
All I can say is there is no way I am sticking vodka in a healthy thriving reef system to get away from basic maintenance and proper care.
 
Rick, the idea of using vodka to increase the bacteria population is so that they can be skimmed out. That is what a very efficient skimmer is recommended. Otherwise, I would agree, you have to remove the source of the PO4/NO4.

I currently dose 2 mL per day of vodka and have seen very good results. But, I am running a very good skimmer (BM 160) and I also change my filter sock out every 3-4 days.

I am considering combing vodka, sugar and vinegar (acetic acid) to increase the different strains of bacteria in the tank.
 
yes, rick is correct in that the nitrates will be reduced only if there are anaerobic zones present, such as in DSB or embedded in LR. What happens is that bacteria cannot consume oxygen to fuel energy production in anaerobic zones so instead they reduce nitrates (or other anaerobic electron acceptors).

yes the one potential problem is that dosing things like vodka, acetate, sugar, could encourage growth of nuisance algae/bacteria/etc along with the good guys. so know the potential problems if you decide to try and read what others have experienced.
 
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