Vodka dosing?

Crotalus

Crotalus

Premium Member
Dosing vodka supposedly increases bacteria growth that can be removed by your skimmer, thereby removing nitrates?Anyone tried it?https://www.thesprucepets.com/reducing-nitrates-with-the-vodka-method-2925180 
 
Many,  including myself have done it. It worked for me but as with many things I have tried, I switched to other Carbon dosing options that don’t require a daily dosage. 
 
Been there, done that, didn't like having white bacterial colonies on everything.  Personally I found a large fuge was more effective to the overall health of the tank.My tanks tend to run nitrate deficient though, so I'm not really the target audience.
 
I should add that when I see "Vodka dosing" really what I read is "Carbon dosing".  I've used vinegar (acetic acid), vodka (whatever was on hand at the time), and combinations thereof.  While there may be some non-listed ingredients, the listed ingredients of NoPoX are ethanol (25%, or 50 proof, so weaker than vodka), acetic acid (3-5%, so equal or slightly diluted compared to white vinegar) and methanol at 2-3%.  I suspect there is a valid reason for having a combination of the three, perhaps different bacteria types prefer different sources.  Messing around with those ratios would make for an interesting experiment.  Perhaps someone with a better biology background can expand on this.
 
He was local, not sure if he still is in DFW. I have printed out most of his articles and have them in a reference binder. But, I like the science side of reef keeping, and that used to be most of the discussions a few years ago, now it's about equipment and off the shelf additives without a clear understanding how or why they work. That being said, I do believe we as hobbyist are doing a better job of keeping and sustaining the hobby, therefore it does not matter if we understand what, why or how as long as it is working and we're keeping our livestock healthy. But, I do miss those discussions about how a system works from a science perspective.
 
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