Vodka dosing help

[Colemansreef]

I started vodka dosing to get my nitrates down. I left my tank go for a little while phosphate and nitrates got really high. I used some phosphate, absorbent material and got the phosphates down to an acceptable range (.05) I bought the stuff that’s made to do the same thing but with nitrates and it absolutely hasn’t done a thing. (Brightwell nitrat r) In fact, my nitrates have gone up and I’m not feeding the tank anything at all. All that’s in it is coral c.u.c. And one mandarin dragonette. But I started vodka dosing and I guess I read the guideline wrong and a 50 gallon system. I’ve been dosing 1 mL a day for three days and did 2 mL. Last night then realized today it says .1 and .2 should I continue with the .2 since my coral look fine or go down and work my way up like the guide says? Tanks is 62 gallons total. Minus all the rock.
I want to apologize in advance for any spelling or grammar errors because I am using voice to text.

 

[EeyoreIsMySpiritAnimal]

Several things.
1. How high are your nitrates?
2. By far, the easiest way to reduce nitrates in a small - medium sized tank is through water changes. At 50 gallons, this will be your best plan of action.
3. Aside from water changes, nitrate reduction depends on the presence of phosphate, so since you have practically bottomed out your phos, other methods of removing nitrate likely will fail.
4. I have a 140 gallon tank plus a sump and I don't even dose 1ml of vodka per day. I'm surprised you have not had a bacterial bloom. I'd hold off for a week before considering dosing vodka again.
5. How high were your phosphates prior to reducing them? And how quickly did you get from there to 0.05?
6. Why did you decide to reduce anything? Did your corals look bad? Algae outbreak?

 

[Colemansreef]

They are at 100 I use a salivary test
The reason I am avoiding water changes is because I can only do 5 gallons at a time because I have to do it with 5 gallon buckets and I only have the means to hook up one heater and pump to prepare the water for changing.
My phosphates are at .07 as of today I check it with a Hanna checker
Phosphates were close to 1.0 before I reduced them
I reduced them because of hair algae and corals dying.
Still have algae but corals are fine now.

 

[EeyoreIsMySpiritAnimal]

Put this on your xmas list...

https://www.lowes.com/pd/Rubbermaid-Commercial-Products-BRUTE-20-Gallons-Gray-Plastic-Trash-Can-with-Lid/5014195237?cm_mmc=shp-_-c-_-prd-_-lwn-_-ggl-_-LIA_HDW_127_Cleaning-_-5014195237-_-local-_-0-_-0&gad_source=1&gclid=Cj0KCQiA67CrBhC1ARIsACKAa8SpW3tJsbVTycijj4FaTwyxND1s00BnjUwRECiK2usCxYtCPMMyz7kaAgSyEALw_wcB&gclsrc=aw.ds

 

[Miami Reef]

That ramp is unnecessarily slow IMO.

My vodka dosing suggestion for your tank size (50gal) is about 3mL per day. If everything is tolerating that well after a few days, no bacterial bloom etc, I’d go to 6mL per day until the nitrates are within a normal range.

As with any carbon dosing program, high surface aeration with powerheads, a protein skimmer, and dosing when the lights are on are paramount.

 

[Colemansreef]

That ramp is unnecessarily slow IMO.

My vodka dosing suggestion for your tank size (50gal) is about 3mL per day. If everything is tolerating that well after a few days, no bacterial bloom etc, I’d go to 6mL per day until the nitrates are within a normal range.

As with any carbon dosing program, high surface aeration with powerheads, a protein skimmer, and dosing when the lights are on are paramount.

Okay thank you I definitely have been dosing at night so this may help

Put this on your xmas list...

https://www.lowes.com/pd/Rubbermaid-Commercial-Products-BRUTE-20-Gallons-Gray-Plastic-Trash-Can-with-Lid/5014195237?cm_mmc=shp-_-c-_-prd-_-lwn-_-ggl-_-LIA_HDW_127_Cleaning-_-5014195237-_-local-_-0-_-0&gad_source=1&gclid=Cj0KCQiA67CrBhC1ARIsACKAa8SpW3tJsbVTycijj4FaTwyxND1s00BnjUwRECiK2usCxYtCPMMyz7kaAgSyEALw_wcB&gclsrc=aw.ds

as silly as this sounds this helps a lot thank you. Definitely will be ordering one today. Do you think it will be okay doing enough water changes to get the nitrates down to 20 as far as affecting the phosphates go? Most of the coral I have in there now is newer and hasn’t been in there for the super high phosphates as most of them died but a few. But the few that survived look good now and we’re looking terrible and the new ones all look great they’ve been in there a few weeks

 

[Miami Reef]

Okay thank you I definitely have been dosing at night so this may help

Yes, day-dosing is best because carbon dosing consumes oxygen and lowers pH. They are naturally at their lowest during the dark, so it wouldn’t be wise to push those parameters lower.

 

[nicodim55]

Been carbon dosing for years now, and can’t seem to sustain any species of anemones. They would last maybe 3 months tops then starts retracting then die. Does anyone know if carbon dosing affects them in a negative way? Sorry didn’t mean to derail the original topic. Thx for any insight. This is what they looked like when I first got them