Algae infested test tank - glucose + vinegar experiment

[Miami Reef]

I want to make a fun experiment to observe the effects of glucose and vinegar in this 10 gallon tank.

I used water from my display with a piece of live calcium carbonate from the tank. The sand was dry.

I put on the lights and observed algaes of many types (not microscoped). I see GHA and cyano.

I also believe I see Dinos/diatoms. I haven’t microscoped it yet.

I made a solution of 500g vinegar and 1tsp glucose. I dosed about 1mL of this solution to the tank.

It winds up being 1mL of vinegar and 0.002tsp of glucose.

Here’s day 1 right after my first dose of the carbon source.

 

[Miami Reef]

As I suspected, I see dinos in the mix.

I’m looking forward to seeing if there is any change after dosing this carbon source each day.

 

[Miami Reef]

@taricha

What do the dinos look like to you?

 

[KrisReef]

(Other parameters of the experiment)
Age of the tank?
I think I see circulation.
Temperature?
Light source, hours of illumination?
Hypothesis?
Duration of experiment (going forward?)

 

[Miami Reef]

(Other parameters of the experiment)
Age of the tank?
I think I see circulation.
Temperature?
Light source, hours of illumination?
Hypothesis?
Duration of experiment (going forward?)

I am actually shaking my nitrate test right now. I never tested anything until now.

The tank is a month old. I will answer the questions soon.

 

[Spare time]

I'm curious why do you think glucose+vinegar makes a difference?

 

[Miami Reef]

Parameters:

Temperature: 79.5F
Salinity: 1.025 (refractometer)
nitrate: 3.5ppm (Hannah HR)
phosphates: 0.01ppm

 

[Miami Reef]

I'm curious why do you think glucose+vinegar makes a difference?

Dinoflagelates. A disruptive treatment

THE PROBLEM As is well known, dinoflagellate pests in the reef aquarium are perhaps the worst that we will face during the life of our system. These pests are quite difficult to eradicate because dinoflagellates have a great capacity for...

www.reef2reef.com

Hi,

Just to provide an update. It appears that carbon sources containing glucose (sugar) are more effective. We have found faster recession of dinos using traditional vodka+vinegar+sugar and Xepta NP, than Red Sea NO3 : PO4-X.

​

 

[Miami Reef]

(Other parameters of the experiment)
Age of the tank?
I think I see circulation.
Temperature?
Light source, hours of illumination?
Hypothesis?
Duration of experiment (going forward?)

I have a powerhead causing a lot of ripples on the surface of the water + a HOB with filter floss.

I have ai hydra 52HD running these settings for 8 hours a day

I think the tank will become super clean after consistently dosing a carbon source with glucose. Just a hypothesis. I think the Dinos will go away.

I will not dose any nutrients to prevent variables.

Duration of experiment: Indefinite. I just want to play around with algae and carbon haha.

 

[taricha]

The dinos are ostreopsis.
you're set up for some interesting observations.

 

[Miami Reef]

Day 2

 

[I never finish anythi]

Interesting

 

[KrisReef]

Day 2

How can you walk by this and not wipe the glass?
Photographic note; The picture day 2 had a good frame reference and distance from the tank. Consistency between day photos will improve visual evaluations by 50% to 100%, or some random statistic I forgot already?
Merry Christmas Eve!

 

[Miami Reef]

How can you walk by this and not wipe the glass?
Photographic note; The picture day 2 had a good frame reference and distance from the tank. Consistency between day photos will improve visual evaluations by 50% to 100%, or some random statistic I forgot already?
Merry Christmas Eve!

lol

I don’t have anything in this tank that I like. The algae is the most interesting thing, so wiping it will make it boring ha.

I will try to keep the photography consistent.

 

[KrisReef]

lol

I don’t have anything in this tank that I like. The algae is the most interesting thing, so wiping it will make it boring ha.

I will try to keep the photography consistent.

No, I was thinking that someone on the ADD spectrum would walk by the tank and by impulse grab a cleaning pad and just wipe the glass for you.

Another idea, maybe add a secchi disk or some other object (outside, flat on the back panel that could help sea changes)

I forgot how to spell schski

edit: I'm really glad you are doing this investigation, thanks for it! KrisReef

 

[brandon429]

you need to be dosing ammonia to the system for a valid test, able to extrapolate to anything we'd see in reefing. our reefs are algae challenges among things that constantly produce waste that algae loves, I noticed above that is a very good test tank but is it being starved of nitrogen>


the algae will starve of nitrogen if you aren't simulating a common bioload, and it's loss will be attributed to whatever mixes are being added in test. several drops of dr tims cycling ammonia routinely lets the algae feed correctly, and then your test additions might overcome their natural growth ability.

you need to be adding either fish food or cycling ammonia in my opinion, anyone can just starve out algae in water if they don't give nitrogen long enough.

 

[Miami Reef]

you need to be dosing ammonia to the system for a valid test, able to extrapolate to anything we'd see in reefing. our reefs are algae challenges among things that constantly produce waste that algae loves, I noticed above that is a very good test tank but is it being starved of nitrogen>


the algae will starve of nitrogen if you aren't simulating a common bioload, and it's loss will be attributed to whatever mixes are being added in test. several drops of dr tims cycling ammonia routinely lets the algae feed correctly, and then your test additions might overcome their natural growth ability.

you need to be adding either fish food or cycling ammonia in my opinion, anyone can just starve out algae in water if they don't give nitrogen long enough.

@taricha

Does this sound like a good idea? I don’t want to add more variables, but I was thinking of adding some source of N P to simulate a tank.

 

[Miami Reef]

Day 3

 

[sixty_reefer]

you need to be dosing ammonia to the system for a valid test, able to extrapolate to anything we'd see in reefing. our reefs are algae challenges among things that constantly produce waste that algae loves, I noticed above that is a very good test tank but is it being starved of nitrogen>


the algae will starve of nitrogen if you aren't simulating a common bioload, and it's loss will be attributed to whatever mixes are being added in test. several drops of dr tims cycling ammonia routinely lets the algae feed correctly, and then your test additions might overcome their natural growth ability.

you need to be adding either fish food or cycling ammonia in my opinion, anyone can just starve out algae in water if they don't give nitrogen long enough.

Dosing ammonium chloride wouldn’t mimic reef conditions and could mess up the test imo. Looking at the current set up my guess is that the algae would really starve in a short period of time.

 

[ggNoRe]

Maybe add a small fish and a cheap soft coral? That would mimic our reef tanks.