Dosing Vinegar with Auto Doser?

[tbrown]

Question for everyone: I'm considering dosing Vinegar to bring down my nitrates. Is it recommended to use an auto doser or is it recommended to dose manually?

I've got a 4 head Jebao doser and have 3 of those heads available for dosing.

Nitrates are over 75 (Hanna is flashing 75). My corals and fish are mostly happy. I'm currently dosing 0.1 ppm daily of phosphates and the nitrates have slowly climbed.

My mixed reef tank is full of frags at this time and I know as they grow and start "eating" the nitrates more I'll need to slow or stop the carbon dosing.

 

[stoney7713]

If you're using straight vinegar, during the day, via doser, to spread out any possible effect on pH.

 

[tbrown]

If you're using straight vinegar, during the day, via doser, to spread out any possible effect on pH.

That was my plan. Plain white vinegar, spread out during lights on.

 

[stoney7713]

That was my plan. Plain white vinegar, spread out during lights on.

Smoooooth

 

[Randy Holmes-Farley Verified Community Expert]

I’ve done both and both work. A doser during the day is less work and more spread out, and is a bit better but not mandatory.

 

[tbrown]

I’ve done both and both work. A doser during the day is less work and more spread out, and is a bit better but not mandatory.

Thanks! I wasn't sure if dosing in "chunks" was necessary or if smaller doses throughout the day would work.

 

[Randy Holmes-Farley Verified Community Expert]

Thanks! I wasn't sure if dosing in "chunks" was necessary or if smaller doses throughout the day would work.

Organic carbon dosing lowers pH and O2, so it is best to spread it out during the daylight hours.

 

[Karliefish]

I read I had read on a thread somewhere that putting vinegar on an auto doser wasn’t good and could potentially imtroduce problems with the vinegar in the bottle being exposed to air. Any concerns?

 

[Randy Holmes-Farley Verified Community Expert]

I read I had read on a thread somewhere that putting vinegar on an auto doser wasn’t good and could potentially imtroduce problems with the vinegar in the bottle being exposed to air. Any concerns?

Nope. I did it for years. Just keep it mostly closed.

 

[Karliefish]

Nope. I did it for years. Just keep it mostly closed.

Thanks Randy…this is going to make my dosing life so much easier.

 

[Randy Holmes-Farley Verified Community Expert]

Thanks Randy…this is going to make my dosing life so much easier.

I used a BRS doser and ran the end of the line into a 1 gallon vinegar jug. Cut a hole in the lid to run the hose through.

Make sure the jug is below the level of the end of the drip line so it cannot siphon.