Should I start dosing vodka ?

[Idech]

I upgraded my system from 75 gallons sumpless to 150 gallons (including sump). My phosphate and nitrates used to be low but are now too high, especially phosphate. I have added a few bigger fish and I am feeding more during the acclimation period so this must be the reason why.

I have setup a refugium but it’s going to take months before it does anything.

Nitrate is 25 ppm and phosphate is 0.45 ppm.

I have read about vodka dosing a bit but don’t know much about it. It seems easy to do and efficient. I would be dosing manually. Would that be a good solution for decreasing phosphate ?

Thanks

 

[rennjidk]

I upgraded my system from 75 gallons sumpless to 150 gallons (including sump). My phosphate and nitrates used to be low but are now too high, especially phosphate. I have added a few bigger fish and I am feeding more during the acclimation period so this must be the reason why.

I have setup a refugium but it’s going to take months before it does anything.

Nitrate is 25 ppm and phosphate is 0.45 ppm.

I have read about vodka dosing a bit but don’t know much about it. It seems easy to do and efficient. I would be dosing manually. Would that be a good solution for decreasing phosphate ?

Thanks

Well, 25ppm No3 isn't very high at all. It's actually in the ballpark of what a lot of people run their tanks at. If you want to start dosing to reduce nutrients, that's definitely an option, but a lot of people are going to recommend vinegar over vodka, as it seems to feed less pest organisms such as cyano.

As far as bringing down the Po4, you could start using GFO or dosing Lanthanum in your filter sock. You will bing it down fairly quickly with either option.

With the refugium, I wouldn't count on it taking months. A golfball sized amount of chaeto was enough to completely bottom out my 30g running just 4hrs of light a day.

 

[Idech]

Well, 25ppm No3 isn't very high at all. It's actually in the ballpark of what a lot of people run their tanks at. If you want to start dosing to reduce nutrients, that's definitely an option, but a lot of people are going to recommend vinegar over vodka, as it seems to feed less pest organisms such as cyano.

As far as bringing down the Po4, you could start using GFO or dosing Lanthanum in your filter sock. You will bing it down fairly quickly with either option.

With the refugium, I wouldn't count on it taking months. A golfball sized amount of chaeto was enough to completely bottom out my 30g running just 4hrs of light a day.

Thanks, I appreciate that. I’ll look into lanthanum and GFO.

 

[Lavey29]

Before you start changing things how is the status of your tank currently? If it ain't broke don't fix it.

 

[Idech]

Before you start changing things how is the status of your tank currently? If it ain't broke don't fix it.

I am dosing a bit of peroxyde salt at the moment so one coral is completely retracted but the rest of them are okay, Mostly shrooms and softies for now.

You think 0.45 ppm phosphate is okay, even if it continues climbing ?

 

[JGT]

Carbon dosing won’t solve your po4 prob. Great on nitrates, po4 not so much. As others have said gfo or LC for po4.

 

[Randy Holmes-Farley]

I am dosing a bit of peroxyde salt at the moment so one coral is completely retracted but the rest of them are okay, Mostly shrooms and softies for now.

Why are you doing that?

 

[Idech]

Why are you doing that?

It’s Polyp Lab medic. I added a few fish and there is ich in my tank. It’s just to help them acclimate as they are a bit itchy.

 

[Randy Holmes-Farley]

It’s Polyp Lab medic. I added a few fish and there is ich in my tank. It’s just to help them acclimate as they are a bit itchy.

OK, I see why you'd do it. I have no idea whether it works, and I'm not a fan of their description, but that's a different story.

 

[Idech]

OK, I see why you'd do it. I have no idea whether it works, and I'm not a fan of their description, but that's a different story.

It has at least seemed to work for me in the past. It’s impossible to know if doing nothing would have given the same results…

 

[GARRIGA]

No clue on what exact levels phosphates should be but it seems all suggestions same as if all have Sticks. From experience. Algae grows regardless if 4ppm or zero. I've tested several within those ranges just because it's what I like to do.

Not sure 0.45ppm of concern unless certain Sticks involved and not exactly sure which are those. Richard Ross knows more than I do and his experience might help shed some light.

As stated previously, why fix what isn't broke. From experience. Regardless what it is. When I tried fixing just fine. It broke.

 

[Lavey29]

I am dosing a bit of peroxyde salt at the moment so one coral is completely retracted but the rest of them are okay, Mostly shrooms and softies for now.

You think 0.45 ppm phosphate is okay, even if it continues climbing ?

The dilemma we all face with phosphate. I chased the number for 3 years now and it is routinely higher then yours. I will dose some LC here and there and maybe a bag of phosguard but my phosphate is pretty much always .2 to .4 now and my tank is fine.

 

[Idech]

No clue on what exact levels phosphates should be but it seems all suggestions same as if all have Sticks. From experience. Algae grows regardless if 4ppm or zero. I've tested several within those ranges just because it's what I like to do.

Not sure 0.45ppm of concern unless certain Sticks involved and not exactly sure which are those. Richard Ross knows more than I do and his experience might help shed some light.

As stated previously, why fix what isn't broke. From experience. Regardless what it is. When I tried fixing just fine. It broke.

Very interesting, thanks !

After seeing that and some of the other comments, I’m not going to do anything for now other than starting my refugium.

 

[Lavey29]

Very interesting, thanks !

After seeing that and some of the other comments, I’m not going to do anything for now other than starting my refugium.

You can do things to naturally lower phosphates. No pellet or flakes only frozen. No coral additives like reef roids or other stuff.

 

[GARRIGA]

Very interesting, thanks !

After seeing that and some of the other comments, I’m not going to do anything for now other than starting my refugium.

Consider dosing ChaetoMax or other iron supplements as that's worked well for me and macroalgae consumes that along with other trace. Easier for me to just add commercial available although I'm sure there's diy should consumption and cost warrant it. Can also add more algae if getting started quicker a need and I've found that 24/7 works just as well with Pom Pom as it did in FW trials. Have heard others claim the same with Chaeto.

Later lights can be used to fine tune consumption although I just prefer to overfeed and have constant nutrients available even if they bottom out. Last I'm going to do is walk a fine line of 0.03-0.06 or what ever the flavor of the week is. Reefs don't have these narrow ranges. They just have tons of consumers. Plus 24/7 lit Fuge ensure constant consumption of co2 and constant addition of oxygen. Yet to hear of a tank being co2 starved and plan on hooking my lights to a controller with power off should pH rise above a certain point. No clue yet what that point is since nature prescribes 8.3 yet many have been successful accelerating growth at 8.5/8.6 but only experience will resolve that. Only one way to know for sure. Do it.