Started vodka dosing.

[bobby]

Well I had my tank up for sale for a while, and no one interested in buying the whole thing, just parts. Any way I decided to just keep it and devote it to just my clowns and a anemone or two, but before I did that I needed to bring my trates down. My three year old kit says I have 80 PPM, but I think it's reading double because of age.

To bring the trates down I decided to try vodka instead of doing a ton of water change. ( I do 5 gal a week and didn't want to do 20 plus a week) I started last sunday and haven't noticed a drop yet, but I have to say the water has NEVER been sooo clear. Looking in the tank now makes everything soo crisp and clear. I noticed before after a water change when I looked at the removed water in a bucket it had a yellow tinge to it, but now it's just perfectly clear.

Will check the trates today or tomarrow and update everyone. I just thought I would start this thread to 1 have a log for myself, and 2 to show my success/horror story whichever may happen, so anyone else who wants to try can benefit from my attempt. I'll be sure to let you guys know. BTW I followed this write up to the T. I'm now on day 8 and added the .5MM to my double does. Vodka Dosing by 'Genetics' and 'Stony_Corals' - Reefkeeping.com

 

[yote]

Good luck Bobby

 

[winyfrog]

I've never tried this in my tank.

I will be vodka dosing myself tonight though. ;)

Keep us posted I would be interested to see how this works......

 

[bobby]

I'm testing right now for the first time since I started. When I started it was about 80PPM I'll know in 4 more minutes.LOL I think it takes longer than a week though to start.

 

[bobby]

The funniest part of dosing is explaining to the people at the liquor store why it has to be 80 proof.LOL You should have seen the looks on their faces.

 

[winyfrog]

:) lol I get weird looks sometimes when I go to the grocery store and ask for 3 uncooked shrimp from the meat department... They are always like "are you the only one eating these? " "no its for my octopus" :D

 

[bobby]

Test is done, and I'm pretty surprised.The test is saying 40 now, and I haven't done a water change since I started to see if it's really the vodka. I tested a couple times before I started and the results were always the same. This is the first test since I started. I will test again to make sure it's consistant.

 

[bjohanson1234]

let us know.
Might have to try this also.

 

[bobby]

Test two is done, and it's also at 40. I have to say I'm pretty excited and suprised. I didn't think it would happen this fast.

A while ago I lost all my SPS except one orange monti that bleached and and started getting coraline on it. It was still alive because I could see some bleached polyps still showing. While dosing the polyps have more than doubled and are orange again. Hopefully the coral itself starts turning orange again and makes a come back. No other difference in any other coral though. If anything they're a tiny shad brighter and extended a hair more.

I will keep up with updates on the dosing.

 

[bjohanson1234]

congrats

maybe they are just drunk and not feeling any more pain though:mrgreen:

 

[bobby]

HAHA What ever it take. Have to go get a sack next and start blowing into the tank.....Or set the sump up ans a water bong. Man think of the possible coral fattening!

Actually the amount of vodka added is very tiny. Start at 0.1ml per 25 gal. I was thinking when I started I don't know how 2 tenths of a ml will do anything to a 50 gal tank.LOL

 

[SeaBee]

Did someone say Bong???? what are you doing to these corals???

 

[dcantucson]

Bobby I once looked into this filter device that uses Vodka also.

Aquaripure Nitrate Filter

 

[bobby]

I tested my trates two days ago and it looked like they were at 20 but it was very hard to tell by the color. Might have been at around 30. I check in another couple days and report back.

 

[daugherty]

i have been thinking of doing some vodka or sugar dosing i am glad to hear it is working for you how do your corals look after dosing vodka better or worse?

 

[bobby]

Everything looks fine and to be unbothered at all. Only thing that looked bad was my duncan, but I think the trates finally got to it. I also have a candy cane and frogspawn type coral in there and they're doing fine. Only SPS still alive ( orange cap) is looking alot better.