Vodka. Am I overdosing. ?

[Barks]

Hey all.
I started vodka dosing 2 months ago using the new directions.
After 2 weeks I was at 15ml per day and my nitrate started falling so kept it at 15 until nitrates dropped to 5.
I than halved it for the maintenance dose but it started rising when it got to 10 I upped the dose to 15ml per day again and nitrates fell to 5 again.
I’ve left it at 15ml per day ever since which keeps my po4 at 0.03 and nitrate at 5.

Am I overdosing as most people dose a tiny amount as a maintenance dose.

If I lower the dose the nitrate rises.

5 foot tank. 18 fish. Sps dominant. No filter socks.

Cheers
Barks

 

[rishma]

I don’t think that dose is too high. People’s maintenance dose varies quite a bit.

I will say 0.03 PPM PO4 is uncomfortably low for me. Not that it’s bad, but my prior attempts to keep it that low eventually resulted in ended up at 0.0 and problems. I now try to keep it at 0.06-0.1 to have some margin.

I also don’t try to keep my nitrate that low for the same reasons, but opinions vary widely on that. I’m happy if it’s less than 10 and not zero, but normally worry about it being too low with carbon dosing.

So if it were me, I’d ease up on the vodka based on those numbers, but not because I think 15ml is too much.

 

[Barks]

Hi rishma.
Ok thanks for the reply.
Funny you should say that as I would prefer po4 0.08 and no3 8 so I’ve dropped the vodka 2ml per day to see what happens.
Cheers
Barks

 

[rishma]

Hi rishma.
Ok thanks for the reply.
Funny you should say that as I would prefer po4 0.08 and no3 8 so I’ve dropped the vodka 2ml per day to see what happens.
Cheers
Barks

My experience has led me to be happy if nutrients land in a range I like and not adjust anything as long as they are in that range. Phosphate in particular seems to vary. In fact, in my tank, phosphate is a little lower in the morning and a little higher in evening, quite repeatably. If it bounces around my target range and corals look good, I consider it successful.

Nitrates move slower in my tank, but do tend to drift lower over time with carbon dosing.

If your feeding is very consistent and filtration is very consistent, things are more stable. Also bigger water volumes are more stable too, but I have always observed a range.

Good luck

 

[DaJMasta]

If you feed a good bit, that's not necessarily too high. I'm at about 6mL per day in a ~45G system because I feed pretty heavily twice a day.

 

[Barks]

Ok thanks both. After 3 days of dropping it to 13ml per day from 15ml per day my po4 went to 1 and my nitrate went to 10 so I’ve increased it 1ml per day to try and get it in the middle.
I’m just supprised at all the pink snot in the skimmer. If it’s denitrifying bacteria growing why dose it choose to grow in a load of air bubbles. ?
Yes I had 18 fish and feed heavy twice a day. 2 types of pellets and hand feed the cbb in the morning with mysis. Then 3 cubes of frozen in the evening. If the rocks are clean they get algae pellets in the middle of the day too.

Cheers
Barks