Vodka dosers- need your help

[drainbamage]

Any way you can have your water tested for nitrates and phosphates by a different test kit, maybe from another reefer or LFS? I'm wondering why you are battling HA if you have 0 nitrates and phosphates -- maybe you are overfeeding, but then you should at least detect some phosphates.

I use LaMotte to test my Nitrates and the Hanna Checker for phosphates.

IME testing phos with ANY signs of macro-algae's has been essentially pointless- the algae sucks them up before they reach detectable levels unless levels are extremely high. So yea, I'm sure there's some nutrients in tank, but as I don't feed often/much, I don't believe the nutrients are the biggest factor for the HA- more that I just haven't been able to eliminate it so they get enough to survive. With it being a small tank, never had had a large CUC going on, and no tangs to keep it nibbled at either.

I've tested 'trates using two different salifert kits, a red sea kit, and had a buddy at a chemical lab test it- all showed same readings of zero's, after which point I gave up trying to get a reading on it and just go by general appearance these days for the nutrient levels.

 

[Jcr's Reef]

FWIW- I've never dosed vodka to battle nitrates or phosphates, or anything else for that matter. I simply dose Vodka to bring out better colors in my SPS. Although I have never applied my own theory (never had to thank god), it's quicker to just do water changes to drive N&P down vs. sitting there for weeks or months figuring out a dosing regimen to drive them down. If you are indeed overdosing your system with vodka your LPS are probably taking on a lighter coloration because of the lack of nutrients in the water. My .02 on that.

How is the Polyp Extension on your SPS? Good P.E. usually means everything is good, while no P.E. usually means something is off (unless you have nippers).

 

[drainbamage]

FWIW- I've never dosed vodka to battle nitrates or phosphates, or anything else for that matter. I simply dose Vodka to bring out better colors in my SPS. Although I have never applied my own theory (never had to thank god), it's quicker to just do water changes to drive N&P down vs. sitting there for weeks or months figuring out a dosing regimen to drive them down. If you are indeed overdosing your system with vodka your LPS are probably taking on a lighter coloration because of the lack of nutrients in the water. My .02 on that.

How is the Polyp Extension on your SPS? Good P.E. usually means everything is good, while no P.E. usually means something is off (unless you have nippers).

thanks for the input! and that's the weird thing- the LPS's have great deep colors, while the SPS's for the most part have great PE too. it's just a couple colonies of SPS's that have sub-standard PE (but still have it, just not as much as once did) and their color has faded.

No nippers in the tank- only fish is a dwarf lionfish and a mandarin dragonette, so unless the lion has gotten REALLY hungry I don't think thats it :xd:

been starting to add some AA and reduced the vodka dose amount, going to see what affect that gives. Really want to start trying vit-c on the tank, but with the other problems already in there, I don't want to compound things or almost as bad- not know what fixed what problem, lol.