Vodka dosing

[CarlaW]

prolly the same time or shorty after..

I added that 5 lb rock from the local fish store and then it started getting cyano all over it..
Still does but not as bad and in my sump there is cyano on the sides of the acrylic..
And I lost a frag of zoos to some brown algae that just covered them in a few days (thin film)
and my superman monti (which was growing with great speed and color) now is slightly bleaching out..but most corals are doing great...even the other monti's

on that note,
I WILL NEVER ADD A PIECE OF LIVE ROCK FROM A LOCAL FISH STORE AGAIN WITHOUT BOILING IT FIRST...
Or from anywhere for that matter..

OK, stop and think about what you just said here. You have changed a couple of things just recently and these things have come on right after these changes Adam, sit back, have another cup!!!!!
I have all kinds of crap in my sump and fuge that are not in the main system, I just kind of take them for granted and watch!!!! Like I said before, if you want to try vodka, feel free, but I think you know what actually is causing your recent problems, and you could also just ride this out and things will get back to normal in awhile. Patience my man, patience!!!

 

[Myteemouse]

My corals grow around the cyno on broke tips or fraged spots but it sure is ugly
Funny how I can take a white peice of rock out of the sump for gluing a frag on and two days later in the MH light it gets cyno on it for a few weeks to a month.
I honestly think it's the rods food
I really do..
I won two packages from the BR sale and have been feeding from then on..
I just need to go back to frozen mysis and brine..and dried sheets of nori..
That is all I fed for 6 months.. I should never had switched foods..
I just thought good food for free..
I guess my 160 gallon system is actually more fragile than I thought
One small change and BLAMO. Everything goes to hell in a hand basket..
I know my tank looks good from a far but you all know..
If you are as aware of your system as I am, any tiny change is very noticeable and very upsetting.

 

[Myteemouse]

OK, stop and think about what you just said here. You have changed a couple of things just recently and these things have come on right after these changes Adam, sit back, have another cup!!!!!
I have all kinds of crap in my sump and fuge that are not in the main system, I just kind of take them for granted and watch!!!! Like I said before, if you want to try vodka, feel free, but I think you know what actually is causing your recent problems, and you could also just ride this out and things will get back to normal in awhile. Patience my man, patience!!!

I know, I know..
But it breaks my heart to see my all my HARD work, just to go south..
I may just need to let it run it's course..
But if it doesn't change in a another month I will have to do something..
I think I'll start with adding some bacteria to the system..
Maybe give it a boost.????

I really am very weary of adding ANYTHING to my system..
I am a firm believer of not adding anything I don't test for..
But I'm getting nervous..

"TALKING TO SELF" self just let it be for a while and see.

 

[CarlaW]

All of our systems, even mine are very fragile, we all live on an edge, because this is a freaking glass box we are talking about here. I think if you just go back to what you were doing before, you may be just fine. If that don't work, then maybe you will have to try something a little different. If this has only been going on since the addition of a new piece of LR or the feeding of the food, you pretty much have it narrowed down.
Are you feeding Rods Food every day??? Maybe just once a week would be good!!!

 

[Myteemouse]

no now I'm down to once every three days..
I'm gonna go get some frozen mysis and brine tomorrow and go back to what I was doing before..

 

[CarlaW]

Adam, I am sorry if I kind of crunched your ideas here, but I am just kind of old school as far as these things go, and I don't want to see you go off the deep end because there was a simple solution that is alot easier. I hope you don't take this whole conversation the wrong way!

 

[Myteemouse]

not at all..
I think just by talking about it . I got it now..
I never really put two and two together..

 

[cali_reef]

Carbon dosing will enhance the growth of the bacteria that consumes PO4 and No3 in the process. You need to have or add the bacteria in the tank to start with, it will multiply once sufficient amount of the food it needs are present in the tank. Just adding vodka without the bacteria strain will not be good. How high are your PO4 and No3?

Multiple 15% water changes with quality source water works wonders in fixing most water quality issues.

 

[treehugger]

i've done the vodka dosing with what i would consider great success with my sps...lps and softies were definately not as happy...especially my acans but who can blame them they love the water a bit dirty...as for adding "good" bacteria it can't hurt but it can also get expensive for something that may or may not be what it's marketed as. One word of advice would be to be careful if you have cyano because cyano is a bacteria that you are also giving a carbon source to use and could cause it to grow faster. It's a dangerous game to play. I stopped after about 8 months but in that time saw my sps grow faster and gain more color then they ever had before. Good luck.

 

[Myteemouse]

I will just chill for now..
I don't have large anmounts of cyno..
Jus tiny little pockets on the sump walls. and on dead or exposed coral skeloton.

 

[CarlaW]

i've done the vodka dosing with what i would consider great success with my sps...lps and softies were definately not as happy...especially my acans but who can blame them they love the water a bit dirty...as for adding "good" bacteria it can't hurt but it can also get expensive for something that may or may not be what it's marketed as. One word of advice would be to be careful if you have cyano because cyano is a bacteria that you are also giving a carbon source to use and could cause it to grow faster. It's a dangerous game to play. I stopped after about 8 months but in that time saw my sps grow faster and gain more color then they ever had before. Good luck.

Why did you stop if you had good results?

 

[krisfal]

Maybe I'm just freaking out..??

Maybe I need to pack 30 or so more lbs of rock in my sump?
Maybe I'm just WAY to anal with my system and I'm freaking over nothing?
Maybe I should just let it be?
Maybe I'm a nut job and should be committed?
Maybe I just need another cup of coffee and shut up?

That about sums it up!

Adam, you have one of the cleanest tanks I have ever seen!

 

[Myteemouse]

Thanks Kris..
I just see one tiny thing out of place and I freak out...

 

[krisfal]

no now I'm down to once every three days..
I'm gonna go get some frozen mysis and brine tomorrow and go back to what I was doing before..

Try finding some krill. Neither mysis nor brine are true marine organisms (they are from brackish waters) so do not carry the omega 3 fatty acids needed by your fish. Krill is a good alternative, while still being a whole (therefore less messy) food.

I am with you on that rods food, I think it has too many small particles (supposed to feed the coral) that tend to get left behind to foul the tank. I do use it, but try to limit to just once or twice a week. I also feed mysis, brine, formula 2, krill and whatever other frozen food looked good last time I was looking. I have quit thawing the food and drop it in the tank as a frozen cube, the fish eat it all by the time it thaws and it seems they consume more of the small pieces that way (two of my 4 fish are larger >6") and less is left to pollute the tank. I have been feeding without thawing for about 6 months now and have not noticed any problems.

 

[Myteemouse]

Thanks for the info kris..
I will go back to what I know works.
Have you ever fed LIVE BRINE before?
I get some every once in a while and the fish go knuts.
Like cats on cat nip.. kinda funny to watch.

 

[roscoe]

Hey Adam. You know I was dosing that stuff on my 40b for years with major success. I've been dosing on my big system for 3 months now at 3ml per day and it has dramatically cleared up my tank and the corals seem to like it as they are more polyped out and I also noticed increase in growth on many of my SPS.

 

[roscoe]

Oh yeah if you do dose the vodka. Keep an eye on your skimmer. That thing will go nuts and skim like crazy!

 

[Myteemouse]

do you add bacteria too??
I'm reading in articles you don't need to but alot of people are saying yes??

 

[roscoe]

No I am not adding bactaria ATM but am researching the MB7. I'm a little leary with all these new products coming out claiming to do this and that but I am willing to experiment. Hey if you like we can go in on a 5g bucket of the MB7 down the road sometime. With the 40b I didn't add any bactaria though and it did just fine.

 

[Myteemouse]

I may read a little too..
I don't want to experiment in my 125 but I would in my 29 to see if any of the softies and a few SPS frags do .. then start on the 125 if it goes well..???