Articles and Newsletters
| 18 October 2009
CAVEAT and DISCLAIMER
This article discusses an advanced Aquarium/Reefkeeping topic. Please take extreme care on attempting any such dosing regimen on your setup; and do lots of preliminary research before embarking on any such experiment on your tank. It is extremely easy to overdose or cause a ‘bloom’ which may starve your inhabitants of oxygen. You have been warned! The author assumes no liability or responsibility for any damage that may occur to your setup by following the regimen in this article.
Vodka Dosing: whilst aiming at Zero Parts Per Million for Ammonium, Nitrite and Nitrates
My tank has long suffered with measurable levels of Ammomia, Nitrite and Nitrates. No amount of cutting back on feeding, water changes, or skimming were helping. I did some research and found a possible solution in the form of Vodka Dosing. Vodka is essentially raw carbon, and by introducing it to the tank, it feeds bacteria, which bloom, which then attacks the residual by products in the tank, yes, you guessed it, the Ammonia, Nitrites and Nitrates!
I began the experiment on the 1st of September 2009, and by 16th of October 2009 my tank is showing Zero parts per million across all 3 contaminants whilst maintaining a high level of feeding and an overstocked tank!
