Considering Vinegar Dosing again

[reefstarter]

I have done the reading and I know what I should put in how often and such . Just can't decide to pull the trigger I've read that some bleaching can occur . probably due to water clarity allowing more light through ? One thing I haven't found any info on yet is if dosing it will help phytoplankton . I know it can deplete oxygen but I feel I have plenty to spare . Anything I am missing ?

 

[frank180reef]

I have been wondering, this helps just nitrates? Or phosphates also?

 

[reefstarter]

both , but not as much phosphates I guess . so you may still have to run GFO . but not as much maybe . There is something about it limiting out the bacteria and leaving phosphates behind I'd like more info on .

 

[JohnK]

IIRC when vinegar dosing (any organic carbon dosing I think) usually the nitrate gets eaten up relatively faster so that you end up with near zero nitrate but enough phosphate lingering to still cause algae issues unless GFO is used to deal with the phosphate. Something about that redfield ratio thing, although it doesn't perfectly or accurately carry over to our purposes, it seems that we usually import a ratio of phosphate to nitrate that is different from the ratio that is taken up by bacterial growth, hence the accumulating phosphate.

IME modest vinegar dosing works well overall, but without any significant GFO usage my system has been very good at growing valonia and cyano, but other nusiance algaes seem to be minimal or absent. That said, I've been far from meticulous about my tank for the past several years so I'm sure I could have things dialed in a lot better if I was more invested in keeping up with it.

 

[JasonandSarah]

You know I've always wondered why people that Carbon dose don't just keep adding nitrates to they're system? Once they get to 0 if you kept adding nitrates (flourish?) Wouldn't that allow the phosphates to continue to be eaten by the bacteria?
I'm probably way off as I'm sure many people thought of this already.

 

[JohnK]

You know I've always wondered why people that Carbon dose don't just keep adding nitrates to they're system? Once they get to 0 if you kept adding nitrates (flourish?) Wouldn't that allow the phosphates to continue to be eaten by the bacteria?
I'm probably way off as I'm sure many people thought of this already.

I asked Randy H-F about this at a meeting a few yrs back. He said that logically yes it would make sense and ought to work. The catch is that it would be nearly impossible to find and maintain a pefect balance to get it just right. (rembember that many/most life in our tanks do require a trace of phosphate, so going too low may be a possibility.)

 

[frank180reef]

Thanks guys!

 

[JasonandSarah]

I asked Randy H-F about this at a meeting a few yrs back. He said that logically yes it would make sense and ought to work. The catch is that it would be nearly impossible to find and maintain a pefect balance to get it just right. (rembember that many/most life in our tanks do require a trace of phosphate, so going too low may be a possibility.)

Ok awesome that makes sense.