Anyone using VSV

[fishn]

I am thinking of dosing VSV and doing some resurch on it. All my water peramitors test at zero, but the wife has been fighting algie for a month or so. Also like the looks of the color change most people have seen in there systems. Is anyone doing this and what are your recomendations?

[Ping]

Do you mean ESV or B-ionic. If so, many use the stuff with great success. It is like crack for corals. I have a large system and use Randy Holmes Farleys DIY 3 part.

[fishn]

No talking about Vodka, Surgar, and Vinager.

[Ping]

Phosphate can test low and still be a problem because it can be saturated in the rock and slowly coming into solution at the rate of tank life-form consumption (e.g. algae), and nitrate can test zero because the algae in the tank is also consuming the excess quantities. Vodka dosing is one way to multiply bacteria at a rate whereas they consume the excess nutrients before they can be consumed by higher life forms.

How old is your tank and rock? Do you skim and how much. How often do you conduct water changes?

A natural approach in lowering excess nutrients leads to a more stable environment (Kalk dosing, vegetative refugium w/a SSB, or a DSB, or an ATS are some examples).

Vodka dosing works, but it can be tricky.

[fishypets]

Your phosphates test at zero but how low does your test kit go? Zero can be .001 to .99 on most cheap test kits. I would recommend testing with a Tunze P04 test kit or a Hanna photometer to get an accurate reading. I've been running Zeo for about six weeks now and my phospahtes still read at 0.25 which is way higher than I'd like.

I dosed just vodka before switching to ZEOvit and had good luck. After about one month of dosing my sps started turning from dark brown to a lighter shade of brown. Before you take the plunge just make sure you have a strong skimmer, that's the key when dosing a carbon source.

[fishn]

Tank is one year old, rock is all over 3 years old. I have a fuge with DSB and Cheo. I run GFO, Carbon. It is not working so I am looking at other options.

[akm]

I've never tried it but this will probably help you.

http://reefkeeping.com/issues/2008-08/nftt/index.php

[Ping]

You sound like a prime candidate, as fishypets says, if you have a quality skimmer.

Great link Aaron.

[glennr1978]

I'm dosing vodka, have been for a couple of months. So far, so good.

[fishn]

Running a ASM G3 Skimmer

[Ping]

That's a quality skimmer.

[fishn]

Thanks, I am going to be looking at this option when I get home. I am also going to do the recurculating mod on the skimmer.