One Reef Screwdriver Please!

Huh?

Let me explain. A giant mass of intermediate reefers are rediscovering a method, which when applied, could supposedly remove unwanted phosphates, nitrates and algae. Ripping out your tank you say? Nuking your rock in some bioling water? Nah, it wouldn’t be that extreme. I am talking about Vodka dosing. Yes, your regular on the shelf Smirnoff.

Apparently what you are dosing is ethanol, commonly known as vodka. It is supposed to help reduce organics in your water by allowing the PO4/NO3 assimilating bacteria to grow in mass. Then, by mechanical extraction, you can skim the nutrients (and the binding bacteria) out of solution (water).

Recently, due to a lot of chatter, ReefKeeping magazine had published an article written by Nathaniel Walton and Matt Bjornson digesting the topic of dosing ethanol. This is what they have to say:

The addition of vodka/ethanol is thought to increase bacterial biomass. For this, vodka addition would result in bacterial growth and reproduction. During this process nutrients in the water (including NO3 and PO4) are taken up for the formation of new macromolecules that are needed in cell synthesis and viability. Due to this rapid growth and reproduction, NO3 and PO4 can drop quickly from detectable levels by most test kits on the market. The increased biomass of the bacteria leads to a notable increase in skimmate production, removing more waste than without vodka addition. The increased skimmate is thought to remove the bacteria or bacterial biproducts that have assimilated the NO3 and PO4 within the water column leading to NO3 and PO4 depletion.

In other words, to eliminate the PO4 or NO3, you need something to consume it. By adding ethanol, you are increasing the biomass of the bacteria that consumes organics. But step two would require you to effectively skim these bonded nutrients to complete the elimination process.

Directions, for those that don’t want to read the long article (based on 80% proof, 40% ethanol vodka) are as followed:

1. Test your system’s NO3 and PO4 levels. Do not dose if you do not know this! We recommend good test kits that have some low level of sensitivity. This will be important later on to determining a maintenance dose regimen. During the initial dosing test often and adjust dosing parameters as needed as each tank’s requirement will be different. Dosing accuracy is of the utmost importance. A graduated measurement tool such as a syringe will come in handy. A journal of additions and test kit measurements is recommended.
2. Estimate your Net Water Volume (NWV) of your system. (Aquarium volume + sump + refugium + reactor volumes) – (live rock displacement). It can be difficult to accurately measure the amount of water being displaced by the live rock. If unsure of the volume of live rock we suggest taking 30% off your display tank’s Gross Water Volume. For vodka dosing there is absolutely no harm in underestimating the Net Water Volume and is recommended.
3. The starting dosage is 0.1ml of vodka per 25 gallons (~100 liters) NWV daily continued for three days. For 100 Net Gallons, your dosage would be 0.4ml daily during this period. It has been suggested to cut the daily dosage in half and dose twice daily for more consistency.
4. Days 4-7, double the daily dosage to 0.2ml of vodka per 25 gallons NWV. Your example dosage would be 0.8ml daily during this period.
5. Each subsequent week add an additional 0.5ml of vodka regardless of aquaria volume. At this point your example dosage during week two would be 1.3ml daily. If you do not see nutrient levels decrease during this week, the following week add an additional 0.5ml for a daily dosage of 1.8ml daily.
6. When your NO3 and PO4 levels start to drop maintain the current dose. For example, if you were on week two when NO3 start to fall on 100 Net Water Volume you would add 1.3mL daily at this time for the continuing weeks until the NO3 becomes undetectable.
7. When your NO3 and PO4 levels drop near undetectable with your test kits cut your current dose in half. This will be your starting maintenance dose (if the levels drop during week 2 then the dose after reaching undetectable levels would be 0.65ml daily [1.3ml divide by 2]).
8. Continue to test for NO3 and PO4. If levels become detectable in the future increase your daily dose by 0.1ml increments per week until the levels start to decrease. If you maintain that dose the levels will eventually drop back to undetectable. This would become your new maintenance dose.

(Courtesy of ReefKeeping Magazine)

So will you try this out? Will you run out to the liquor store and bring back home cases of the cheapest vodka? An article by Eric Borneman will tell you to slow that horse down. You may actually be hurting your tank’s inhabitants by doing this. You have to read this before venturing on this hot project. Stay tuned!