Preventing Photosynthetic Pests in Reef Aquariums

1. Limit the introduction of pests in the first place. Use coral dips, clean & Rinse frags, use sterile dry rock, practice quarantine with fish, and don’t add fish-bag water to your tank. 
2. Establish a healthy biofilm on the rock to outcompete the uglies for space and resources.
3. Establish a population of micro predators – copepods, amphipods, and small snails that hunt and prey upon these pest algae.
4. Maintain a traditional clean-up crew in the way of mesopredators including crabs, snails, urchins, etc. 
5. Macro-predators like tangs, rabbitfish, and blennies will help reduce the spread of pest algae.

Successful prevention is more than a handful of hermit crabs and a few snails, it requires a network of organisms in addition to a disciplined approach to establishing the aquarium that will produce the desired results. 

Algae can enter your aquarium from introduced rocks, sand, frags, and even floating in the bag alongside a new fish.  While algae is a completely normal and healthy part of an aquatic ecosystem, when the conditions are right inside an aquarium algae can become quite problematic. Many types of algae will grow quickly and can outcompete corals for real estate, not to mention it looks pretty nasty if left unchecked.

The key to algae management is control and biodiversity. It’s important to “nip algae in the bud” so to speak and remove it as soon as you see it.  As a tank matures, it becomes increasingly more biodiverse which reduces the chances of any one species of bacteria and/or algae becoming dominant. Consequently, new aquariums are generally more susceptible to algae and pest outbreaks.

Nothing good happens quickly in a reef tank and just like it takes algae time to grow, it will take you time to clean it up. 

Diatoms

Diatoms are a major group of microalgae and although they can seem nice to look at when viewed under a microscope they can make your tank look horrible by covering it in “powdery brown slime”. Very prevalent in new reef tanks, diatoms are usually one of the first algae to colonize the surfaces of pristine rock and sand, turning a sparkling new aquarium into a brown swamp seemingly overnight.

Diatoms

These single-celled algae are highly competitive and show up as a light brown coating or “dust” that coats the surfaces inside your tank. They are often short-lived, coming and going inside of 7 days but can sometimes be much more explosive and stick around for much longer and in higher numbers.

Diatoms reproduce quickly and rely upon nitrogen, phosphorous, and light to survive. They have a unique silica-based cell wall which has led some hobbyists down the road of limiting silica in the aquarium but just like reducing nutrients, this approach is often not 100% effective for eliminating a pesky diatom bloom.

While diatoms can outcompete most anything in your tank if given an opportunity, they are also easy prey for a variety of other microorganisms including copepods!

Redundancy –  Beating diatoms may be less about starving them of nutrients and more about maintaining a redundant biome where competing organisms exist in harmony.

Cycling a new tank, diatoms are often the first sign of life.

HOW TO BEAT DIATOMS

• In new tanks, it’s best to just let the diatoms run their course.  After a couple of weeks, the diatom bloom should die off all on its own. Just be sure to keep up with water changes and maintenance.
• UV sterilizers will help reduce the spread of diatoms and may prevent an outbreak altogether.
• A natural method is the use of sailfin or black mollies (brackish fish that can be added to marine systems,) which are good at grazing it.
• Regular maintenance in the form of regular glass cleaning, water changes, and substrate vacuuming. Filter socks, pads, and sponges will help catch and remove any that you dislodge into the water, which should then be swapped out for a new filter.
• GFO or phosphate removal media can help control both phosphate and silicates which helps starve diatoms long term.

Cyanobacteria

Cyano isn’t algae. As the name suggests, it’s a special kind of bacteria, but a common nuisance all the same. While Cyano or “red slime” looks and behaves like algae, it is an opportunistic photosynthetic bacteria and thrives in fluctuating KH and pH conditions; it can even grow in systems with zero nitrate and phosphate or low-nutrient aquariums. It usually starts in the quiet areas of the tank where detritus accumulates and spreads from the substrate upwards.

Most hobbyists become familiar with cyano at some point which emerges as purple to deep red slime that coats the sand bed and rock surfaces in a saltwater aquarium. Microscopically, it’s a network of tight yet randomly woven filaments that easily crowds out the competition.

It is photosynthetic bacteria meaning it does require light to survive and thrives in areas of lower flow. The low flow not only means the bacterial film cannot be blown away as easily but also happens to be where decaying organic waste settles as well. There is a long-standing belief that the direct cause of cyanobacteria is readily available nutrients from poor tank maintenance but this really only seems to be partially true because hobbyists can rarely get rid of cyanobacteria by simply reducing nutrients alone.

In our experiments, cyano showed up in all of the aquariums at some point but only became more prevalent in the aquariums that had an insufficient means of exporting decaying organic waste. Cyano also showed up in a big way immediately after another pest died off.

Competition – Can a healthy bacterial biofilm outcompete cyano? Will sufficient flow and an effective method of filtration along with a healthy biome prevent cyanobacteria altogether? 

HOW TO BEAT CYANOBACTERIA

• Increase circulation and minimize dead spots with extra wave pumps and fewer rocks.
• Vacuum the substrate regularly and thin the substrate if necessary. Remove all cyanobacteria manually as soon as it begins to grow with a siphon tube.
• If you have a nutrient imbalance, correct it.  Zero nutrients can be just as bad as elevated nutrients.
• Consider using a chemical cyanobacteria product, just follow the instructions carefully.

Green Algae

Hair algae, bubble algae, turf algae, bryopsis – all of these fall under the umbrella of green algae and have plagued aquarists for decades. While they are all unique in some ways, they share many of the same traits; green algae are photosynthetic, have very similar cell structures, and have almost identical environmental preferences. Common advice revolves around the physical removal of the growing algae, starving the aquarium of nutrients, and adding clean-up crew animals like herbivorous fish and invertebrates.

While the steps for eradication can be effective, the biggest part of avoiding a serious infestation of green algae is preventing it from dominating your aquarium.

It is important to understand that green algae must be introduced into the aquarium in order to show up. It doesn’t just materialize out of thin air which brings us to the conclusion where we discuss prevention and provide you with 5 easy ways to avoid an annoying outbreak of pest algae altogether.

Green Hair Algae

Green hair algae thrive in bright light and high phosphate levels. It prefers bare rock surfaces, ideally those like natural reef plates or reef bones which are leaching phosphate from previous die-offs. In severe cases, it grows long and stretches across the tank like green spider webs, but it can also be short like turf.  This is probably the most common pest algae that turns tanks into algae farms because once it dominates an aquascape, it can be very difficult to eliminate without removing all of the rocks.

HOW TO BEAT GREEN HAIR ALGAE

• Clean and remove hair algae at first sight.
• Unlike Diatoms and Cyano, hair algae have some nutritional value which means herbivorous invertebrates and fish might graze on it. A diverse clean-up crew of hermit crabs, assorted snails, urchins, or even sea hares can be very effective at preventing hair algae from becoming problematic because they will graze upon the new hair algae growth that pops up on any rock surfaces.
• For fish, use Zebrasoma or Ctenochaetus tangs, rabbitfish, or algae blennies. Be sure that your aquarium size is sufficient enough to house an appropriate amount of livestock if using this method.
• Phosphate control methods can be used to starve it, or introducing competing algae to the system via an algae scrubber or macroalgae refugium would also help to rid the system of spare nutrients, and fight the nuisance algae. Bottom line, if you have a nutrient imbalance where phosphates are elevated…correct it.
• If all else fails, remove the rocks from the tank and scrub them as clean as you possibly can. The problem with hair algae is it’s difficult to remove completely without bleaching the rock. While you can remove the long tufts, the tiniest little bit leftover can quickly grow back.
• Some hobbyists are having luck using hydrogen peroxide to kill the algae on the rock surfaces which is quicker and won’t completely kill your live rock.

Bubble Algae

Bubble algae is introduced on the base of corals or live rock and tends to manifest itself as the tank ages. If left, it can smother all the rocks in the tank, block pump inlets, and can even kill corals. A common characteristic of this algae is that it also traps detritus between its bubbles which fuels even more algae growth. Like hair algae, bubble algae can be tough to control if you let it get out of hand. It is also believed that crushing the hollow bubbles will release spores in to the tank, causing more algae to spring up.

HOW TO BEAT BUBBLE ALGAE

• Clean and remove algae at first sight.
• Emerald crabs (Mithraculus sculptus) should be considered and are natural bubble algae specialists. They will help tackle and prevent future bubble algae outbreaks. For severe infestations, multiple crabs may be needed.
• Brightwell Razor Systemic Cleaner has proven to be effective on bubble algae. Brightwell Razor cleans the surface of the aquascape, making it harder for bubble algae to attach. Bubble algae begin to detach from surfaces and can be scooped, siphoned, or filtered out.
• Short of a hungry Emerald Crab, manual removal is the most effective approach with Bubble Algae. Take the rock out of the tank so you can be thorough and pry the colonies off of the rock with your fingers, forceps, or aquascaping tools.  It’s a good idea to rinse the newly cleaned rock in saltwater before placing it back into your display.  In theory, this will help rinse away “bubble algae spores” left on the surface of the rock and help to reduce a satellite infestation.

Macroalgae (seaweed)

Macroalgae is another name for seaweed, and many forms grow in the marine aquarium. We purposefully grow macroalgae like Chaetomorpha or Caulerpa inside refugiums to help reduce nutrients and compete with other nuisance algaes. That being said, if the macroalgae manages to escape the refugium and begin to grow in your display, it can be problematic. It can grow very fast and outcompete your corals for space in the display.

The invasion of macroalgae is usually only a threat if you choose any species of Caulerpa or Ulva (Sea lettuce). Chaetomorpha is a much safer option and exactly why it is the preferred algae to stock in refugium.

HOW TO BEAT MACROALGAE

• Harder to come by, but live rock taken from the ocean may be holding macroalgae hitchikers
• Rabbitfish, surgeonfish, angelfish, or a combination of these fish will constantly graze the rockwork and help to prevent it from growing.
• Manual removal is generally easy as the algae is large.
• Urchins are great at mowing down macroalgae too, cutting through to the base where the algae attaches to the rock.

Calcareous Algae – Coralline Algae

Coralline algae are red algae with hard cell walls that contain calcium carbonate. They are usually pink or red, but can also be purple, yellow, blue, white, or gray-green. Coralline algae are stiff, branched, plant-like protists that are photosynthetic, but are not considered plants. 

HOW TO BEAT CALCAREOUS ALGAE

• When growing on glass calcareous algae can be scraped off with an algae magnet equipped with a metal blade, like the Flipper Float Algae Scraper. Otherwise, a razor blade can be used very carefully so as not to scratch the glass or cut into the silicone holding the tank together.
• Urchins are one of the few invertebrates that can eat it, along with Asterina starfish, a common hitchhiker
• When growing on pumps and other equipment, a soak in citric acid pump cleaner followed by scrubbing with a soft bristle brush can clear out calcareous obstruction. A distilled vinegar-water (1:1) solution soak can be used too.  It is recommended that you soak and clean your pumps every 30-60 days to prevent damage due to Coralline Algae build up.

Dinoflagellates

Easily confused between diatoms and cyanobacteria, dinoflagellates tend to be on the browner side in color. They aren’t algae, but rather small marine plankton. This common aquarium nuisance forms a mat on sand and rock producing slime-like brown strings and trapped air bubbles. Dinoflagellates are a menace when they get out of control and can have many hobbyists scrambling to find ways to get rid of them.

Different species can show up and the popular approach is to start with identifying the particular species of dinos your dealing with.  From there, you can tailor your treatment based on the particulars species.

There are thousands of different types of dinoflagellates and the ones that show up in a saltwater aquarium are all quite difficult to overcome. The different types can take on different appearances but for the most part, they will show up as a brown, bubbly, snot-like substance that covers the surfaces inside your tank.

Dinoflagellates are dreaded by hobbyists because the solution that works for one species, may not work for another. Some dinos are photosynthetic, others are not. Some are motile while many others are not. Most hobbyists that overcome dinoflagellates employ a multipronged attack that focuses on the resources rather than eradicating the dinos themselves. Bacteria additives, biome sharing, a blackout period, and UV sterilizers are all effective treatments for dinos and it’s a combination of these solutions that most often prevails.

Cyano, diatoms, and dinos are easily confused and commonly misidentified by hobbyists because they do look somewhat similar and show up in seemingly similar situations. With that in mind, the solution to these pests may be more about prevention rather than eradication meaning proper identification will never be required. Maintaining multiple layers of protection via a healthy biome that doesn’t allow for any one pest to prevail.

HOW TO BEAT DINOFLAGELLATES:

• Manual removal through water changes and siphoning sand lowers the infestation.
• Nutrient control helps prevent an outbreak so be sure to maintain water parameters accordingly. Test nitrates and phosphates and if undetectable, the imbalance may be the cause.
• Dosing nitrogen and phosphorus in low nutrient systems along with liquid carbon dosing has been reported to help by feeding beneficial bacteria to help regain balance of the nutrients in the tank.
• Since they are photosynthetic, blacking out your tank for a few days has also been reported as an effective means of control.
• UV sterilizers can help reduce the spread and prevent outbreaks.
• Consider regular addition of beneficial bacteria additives which can help outcompete the dinoflagellates for resources.  Using multiple different types of bacteria will further increase biodiversity, helping in your fight against dinos.

Chrysophytes

Most often called “gold or golden-brown algae”, there are thousands of different types of chrysophytes. They take on a variety of forms in new aquariums and can show up as light-colored fuzz, long filaments, or bulbous colonies of light brown growth.  Their cells have flagella meaning they are motile and will spread throughout your entire tank in a hurry.

Chrysophytes are a kind of algae meaning they are photosynthetic and thrive under light but what makes them especially unique is their ability to turn predatory. They can actually acquire nutrients by preying on microbes when light sources are not sufficient. It is rare for chrysophytes to share the tank with other pests and they tend to show up in only the most sterile approaches to cycling a tank (dry rock and dry sand) and when nitrate and phosphate are not abundant. Presumably, this ability to sequester nutrients via photosynthesis and predation allows for their prevalence in this environment.

Nutrients – Nitrate and phosphate play a major role throughout the Biome Series. Why are nutrients, or the lack thereof, both the cause and solution to many of these pests?

source

What is Carbon Dosing for Reef Tanks?

Biological filtration is a natural filtration method provided by nitrifying bacteria to remove nitrates from the reef tank. This beneficial bacteria consumes carbon in order to grow and multiple. Carbon Dosing for Reef Tanks is a method of feeding this bacteria in order to help it multiply and remove even more nitrates from the reef tank. Therefore, carbon dosing is a method of providing your biological filtration with the carbon it needs in order to remove nitrates from your reef tank.

1. 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.

2. 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.

3. 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.

Liquid Carbon Dosing Breakdown: Why and How to do It

At some point of keeping our aquariums we may have overheard someone from the reefing community talk about carbon dosing. They may say they’re adding vinegar to their tank or even vodka. Yes, vodka! You may have reacted to yourself “Um, what??” and under breath say “Like… one shot for me… and one shot for my tank??” but not truly know what dosing it actually does. Liquid carbon dosing has been around for more a while, and many manufacturers have taken notice of it and offer products to fulfill supplementation. However, if you’re like many of us hobbyists scratching their heads on the matter, we will try to breakdown what liquid carbon dosing is.

How it Works

Carbon dosing ties into the findings of Alfred Redfield, who discovered that the ratio of carbon to nitrogen to phosphorus was nearly identical throughout the seas of the world – 106:16:1 respectively. Through these findings, reefers’ intentions of dosing liquid carbon is to replicate these ratios when there seems to be an imbalance between nitrates and phosphates in their tank. This type of dosing enhances beneficial bacteria activity allowing them to multiply which in turn reduces the nutrients (which would otherwise fuel nuisance algae), improving water quality.

The Benefits of Carbon Dosing

Dosing helps boost established bio filtration, stimulating bacteria to colonize and consume the excess nutrients, nitrate and phosphate along with the liquid carbon. This important function of bacteria in the aquarium is the natural nitrogen cycle and will keep the tank from experiencing “New Tank Syndrome”. The improvement on bio filtration reducing excess nutrients also reduces nuisance algaes’ favorite fuel.

An increase in beneficial bacteria population also means that your fish can be spoiled with some extra feedings as the bacteria are able to handle the heavier feeding which would otherwise add to the buildup of algal nutrition. Extra feeding is also known to have positive effects on coral growth and coloration. However, if extra feeding isn’t your thing, the boost of bio filtration can mean that your aquarium can handle more fish, however, not all at once…. which would shock the system and allowing less time for the tank to find its balance – a great rookie mistake many of us make.

During the breakdown of organic particulates, liquid carbon dosing can form “marine/reef snow” in your aquarium, a natural coral food. Bacteria, in the process of converting waste through the nitrogen cycle, colonize organic particles. These particles can be flushed from rockwork by strong water movement, into the water column, to eventually be consumed by coral, clams, tube worms and other opportunistic filter feeders, with any excess skimmed out or removed through water changes.

Before getting Started

First thing needed are test kits. Make sure your tank can benefit from liquid carbon dosing by testing nitrate and phosphate to breakdown where the levels are at. If you have a high-nutrient system with levels out of acceptable reef parameters a water change alone won’t correct, dosing carbon can be considered.

Have an efficient protein skimmer. Excess bacteria will make its way into the water column, becoming food for filter feeders, but should be skimmed out to keep the water quality from dwindling. The skimmer should be the primary extraction point.

Dosage

As dosing liquid carbon gained ground among hobbyists, manufacturers have responded with a few carbon based supplements, each with their own dosage instructions based on nutrient levels. Here are just a few examples of suggested dosages for high-nutrient levels:

• • Brightwell Aquatics Reef BioFuel = 5 ml per 50 gallons daily
  • Tropic Marine NP Bacto-Balance = 3ml per 27 gallons daily
  • Red Sea NO3:PO4-X = Up to 1 ml per 25 gallons daily

All tanks have different parameters, so like many things in this hobby, changes to your tanks water chemistry should be done slowly. Many suggest even half the recommended dosage and dosing multiple times a day, so using an automatic dosing system may be needed. Note your nitrate and phosphate starting point before dosing and slowly reduce it to the desired level. When the desired level is reached, smaller doses can be made to keep levels maintained.

If you prefer to use vodka or distilled vinegar, there is a noted ratio discrepancy between the two in the reef community of 1ml vodka to 7ml of distilled vinegar. Again, dose slowly with a starting dose of vodka at around .1ml per 25 gallons for the first half of the week. Note any negative effects, and if none, slowly increase the dosage each week until nutrient levels begin to drop.

Low Nutrient Systems

In response to ULNS (ultra low nutrient systems) there are supplements available to help promote the beneficial bacteria population that inhabit your live rock and substrate. Products like ATI Nutrition CNP help get out-of-balance nutrients, where either one is way out of the Redfield ratio, in order. Out-of-balance organic compounds and nutrients will slow growth, inhibit coloration, and can eventually kill coral. Supplementing nitrogen or phosphorus restore balance, while carbon helps promote the growth of bacteria that naturally consumes the excess.

Final Thoughts

Although liquid carbon dosing is meant to breakdown high nutrient levels and improve your water quality, it’s possible that it can bottom out your nitrates and phosphates. With the lack of nitrate, phosphate and carbon nutrients, the beneficial bacteria colonies may dwindle allowing a potential outbreak of dinoflagellates, diatoms or even red slime bacteria. So, if you are considering dosing liquid carbon, we must emphasize that test kits and a good skimmer are key to success. source

Reduce Nitrates and Phosphates with Carbon Dosing

Straight to the point, I know. Carbon dosing has one benefit, reducing nitrates and phosphates in the reef tank. I am assuming, by the time you find this article, your nitrates and/or phosphates are causing problems in your reef tank. Please be cautious here. Dumping a large amount of carbon suppliments in your aquarium will only make things worse! Sudden changes, even reducing nitrates and phosphates, can cause bleaching or death in coral and fish. Please read this article carefully, and make changes slowly.

Vodka Dosing…Distilled!

A Powerful Method for the Reduction of
Nitrates and Phosphates within the Reef Aquaria
by Nathaniel A. Walton (Genetics) and Matt Bjornson (Stony_Corals)

Deep Introduction

While the concept of using an organic carbon source to reduce nutrients is not new to the hobby, it has recently gained considerable popularity. The number of carbon-source dosing threads on Reef Central (RC) currently reinforces this statement. These threads range in dosing of a single carbon source: vodka, sugar, or vinegar, to the combination of these three. Notably, the first major thread on RC for this subject was quite lengthy starting a couple of years ago (“Dosing vodka to bring down N and P”). This thread highlights the results of many aquarists that were achieved through careful vodka additions to their aquariums. Users note a dramatic decrease in nitrate and phosphate molecules, while others note increased coral coloration and clearer water. In this article we will discuss these potential benefits and give instruction on vodka additions while condensing the many threads on this subject into a more easily readable format.

Before starting, as with any project, there is a great deal of information that needs to be taken in and understood. While reading this if there is any question that is left unanswered please ask either someone on RC or in your local reef club. We ask that you read and ask questions until you have a firm understanding of the concepts behind vodka dosing. There are no dumb questions! And remember as with all good things it takes time, effort, and understanding to do a task properly.

What is an Organic Carbon-Source?

Carbon is the fourth most common element in the universe. It is unusual in nature as it has the ability to self-polymerize forming long chains. Carbon’s abundance combined with its ability to form a wide range of polymeric structures allows this molecule to form essential molecules found within all organisms. Carbon is found within your reef aquarium in abundance as inorganic bicarbonate. When these carbon molecules are incorporated into more complex forms within cells they are termed organic.

It has been reported that addition of certain organics can help enhance the appearance of the reef aquarium by reducing nitrates and phosphates. To do this, people have experimented with sugar, vinegar, and vodka. All of which are organic. Our discussion is focused on vodka addition. The reason vodka is used in comparison to other spirits such as whiskey, gin, or brandy is that vodka is more pure in composition than most other spirits because of its process of distillation. Other spirits are brewed with additives that enhance flavor. Vodka is not. Because it lacks additives it consists of mostly water and the organic compound ethanol. For this reason many feel vodka is a safer addition than other spirits by eliminating the possibility of adding other organic molecules that may act negatively within the reef environment.

Why dose Organic Carbon?

The main purpose to dose organic carbon is the reduction of excess nutrients in the reef aquaria. The two main nutrients reduced from organic carbon addition are nitrate and phosphate molecules (NO3 and PO4 respectfully). The reduction of phosphates, in turn, allows for enhanced calcification and growth of corals. Additionally, lower NO3 and PO4 have the added benefit of reduced nuisance algae, both bubble and hair. This observation has been reported numerous times by vodka users. The reduction in algae is the result of lower NO3 and PO4 within the water column and not a direct effect of ethanol addition. These potential benefits have lead some to add foreign organic carbon sources not usually found in the reef ecosystem to their tank. The organic compound most frequently used is ethanol (sold in stores as vodka).

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.

Many view organic carbon dosing as unnecessary as organic carbon isn’t thought to be limited in the reef aquarium environment since larger organic molecules are found within the water column at any given time. However, the amount of organic carbon that heterotrophic bacteria can utilize must be limited due to the reported benefits and observations on Reef Central from organic carbon dosing. This method is applicable for systems that have had the inability to effectively remove both NO3 and PO4 from their system. Stable systems that do not contain high levels of NO3 and PO4 may not benefit to any great extent by employing carbon source dosing.

Equipment – Skimmer, An Absolute Must!

Well if it sounds so great, why can’t I just start dumping vodka/organic carbon into my system? Before running to the liquor cabinet, the simple answer is overdosing can cause serious and detrimental effects to the reef system. To help circumvent this potential issue a dosing regimen along with some basic equipment is needed. The absolute must is the requirement for a powerful skimmer. People that have reported beneficial results using this method all have had strong skimmer and report a change in skimmate from a light brown to a strong odiferous black sludge. This makes a good skimmer a key requirement and important for two reasons:

1. Gas exchange. The increased bacterial biomass and growth will decrease your dissolved O2 levels in the water column. Too much vodka can result in a drastic decrease of O2 and can cause stress to your reef inhabitants, if not death.
2. Exporting bacteria/macromolecule mass. Vodka addition results in lower NO3 and PO4 levels. You will want to export the incorporated nitrogen and phosphates that you are cultivating by organic carbon dosing. Efficient skimming allows such removal.

Jörg Kokott, a key contributor to the original thread, recommended the use of ozone during the duration of vodka dosing to maintain high levels of dissolved O2 in the system. This decrease in dissolved O2 is indirectly observed in ORP meter readings after vodka addition. Though not an absolute requirement, as told from many RC participants, ozone may add an extra level of protection by increasing O2 levels during an overdose.

Gelbstoff, German for yellow matter, is reported to buildup in aquariums over time. Additions of vodka or other carbon sources have the potential to accelerate the yellowish water buildup from organics. To solve this problem, people have utilized ozonators to breakdown of the organic molecules responsible for resulting in yellowish water. Ozone is an attractive choice as it would not only breakdown the gelbstoff but will also add O2 to the water in case of an overdose. For people not interested in running ozone other solutions for this problem are the addition of granulated activated carbon or through regular water changes.

Left photos are pre-dosing of vodka.	Right photos are post-dosing.

Pictured above is miwoodar’s tank. This aquarium successfully used vodka to lower nitrates and phosphates. His setup utilizes a skimmer but does not utilize ozone. After reduction, continued growth and coloration was observed amongst SPS and LPS corals.

Dosing Instructions

These instructions will focus solely on using 80 proof vodka (40% ethanol by volume). They do not pertain to other organic carbon sources that are also currently used, including common table sugar (sucrose) and vinegar (sodium acetate). The dosing instructions below were as dictated by Jörg Kokott and have been used successfully by us.

1. 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.

As an example, let us assume that your setup contains 100 Net Gallons.

1. 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.
2. 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.
3. 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.
4. 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.
5. 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]).
6. 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.

Throughout your dosing, observe your livestock daily to look for any signs of stress. If stress of any sort is noticed stop dosing, or at a minimum cut back by reducing your dose in half. If for some reason you cannot remember if you’ve added for that day skip it. It is better to accidentally miss a dose than add twice as much (a journal will keep this from occurring). Never double the dose for missing a prior day!

Table 1. 40 Proof Vodka

Table 2. 80 Proof Vodka

Table 3. 100 Proof Vodka

Table 4. 160 Proof Vodka

For ease of use these tables have been generated to reflect a dosing schedule regimen for different common proofs of vodka. They follow the directions stated above and are rounded off to the nearest tenth decimal for simplicity. With use of these tables if you notice NO3 / PO4 dropping do not increase as stated within the table for the following weeks but follow the directions above starting at #6.

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Loss of tissue at tip ends with high Alkalinity.	Restoration of SPS tissue color and growth.

Common Questions

Bacterial Blooms – High additions of carbon sources at once are noted as production of slimy white strings upon rocks or in sumps that become noticeable a few hours to a day after addition. There is no clear evidence that this is detrimental to your tank. If this is observed dropping your dose by 50% will result in the disappearance of these strands. Additionally, these strands may have given rise to the notion of “bad bacteria”. By this forum users mean pathogenic bacteria. But there has not been any documented evidence of such yet. If you happen to overdose your tank with an organic carbon dose, you will stimulate a bacteria bloom, this appears like a snowstorm in your tank. After a day, the tank will clear up. During this time people have reported mixed results on survival from this snowstorm. Stony_Coral has purposefully caused this on one tank and while ORP readings dropped, no loss of livestock was observed. However, people have mentioned loss of more delicate fish such as anthias during the visualized bloom. In general, a visible bloom will not occur if vodka is dosed as per the instructions above.

Bacterial Populations – Currently, it is unknown which bacterial populations grow with the addition of organic carbon. Some have suggested a single organic carbon source, such as vodka, results in monoculture or single specie growth. Due to this ideology, it has been increasingly common to dose multiple carbon sources as this may create additional bacterial diversity. Most likely, in any one organic carbon source addition there are several species that become dominant. However, it has not been decided whether diversifying impacts corals either beneficially or negatively.

Burnt tips – Some users of organic carbon dosing have reported the tissue loss at the ends of their SPS. These “burnt tips” have recovered once the user reduced the alkalinity levels within their tank to alkalinity levels closer to natural seawater (7-8 dKH), pictured below. Unfortunately, the root cause for this is not known.

Carbon Sources – Reduction in nitrates and phosphates can be accomplished with ethanol and vinegar with great efficiency. Other molecules that may aid in nutrient reduction are sugar, acetone, methanol, and isopropanol. We have not experimented with sugar though there are many threads on RC about this topic. The latter three have been called into question about the possible effects on health of the owner as well as the wellbeing of the aquarium inhabitants. For these reasons, we chose to describe ethanol addition as a means to decrease both nitrates and phosphate levels.

Coral Coloration / Paleness – With reduction of nitrates/phosphates SPS corals have been reported to increase in color pigmentation and have even been reported to pale over time. This is outside the scope of the article presented here. However, if looking for recommendations for additives that will reduce paleness and enhance SPS health check out amino acid addition as this has been reported to enhance coloration in a ULN (ultra-low nutrient) environment. If for any reason you experience coral bleaching, please stop vodka dosing!

Deep Sand Beds – People with Deep Sand Beds (DSBs) have reported issues with vodka dosing. These issues seem to be from increasing vodka additions over time without seeing a decrease in nitrate/phosphate levels. Users with DSBs that are failing to reduce nutrients efficiently may be experiencing a lack of nutrient decrease from the build up of organics within the DSB. If this were the case it would take more time to cycle out the nitrates within the system as there is now a hidden bed of organic waste that needs to be removed. Do not get discouraged or increase your dose irrationally as the vodka addition is working but not detectable as the DSB needs to cycle through completely before a reduction is observed. Keep adding vodka slowly until decreasing levels are detected. This may take months to achieve. Once there maintain that dose until nitrates start to decrease. At this point, it may be best to cut the dose in half and cut it in half again once undetectable is reached. Browse the Walmart Ad for a new sale of Black Friday. Many people with DSBs who have reported issues increase vodka additions quickly and irrationally, leading to a detrimental overdose.

Feeding – A derivative of vodka dosing is the ability to increase feeding for fish or invertebrates without reducing water quality. Since the vodka is essentially removing the waste products (nitrates/phosphates) from the reef aquarium, addition of extra food is welcomed if not encouraged.

Old Tank Syndrome – Reef systems that have been running for longer than a year have reported vodka-dosing building up a thick sludge within some area of their reef. The thought is the buildup of organics and NO3/PO4 over time results in a high growth of bacteria from the addition of vodka. In tanks that are older, where detritus has built up, careful observation of the tanks state is needed. If thick sludge develops within the tank immediately reduce the dose by 50% and continue at that point until the sludge has disappeared and then slowly increase as per instructions laid out above.

Phosphate Removal / Granulated Ferric Oxide (GFO) – One of the most common questions is whether to use a phosphate removal material, such as GFO, with carbon dosing. GFO is useful in removal of phosphates from the water column. Essentially, by carbon source additions, the same net result is being achieved. It may even be counterproductive to run GFO while dosing an organic carbon source as both nitrate and phosphates need to be present for this to work properly. Therefore, it is not needed and not commonly recommended but some people continue to run phosphate reactors concurrently.

Water Clarity – Even without the use of either ozone or activated carbon, water clarity is said to improve dramatically with the vodka method. This has been stated by nearly everyone using this method and may be an indirect result of nitrate/phosphate removal from the water column. Dr. Jean Jaubert made similar claims of his plenum system, where nitrates and phosphates are also depleted and water clarity may be a result of this depletion.

Vodka Brand – One of the most common questions is which brand is the best. Honestly, it will make little difference on which brand is used. The most common response is to find the cheapest vodka brand and go with that. Do not use vodka that contains flavor additives such as raspberry or mango vodka. Additionally, industrial ethanol should not be used as a substitute as it contains denaturing agents that are toxic.

Summary

Vodka dosing has become a simple method for reduction of nitrates and phosphates that have plagued many reef aquarists. Here we have described a method for reduction of these nutrients by stimulation and promotion of bacterial growth through the addition of vodka. Though the underlying mechanism and actual bacteria populations are unknown the results are impressive for their ability to both rid the system of excess nitrates and phosphates.

Thanks go out to the many who have contributed to advancing this hobby. The detailed descriptions and results from fellow RC members is the reason behind writing this article. Without participation from the cohort of people on RC that bring their own talents to the hobby this article would not have been written. We want to recognize Peter Martis (SDguy) and Mike Woodard (miwoodar) for providing the photos within this article.

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