Vodka dosing questions

[seldin]

I have a 55 gallon reef tank since 2007 with a 15 gallon sump. For the last year I have been fighting green hair algae. I have T5 lights, skimmer, I tried GFO. I have RODI. Parms are 1.025 salt, temp 78 degrees, , 0 nitrates, calcium at 425, ph 8.3, good alkalinity, barebottom tank, lot's of live rock and only 5 small fish in tank. When I try to keep critters, I have a blenny that sharp shoots and kills all snails, etc.

0 phosphates with Salfiert test kit. Tried another one, and again zero phosphates.

So I have been vodka dosing with a doser. I am up to every 6 hours at 5ml at a time. I am including a pic of tank with green hair algae that looks like on its last leg, but not sure. The dosing was stronger but I saw corals dying, so I cut back and am now up to the present dose.

The hair algae went from dark green, to this stringy picture where is is much looser when I pull it. It has a whiter color, now more deep green.

So at the moment, the hair algae looks like a white color but is still there. I guess I have to slowly keep making it stronger, until gone, but it has been months. How long does vodka dosing take until all gone.

Thank you,

 

[lnevo]

Try removing or scrubbing off what you can. Definitely looks like progress

 

[seldin]

I do that weekly. I did have a stronger dose and it was killing my corals, so I lowered it to nothing and tried again. This time it is a lower dose over longer period between increasing dosing.

Has anyone ever seen this whiter type of stringy color for the hair algae?

Thank ou,

 

[lnevo]

I've seen it with peroxide dips of bryopsis the same way.

 

[reefiness]

Dont dose off of how algae look in your tank or youre going to find yourself in a world of hurt. Dosing should be done based off of water parameter tests. Please look online at vodka dosing,guides. From the sound of 20 ml vodka a day on a 55 gallon tank, seems like youre dosing way too much. Have you noticed a slime film developing all over your sump?

Also just,talking about the algae, it seems like the algae is dead, but its not just going to magically vanish with enough. Vodka, you should remove as much as you can and the vodka should prevent it from growing back

 

[seldin]

...From the sound of 20 ml vodka a day on a 55 gallon tank, seems like youre dosing way too much. Have you noticed a slime film developing all over your sump? ...

Some slime it sump. However, there is still hair algae holding on. Even growing on my SPS. So what I am looking for, is when does this hair algae in pic that is white, go away.

I do pull it every week and it comes back as the white stringy that's in pic.

Thank you,

 

[reefiness]

How often do you change your lights? What spectrum bulbs are you using? Hows the water flow/turnover in your tank? How are the nitrogen components coming out on water tests?

 

[seldin]

How often do you change your lights? What spectrum bulbs are you using? Hows the water flow/turnover in your tank? How are the nitrogen components coming out on water tests?

My T5s are changed yearly. Don't know the spectrum. Water flow, is very strong. As I talked about chemicals. Nitrate 0, ph 8.3, alk good, magnesium is good, calcium 425, salt 1.025. Phosphates on Salfiert 0.

Thank you,

 

[Zuska]

I dont think vodka will do the trick for that lol. Vodka is to keep your no3 down.

 

[reefiness]

How often do you change your lights? What spectrum bulbs are you using? Hows the water flow/turnover in your tank? How are the nitrogen components coming out on water tests?

My T5s are changed yearly. Don't know the spectrum. Water flow, is very strong. As I talked about chemicals. Nitrate 0, ph 8.3, alk good, magnesium is good, calcium 425, salt 1.025. Phosphates on Salfiert 0.

Thank you,

Sorry, didnt see the nitrate in original post. What t5 bulbs do you use?

 

[seldin]

Gieseman and coralife bulbs, forget which ones. I just asked Marine depot for recommendations for soft and sps corals. 6 bulbs in tank. Not sure of specifics. I leave them on about 10 hours a day.