Stopped vodka dosing and tank looks much better!

[Mattl22]

I stopped vodka dosing because I was having brown cyan all over my sand bed and a week later my tank looks better then it has in months
This happen to anyone else?

 

[NYreefNoob]

and why was you dosing vodka ?

 

[TRIGGERMAN]

The vodka makes bacteria grow you prob dosed too much hence causing diatoms/cyano

 

[jerl77]

my tank looked 100 times better when i stop the bio pellets jmo

 

[Mattl22]

I was trying to get rid of HA
Never had any readable nitrate or phosphate but always battled HA
Yes I do think the vodka caused diatoms and cyano so for now I'm done with it

 

[Mattl22]

The most I was overdosing was 1 ml a day

 

[NYreefNoob]

usually hair algea comes from higher nutrients, and what did you use to measure phophates

 

[Mattl22]

Hanna checker ( IMO thing was worthless)
Yup I know I do all the things I'm supposed to do butstill get HA I think I'm just gonna have to deal with it until I can add more water volume to my tank

 

[jimsteelejr]

vodka

I have been keeping marine tanks for thirty years and just read about using vodka about two months ago. I was having a terrible red algae (cyno) and every thing I tried was not working. I have been using the vodka religiously and all my slime problems went away. Skimmers fill up ten times quicker and all the corals seem to be growing at a very increased rate. The only problem I have is that some of the mushrooms have faded a little. I am guessing that they like the organics better that the corals. Any one have any insight on this. The brown algae does seem to grow a little faster on the glass but having to wipe the tank front a little more often is a minor problem.
jim

 

[NYreefNoob]

the one thing when using vodka, is alot of times lps start to suffer as the tank because cleaner, and better light penitration, which would cause some issue's. and matt ur rocks could be saturated and releasing. do you have a picture of the HA cause it might not be HA and could be another form of algea.

 

[Mattl22]

I will try to take a pic with my I phone tomorrow right now I have a sea hare who seems to be doing his job with the ha but the brown diatoms/ cyano is become my bigger problem
I'm running phosban in my reactor and my filter sock just got new skimmer I change 8 gal a week with 0 tds rodi on shortened lighting 3 hrs with day lights and have cheto growing in my fuge
Sps look great I'm happy with color but not happy with the growth rate besides my birds nests my other acros grow very slowly

 

[Mattl22]

Been looking into turf scrubbers wish I could buy one but dosnt seem to be a company that makes one

 

[Master Shake]

ive got hair algea in my tnak but like you no measurable nitrates or phosphates. I wch with ro water and have my skimmer running all the time. I used to vodka dose about 2 years ago before i upgraded but stoped after my nitrates got in check. You can also use sugar or vinegar to dose instead of vodka. And no one really makes the turf scrubbers because they are simple to make

 

[jimsteelejr]

Its not unusual to have 0 nitrates and phosphorus when you have a heavy growth of hair algae or cynobacteria. They take it up as fast as it is made. The vodka seems to have a direct affect on them. I read somewhere that the vodka is providing carbon for the denitrators and they out compete the hair algae and cynos for the nitrate as it is formed. Then as the hair algae and cynobacteria starve and release their nutrients the denitrators soak it up.
The one thing I noticed after using the vodka steady for a couple of weeks some of my large polyp corals and my mushrooms seemed to fade out and loose color. Once I had the pest species under control I cut back to only using vodka a couple of times a week and things all look great. The Small polyp guys seem to be growing faster and the mushrooms and large polyps are colored up again. The protein skimmer really seems to be cranking out twice as fast too.