[gqlmao]

The before and after pictures posted in reef central are most definitely extreme and I am not saying it can't happen. However there are very few who actually experience such dramatic results, if you read on some of the vodka threads you will see that the majority of the people don't notice extreme changes over short periods of time and some have actually complained that vodka dosing created cyano outbreaks even with mild dosages.

There are A LOT of variables that can lead to success. In my opinion its great to see people with such success but from another viewpoint it could mislead people in thinking carbon dosing is the all mighty method to solve every tanks problems. I am not saying you shouldn't vodka dose, but be wary of possible side effects.

To answer your question, if you are following the reef central guide to vodka dosing and have a powerful skimmer. Results will vary, however you should start to see a decline in nitrates and a little in phosphates in around a week or two weeks time, once the initial bacteria batches get established. Once you get the levels down to your desirable levels, it will be another battle to make your corals happy. You will need to balance feeding with carbon dosing to ensure there is sufficient nutrients for the corals and yet not enough to have a nuisance algae outbreak. I have been to the point where I starved my SPS corals so bad that they turned completely pale, so please take your time and make sure you cut the dosage by half once you have reached low nutrient levels.

I agree with having combined vodka/vinegar dosing regimes, the different carbon sources may create a more diversified bacteria population, rather than a specific group.

Hope this helps.

Originally Posted by Oscar

Any suggestions?