Is it OK to dose Vodka and run an UV ?

[Casey8]

I am starting to dose Vodka but also running an UV sterilizer, is it going to get a bad effect like killing bacteria etc ... ?

[Cal_stir]

yes, it will be counter productive, carbon dosing is for increasing bacteria and UV will kill it

[globaldesigns]

+1, UV will kill everything in the water column that goes thru it, if powerful enough

[Casey8]

I want to use an UV for controlling disease in a tank like ich or another kind of bacteria. My tank is free from ich for a long time now, but the dead of my previous fishes are still lingering in my mind and I really don't want it to happen again. I can't set up a quarantine tank, so I prefer to have an UV running instead. Does that mean if I continue to dose Vodka, I will not be able to plug in an UV at anytime ?

[Proteus]

The building of the culture is gradual so you would be with out sterilizer for quite some time. Pluging it in would put u at square one. What a waste of a fine drink

[Cal_stir]

what are you trying to achieve by vodka dosing?
a denitrator or biopellet reactor might be a better choice, the bacteria live in the reactor and wouldn't be exposed to the UV

[Casey8]

I know I feed my fish too much but I don't like to torture them either, I want them to be able to fully enjoy their life in my small tank. Phosphate and nitrate are the reason I need to do something about it. I had tried bio pellets for 6 months and it had wiped out more than 3/4 of my sps corals from bleaching them. I have been dosing Vodka for about a month now and I am watching it very carefully to see if anything goes wrong with my coral. But so far so good, they are all coloring up more nice than before. If bio pellets is the only way that I can set up an UV again because it holds bacteria in the reactor like Cal_stir said, then maybe I have to try it one more time with those "scary" pellets.

[TimT]

Not all the bacteria will be floating in the water column. Many are attached to a substrate... like a bio pellet or live rock or inside of pipes etc etc.

I dose sugar and vinegar and run a UV and it works fine.

[The Grizz]

If you want to try pellets again I would suggest only using half the recommended amount & no more.

[Proteus]

Why not just turn off uv. Keep it ready in case of outbreak and change your practices. If your fish are healthy you shouldn't have to worry about ick. Your uv also kills benificial pods which is a food sorce so you don't have to feed as much.

You said that your carefully monitoring your vodka dose so why not carefully monitor your feeding