• Vodka in the aquarium

  • Heather6148

2

Christopher1774

Why...everything is correct. The important thing is the positive final result. You achieved it, and that's good. Alcohol dependence in an aquarium is a delicate matter; if you start to reduce the dose, it will react negatively because the aquarium is still very young. Therefore, in my humble opinion, the lower ones have left, which is not a signal yet, so don't rush to reduce the dose, or if you really want to, then only slightly.

James3382

I once applied iodine - also naturally alcohol-based (I don't remember why, but I remember the result was positive), but after alcohol vapors got into the aquariums and the microflora burned out, I started to treat everything containing alcohol with great caution. However, I think this phobia was caused by coincidence.

Jacqueline6670

That's how it should be.

Lindsey3628

No, I'm talking about the aquarium.

Anthony4281

Well, me too, I'm definitely not a teetotaler. Everything you pour into the aquarium needs to be handled with care. With regular balling, an overdose can wipe out the reef in no time. And how many problems arise in freshwater due to fertilizer overdose?

James4757

In a marine aquarium, the stability of chemical and physical parameters plays such a significant role that even frequent handling has a negative effect, even, for example, when lifting detritus by moving rocks, which can lead to changes in the same chemical parameters for the worse. An aquarium is merely a miniature closed replica of a coral reef, and any interference with its functioning can lead to corresponding results.

Alexander

Were nitrates and phosphates measured during the experiment? Is there any statistics?

Brandi

No, I haven't measured. The phosphates in the marine aquarium are almost at zero, and the nitrates are low as well, so the accuracy of the tests won't provide any significant dynamics. Out of curiosity, I'll measure it in the evening, although I've gotten used to relying more on the condition of the hydrobionts.

Amy9618

Tests sometimes lie, but hydrobionts tell the truth and only the truth.

Debra6575

Just thoughts. If we accept: vodka = 40% alcohol + 60% water (without trendy additives from vodka makers), then the alcohol is OK. 3.2 ml. 3.2 ml x 600 l = residual homeopathic doses. They cannot harm higher organisms in your aquarium. Should we get rid of such "dependency" if the method works?

Devon107

The scalar, as they thought? It's ROUGHLY 3.2 g and not mg.

Jennifer5371

Yes, I missed that the author mentioned 8 ml, but it doesn't change the overall essence, which is 3.2 grams per 600 liters. That's all.

Diana3118

The scalar results in 5 mg per liter, which is already comparable to the levels of nitrates, phosphates, and other substances in the aquarium. If removed abruptly, many microorganisms that consume alcohol and nitrates will perish immediately, and nothing good can be expected from this.

Jeanne

Did I understand the dosage for a freshwater aquarium correctly: - 0.03 ml per 10 liters? The first week, daily 0.03 ml per 10 liters. The second week, 0.03 ml per 10 liters once a week. Which vodka is better to use? The leftover from my favorite? Or, what have you used yourself?

James4757

I understood that the first one is 0.03 per day for 10 liters, the second one is 0.06 per day for 10 liters, and the third one is 0.09 per day for 10 liters.

Chad

No. The dose increases weekly. Any vodka, but without acetone. That is, what remains from the holidays. Dosage:

Elizabeth6302

I wrote it weekly...

Christine

A good skimmer is also needed to implement the vodka method.

Stephanie9175

I have a Boyu DT-1524 - it works well.

Aaron

If it works, then that's good. What kind of pump does he have? During the use of the vodka method, were there any mucous secretions observed on the sponges, carbon, and other filtering materials/fillers?

Gene1948

1750 l/h I don't have filters.

Theresa5149

No bag on the drop, no piece of syntapon, no charcoal, etc. Got it, just the skimmer.

Ryan1989

Aha

Kellie

Where do bacteria live and reproduce?

Hannah

Sand, J.K. (living stones), S.R.K. (dry reef stones).

Aaron6112

As of 04.03.12: PO4 - not detected. NO3 - not detected (there's some nonsense here, need to buy a proper nitrate test, something JBL is lying about). pH - 7.5 kH - 8 Ca - 460 Mg - 1040 It seems magnesium needs to be added.

Stephen5841

I had a lot of GBL tests, the SPS started to turn brown, I measured nitrates - 10-15, just in case I took a Salifert test - and the nitrates are off the charts at over 50. I threw away the GBL tests, switched to Salifert and Tropic Marin. And I need to add magnesium.

Paul

Is medical alcohol 96% suitable as an alternative to vodka? Then it's clear that the dosage will change. Please provide more details!

Ryan1989

It works. Dilute to 40% and there's no need to recalculate. And you shouldn't pour pure alcohol.

Corey3201

What salt do you use?

Melinda

Rephrasing a famous character: "Half a liter in the aquarium? I’ll show you...." :) As for the matter at hand, from what I've tried to understand about using the internet, you can pour vodka directly into a freshwater aquarium, but it's advisable to place a skimmer on the aquarium or, considering that freshwater doesn't foam like saltwater, to use a freshwater foam separator. Regular external and internal filters won't suffice here?... Or can you still try without a skimmer, but constantly test for nitrates?

Meghan

I didn't put a pen on the fresh water. I also didn't do any tests - the beard is gone, which means the organic matter has decreased.

Amanda5586

It seems that we agreed that heterotrophic aerobes consume nitrates, and they need an organic source of carbon, which in our case is alcohol. So without alcohol, they have "nothing left to do" but

John3187

Continuing the "alcohol" theme ;o), I'm providing a link to an article: Adding vodka – why? Reducing phosphates and nitrates I think it might be useful...

Tracey

I still don't understand what the volume of the aquarium is for the author of the article.

Catherine

Off-topic, but I can't quite grasp this figure either, somewhere around 500-600 liters. That's if you look at the photo... in short, it's uncertain. However, the article is serious.

Amanda5586

The deeper into the forest, the thicker the lumberjacks. While searching for the original source, I found the original, though it’s in English, but I apologize... I included it in the previous post - Vodka Dosing...Distilled!

Javier5186

How risky can the use of this noble drink in herbalism turn out to be?

Adam4310

I want to clarify the following point for myself. I assumed that if you add 1 drop of vodka, it would help convert 1 ppm of nitrates, and 2 drops would convert 2 ppm (these are just hypothetical numbers). On page 97, Sander writes the following - let's look at the picture: From what Sander wrote, it seems that you need to pour some critical mass of vodka, like to get a buzz? (You can enlarge the picture by clicking on it with the mouse). Then he writes something even more alarming - "The process will stop at nitrites. We will get nitrites instead of nitrates!"

Jessica8898

Constantine, a somewhat unfortunate example, namely: Methanol (methyl alcohol, wood alcohol, carbinol, methyl hydrate, hydroxymethane) — CH3OH, the simplest monohydric alcohol, a colorless toxic liquid. Methanol is the first representative of the homologous series of monohydric alcohols. This alcohol has caused many people to be poisoned by wooden macintoshes. I always use only ethyl alcohol (which does not contain methanol), and I always warn sellers about this when purchasing in pharmacies.

James4342

But what makes the example unsuccessful? The mechanism of action is the same. I'm also interested in the option with nitrites.

Brian6895

There is technical alcohol and there is medical alcohol, and this does not mean that you can pour any alcohol into the aquarium. These are two very different things. For example, you don't fill a kettle with hot water from the tap to brew tea or to speed up cooking because it is considered technical.

Guy

What is the connection between methanol and "technical alcohol"? It is clear that the higher the purity of the alcohol, the better, but as far as I know, heterotrophic aerobes can consume lower alcohols, acids, and even sugars. I have not come across any information that ethanol is fundamentally necessary, especially since the difference between it and methanol is minimal. I do not argue that it is more convenient and safer to use vodka, but if someone has a supply of methanol on hand, they can give it a try.

Randy

Try your surrogate, but only then report back. I repeat, methanol is poison. Potassium cyanide kills a person, but can it be tested in a marine aquarium to kill parasites and lower organisms?

Michelle1505

I do not promote methanol in any way. However, there are commercial products that contain it.

Shane

There is a methanol content of 70%, and then there is roughly 0.1%. I am ending the argument, as I am not Mendeleev and do not want to go off-topic. If you think it's necessary, use it, but I ask you to honestly report what this liquid did in the aquarium.

Jessica6754

1. Konstantin, do you use it for experiments and tests on living organisms? 2. As always, pharmacies swear they can't write in the annotations and on the bottles that it's 96% or 70% ethyl alcohol. So, let's end this pointless mockery, and my advice is to buy quality vodka in supermarkets. P.S. Before, I used to buy it in pharmacies, but now someone presents me with alcohol in bottles from Gorses, and I don't worry about it.

Kenneth2761

I have always criticized the res-potential in freshwater aquariums as a non-indicative characteristic, but here it actually determines it - that's why you add alcohols - just to lower the res and give anaerobic bacteria a chance to do their work.

Cheryl

1. I use isopropyl alcohol for technical purposes. 2. Now, after reading what Sander wrote, I have stopped adding quality vodka from the supermarket to the aquarium. I want to wait for some comments regarding the quoted statement about nitrites. Although, the easiest thing is to buy a nitrite test and check.

Tracey

Regarding the quote, there are the following considerations. Heterotrophic aerobes (and we are specifically talking about them) use nitrates as a source of nitrogen. The more oxidized it is, the more energy is required for its reduction. It is energetically more advantageous to use nitrites than nitrates, and by reducing nitrates only to nitrites, microorganisms cannot obtain nitrogen. Therefore, I find the accumulation of nitrites unlikely. However, if we talk about anaerobic processes, the accumulation of nitrites is quite possible, but that is not our case.

Brian

If there is a book, then look starting from page 96 "Anaerobic Biological Filtration." P.S. It turns out to be like in life, the main thing is the dosage.

Stefanie9771

It turns out that nitrites are not so scary!

Gene1948

Please advise - in a freshwater aquarium, when adding vodka, what kind of water changes should be made? Regular or increased frequency?

Michele9664

Practically none.

Todd8452

The beard completely disappeared in a month, but instead, there are now blue-green algae.

Tonya

Sergey, how did you come up with the dosage in freshwater? Is it really 4 times higher than in the sea?

Ronald5720

Vadim, purely through experience. You start with a minimal amount and gradually increase it; when the algae begin to disappear, you stop at that dosage. Once they are completely gone, you can reduce the dosage.

Rachel9060

I ask for a personal opinion: Is this an aerobic process or is it still stimulation of anaerobic?

Lindsay

Is there any point in adding fertilizers when using this method, or will the bacteria consume everything?

Ryan1989

Did you manage to completely give up vodka?

Andrea8397

Does vodka affect the clarification of water?? I have a 250L aquarium for turtles, and it's in a shelf, so changing the water and doing partial water changes is quite a tedious task), so I want to try adding vodka to 150L of water and see what happens.

Rachael

Great, I would like to see drunk turtles.

Bridget

While he is silent, I will try to answer for him. This is anaerobic stimulation. There is a topic on a friendly website where vodka is used specifically for stimulating the anaerobic process. Therefore, such a conclusion naturally suggests itself.

Tonya

Dear all, please help determine how the presence of an ozonator in the system will affect the use of the "vodka method"? What problems may arise?

George5104

And one more thing: when is it better to add vodka, in the morning or in the evening?

Anthony4281

No way. None at all. In the sea, the foam gives much more air.

Anna9752

It doesn't matter. I poured in the morning before leaving.

Megan

Yes, I haven't been pouring anything for a long time. I have completely switched to biology and the self-sufficiency of the system.

Joseph9203

Did you manage to get rid of the weeds?

Tracy4603

Appears occasionally.

Rebecca

470 liters of aquarium. Sump 105 liters. Nitrates over 100. Phosphates 2 million/l. Horrible. The water for replacement and topping off has zero nitrates and phosphates. I started adding vodka. For my volume, I began with 0.4, then increased to 2 ml. For about three weeks, the readings haven't changed. What experiences do others have? Just to know approximately at what amount of vodka changes start to occur?

Nicole7122

not enough vodka, increase the amount until it clouds (the water will become cloudy) I think you can safely raise it to 6-8 ml per day. But gradually!

Martin3206

Yes, but isn't a flare-up good for my mood? I thought it shouldn't be brought to that point?

Kayla7655

Nothing terrible will happen if the filtration system is good. It will just blow out a week's worth in the skimmer and that's it ;-)

Kevin

Isn't 0.5 ml every 4 days a bit too fast?

Steven757

I increased by 0.5 per week. But I think 1 ml per week is fine. In your case, 1 ml every 8 days. It's better to increase the dose more frequently by a smaller amount than to make a large increase all at once. Yes, +0.5 ml in 4 days will be good.

Ronald

Thank you, we are trying.