Dosing Sugar

[hamdogg08]

I came across this thread...

http://www.reefcentral.com/forums/showthread.php?threadid=1337934

...with positive results through dosing sugar into the tank. I guess the main idea behind it is that bacteria use the carbon in the sugar to reproduce, absorbing nutrients (N & P). Green algae, however can't utalize the sugar, so they don't go nuts.

It seemed like a topic that hasn't been touched down upon here (recently at least), and may be a cool thing to talk about if someone has experience doing this.

[David Grigor]

It's touched upon quite frequently, It's the same principle with sugar as it is with vodka dosing and vinegar dosing. Only difference is perhaps difference bacteria strains that reproduce.

One must be careful. Take away N & P, you better have other food sources or can starve your corals causing them to RTN.

I tried it but wasn't able to provide alternative food sources and had to stop when corals begin to receed.

MattB has been doing it for a while.

[hamdogg08]

Can you use vodka to reduce your hair algae, and stop using it after it receeds? I have a huge HA problem,

but have started:
-Using RODI
-Using a new octopus skimmer
-Using a filter sock
-Using a HOB filter with filter floss

-Also did a 75% waterchange.
all in the last 2 weeks.

I'd just like to strip all the phos out of the water, so I don't have a green tank any more.

I dosed 1ml of vodka today, and will dose 1/4 ml the next 3 days (I think 1 was too much from what I read)

[REEFSTOCK]

I know Energy put a lot of credit into his surgar dosing for the big turn around in his system. I know he has posted about it, perhaps on tank of the month on RC?

[spsick]

I know Energy put a lot of credit into his surgar dosing for the big turn around in his system. I know he has posted about it, perhaps on tank of the month on RC?

never heard about this, interesting.

[Energy]

I dose one capful (about 5ml) of everclear 151 daily and have started to add a capful of vinegar as well. I switched from using sugar only because of the simplicity. They all do the same thing in general. they increase the bacterial biomass- which consumes nitrates and (to a lesser degree) phosphates which then become skimmable.
Hamdogg- your on the right track for getting rid of your hair algae. If that doesn't work then add a GFO which is a granualr iron based phosphate remover. This can be picked up at ocean devotion or fritz's place-saltwater empire in bloomington.

[hamdogg08]

Hamdogg- your on the right track for getting rid of your hair algae. If that doesn't work then add a GFO

When dosing the vodka, you slowly add more each day and wait for a bacterial bloom, then reduce by 50%, right?

If that doesn't work, I think I'll go with GFO in a filter sock, and then maybe run it in a reactor after a while. Real estate is pretty sparse in my ten gallon sump, so equipment has to earn its way in.

[David Grigor]

Once hair algae has set in, even if you get the levels pretty low, it will still take a while to get under control. Manually extract as mush as possible and as oftens as possible. Rocks that are just covered, I would consider drying/cleaning them as long as they don't make too large of volumne of your rock.

As with most things in this hobby, the slower the better and watch closely for any signs of stress with the corals.

[mattb]

hamdogg, I wouldn't use vodka or sugar if I were you. You said that you 'want to strip all the phos out of the water'. This is a dangerous mindset to have.... all life needs P, and if you strip it all out, you'll have nothing but a lifeless tank.

Organic carbon dosing is not a silver bullet. Does it work yes, does people have issues with it, yes. Do you have good test kits? Organic carbon dosing will result in a reduction of PO4, many people actually see this param go down first before NO3.

What kind of skimmer do you have on how large a system?

[mattb]

Once hair algae has set in, even if you get the levels pretty low, it will still take a while to get under control. Manually extract as mush as possible and as oftens as possible. Rocks that are just covered, I would consider drying/cleaning them as long as they don't make too large of volumne of your rock.

As with most things in this hobby, the slower the better and watch closely for any signs of stress with the corals.


Just to add to what David said, the reefs are nutrient poor but hair algae and macro algaes still grow. Why? Even with the smallest amount of nutrients, micro algae is so efficient at uptake. What keeps micro algae in check on the reefs? Predation.

[hamdogg08]

I was also thinking about running some chaeto in my sump. I just took ALL the LR out of my tank, and put it in a tote and covered it. I'll see how it's looking after a week or five.

I have a super bad hair algae problem that I want to take care of before I get any more corals. This sucks!

Edit: Just to add- I am also considering adding WAAAAYYYY too much chemical phosphate reducer, and completely strip the phos from my tank. Since I only have a kenya tree coral, and a frag disk of zoo's, it may be another realistic option.

[mattb]

Why not have a friend babysit your corals and fish, and break everything down?!? Do you have a skimmer on the tote with your live rock in it?

[hamdogg08]

Why not have a friend babysit your corals and fish, and break everything down?!? Do you have a skimmer on the tote with your live rock in it?

I don't have any friends with reefs. I might throw them in a ten gallon and then put my light on top of that with a shorter photo period. I do have a skimmer that I could throw on there too! It never even crossed my mind actually. Damn coralife skimmer... >:(

[condiman]

Its amazing to me on what a person would use to make there reef look better

[David Grigor]

I don't have any friends with reefs.

You make it sound like you live in the sticks. Being in St.Paul area there are lots of club members around that could likely hold any livestock for a while. All you got to do is ask......

[Energy]

Like Dave said-just ask, that's what the club is about. People will gladly help out.