Does Vodka Really Lower Nitrates

sidneybrooksjr · 04/18/2006, 06:16 PM

Does vodka lower nitrates. if so are there any long term effects on the fish? What is the recommended dosage? Please advise?

sttaylor · 04/18/2006, 06:53 PM

No scientific evidence that it does. Search the Reefkeeping online mag there was a write up on it six months or so ago.

Scott

Here is the link:

http://reefkeeping.com/issues/2004-1...ture/index.php

bigfruits · 04/19/2006, 06:35 AM

do a water change and drink the vodka instead

dfreeman · 04/19/2006, 07:47 AM

enough of my money has gone into this already, it aint gettin my booze too.

AnnArborBuck · 04/19/2006, 08:08 AM

It did in mine.

Travis L. Stevens · 04/19/2006, 08:21 AM

Technically yes, in theory. The simple sugars found in Vodka powers the bacteria that lives in your tank. Because they have more food, they multiply faster. Thus creating a bacterial bloom. This means that there are more bacteria to use up organic compounds such as Ammonia, Nitrite, Nitrate, and Phosphate. So, more bacteria is quicker nitrate reduction.

But, there are MANY percautions you must watch out for. The increased bacteria will use up the available oxygen; once you stop dosing and they lose their food source, they all die creating a cycle unless you have a sufficient enough skimmer to take the extra bacteria out; you must have the correct proportions of phosphates and nitrates in order for the bacteria to multiply. Lack of one or the other will cause them to die off and then you are dosing for no reason. You have to watch out for what you are dosing with. Though Vodka contains a good amount of what you need, it might have something that doesn't bode well for your aquarium (or liver

). Using a lab grade source of fuel would be far better. Much of the livestock isn't accustomed to what will happen. So, they get what I like to call lack-of-nutrients-shock. Not only do you lose oxygen quickly, but because you drop nitrates and phosphates very quickly, you deprive algal scrubbers (IE Chaeto in the 'fuge) the nutrients to survive. Other things like soft corals and LPS that enjoy having trace nitrates will also be effected because they are so used to having high nitrates to feed off of, they then have hardly any to none.

In general, it boils down to what size tank that you have, what is in the tank, how bad are your nitrates/phosphates, and are you willing to kill your whole tank? If you answered yes to all these, then you should do some major research into dosing Vodka. If you said No to ANY of these, then simple water changes are a much safer solution.

04/18/2006, 06:16 PM	#1
sidneybrooksjr Registered Member Join Date: Mar 2006 Location: Maryland Posts: 140	Does Vodka Really Lower Nitrates Does vodka lower nitrates. if so are there any long term effects on the fish? What is the recommended dosage? Please advise? __________________ eazz Current Tank Info: w/ 75 gallon, LTA, BTA and maroon clown, lemon peel,fiji damsel

04/18/2006, 06:53 PM	#2
sttaylor Premium Member Join Date: Nov 2003 Location: Orlando, FL Posts: 484	No scientific evidence that it does. Search the Reefkeeping online mag there was a write up on it six months or so ago. Scott Here is the link: http://reefkeeping.com/issues/2004-1...ture/index.php Last edited by sttaylor; 04/18/2006 at 07:14 PM.

04/19/2006, 08:08 AM	#5
AnnArborBuck Registered Member Join Date: Mar 2003 Location: Toledo, OH Posts: 807	It did in mine. __________________ 9 out of 10 voices in my head told me to do it.

04/19/2006, 08:21 AM	#6
Travis L. Stevens Registered Member Join Date: Nov 2004 Location: Perry, OK Posts: 13,946	Technically yes, in theory. The simple sugars found in Vodka powers the bacteria that lives in your tank. Because they have more food, they multiply faster. Thus creating a bacterial bloom. This means that there are more bacteria to use up organic compounds such as Ammonia, Nitrite, Nitrate, and Phosphate. So, more bacteria is quicker nitrate reduction. But, there are MANY percautions you must watch out for. The increased bacteria will use up the available oxygen; once you stop dosing and they lose their food source, they all die creating a cycle unless you have a sufficient enough skimmer to take the extra bacteria out; you must have the correct proportions of phosphates and nitrates in order for the bacteria to multiply. Lack of one or the other will cause them to die off and then you are dosing for no reason. You have to watch out for what you are dosing with. Though Vodka contains a good amount of what you need, it might have something that doesn't bode well for your aquarium (or liver ). Using a lab grade source of fuel would be far better. Much of the livestock isn't accustomed to what will happen. So, they get what I like to call lack-of-nutrients-shock. Not only do you lose oxygen quickly, but because you drop nitrates and phosphates very quickly, you deprive algal scrubbers (IE Chaeto in the 'fuge) the nutrients to survive. Other things like soft corals and LPS that enjoy having trace nitrates will also be effected because they are so used to having high nitrates to feed off of, they then have hardly any to none. In general, it boils down to what size tank that you have, what is in the tank, how bad are your nitrates/phosphates, and are you willing to kill your whole tank? If you answered yes to all these, then you should do some major research into dosing Vodka. If you said No to ANY of these, then simple water changes are a much safer solution. __________________ Travis Stevens Current Tank Info: Restarting 28g Bowfront

04/19/2006, 06:35 AM	#3
bigfruits Registered Member Join Date: Feb 2002 Location: NOVA Posts: 406	do a water change and drink the vodka instead

04/19/2006, 07:47 AM	#4
dfreeman Registered Member Join Date: Feb 2006 Location: Deer Park, Texas Posts: 54	enough of my money has gone into this already, it aint gettin my booze too.