Let's see 'em - Before and After pics of Vodka Dosing!
 

I'm looking for people that have taken shots of corals and or their tanks before and after vodka dosing. What kind of results did you see? Were you happy with the outcome? I personally, have been incredibly happy with the outcome. However, I failed to document by photography.

Anyone willing to share their experience?

Ya I haven't taken photos either but I am happy with the progress of I have seen since I started dosing vodka, and upping my wc amount.

Here are my before and afters. These pics and my tank specs were posted this in the Let's Talk About Vodka/Sugar Dosing thread a few months back. I changed cameras between the before and afters. The afters are much closer to the real thing. The befores were somewhat washed out. The color change was real though when I started dosing a carbon source and started feeding more.

I took an updated set recently but they are still in the camera. My green slimer now has 3 tips at the surface of the water and a 4th a couple of weeks from doing the same. The pink/tan acropora hyacinthus, if that is what it actually is, is now a fair bit pinker. Other than that, no additional noticeable changes.

I'm now dosing an average of ~1 mL/day and I'm feeding an average of two blocks of food/day. My last water change was in January. The last one before that was July of 2007.


January 2nd...
http://i113.photobucket.com/albums/n...r/CIMG0397.jpg

April 2nd (or so)....
http://i113.photobucket.com/albums/n...r/CIMG1297.jpg

January 2nd....(this one still shows my problem child California Tort)
http://i113.photobucket.com/albums/n...r/CIMG0095.jpg

April 2nd...

http://i113.photobucket.com/albums/n...r/CIMG1276.jpg



More April pics...
I had great extension on my digitata until I got may flame angel. He nips it just enough to force it to keep it's polyps partially retracted.
http://i113.photobucket.com/albums/n...r/CIMG1270.jpg
http://i113.photobucket.com/albums/n...r/CIMG1287.jpg

This acro hyacinthus, if that is what it is, is now much pinker. It's also about a week or two away from making contact with the slimmer and has started battling with the pocillopora.
http://i113.photobucket.com/albums/n...r/CIMG1278.jpg
http://i113.photobucket.com/albums/n...r/CIMG1280.jpg
http://i113.photobucket.com/albums/n...r/CIMG1283.jpg

Looks good Mike. I'll have to post some pictures of my before and afters. I have been dosing vodka for about 4 months now, I'm up to about 2 ml/day. I was adding zeo aahc in addition to daily feedings, but I believe I OD'd on the AAs and that has set me back a bit on color. Growth has been great though.

I'm thinking about starting AAs again, maybe this time I'll go with Fauna Marin or another brand.

Sorry for the noob question. But could you guys maby explain how the vodka helps the tank. It obviously does with those pics but can you tell me in how it works.

thanks

-Tim

Put on your reading glasses! :D

http://www.reefcentral.com/forums/sh...readid=1225324

The theory - in as few words as possible (and from a total laymen):

Various types of bacteria can become 'carbon limited' in terms of growth. In essense, most tanks have enough phosphate and nitrate to grow more bacteria, but not enough usable carbon. By adding more usable carbon bacteria populations increase. This process removes usable phosphates and nitrates out of the water column. These building blocks are then not able to be used by the microscopic algaes in the corals which are typically tan/brown. The microscopic algae populations decrease making the corals, especially SPS, more colorful by unmasking the pigments.

Lower nutrients (within reason) = better color

thanks a lot. That definantly helped. (My reading glasses are on for the next hour or so.)

if you posted pics could you also add how much of what you are dosing. be interesting if there is a standard / similar dose and the effects each tank has achieved with that amount.

Here's a writeup of the first few months of my carbon dosing experience: http://www.reefcentral.com/forums/sh...1#post12310941

My current dosing approach prefaced my pics.

mike,
Any difference between Smirnoff vs. Absolute Volka, they are all 80% proof or 40% ethenol. What brand of sugar and vinegar do you use. Do you make a big batch by mixing all the ingredient together if so can you provide the recipe, thanks in advance.

Vodka is vodka. The only reason I'm not using generic is that we have a number of bottles and none of them happen to be generic. I would highly recommend reading the thread(s) on the subject. Carbon loading is not without risk. Or maybe Genetics can summarize his thoughts? He has a pretty good idea of what is going on (better than me, that's for sure).

The Reef Aquarium Volume Three by Delbeek and Sprung apparently has some good discussion on it. I haven't read it but I really want to get the book so I can see what their thoughts are.

Also, Flint and Eric have posted some great stuff in their blog...

Their recipe here:
http://glassbox-design.com/2008/achi...perimentation/

Some thoughts on amino acids here:
http://glassbox-design.com/2008/amin...-do-they-work/

Re: Let's see 'em - Before and After pics of Vodka Dosing!
 

Crap, I thought you were looking for people trying to control HA. I have a few pics of the before's and after's using vodka, but for HA control. I am dosing 15mL/day.

I've seen the tank in person, and not to take anything away from Mike's great photography skills. I must say the tank looks ABSOLUTELY OUTSTANDING in person!!! The colors and the changes the tank has gone through, are absolutely amazing.
He's inspired a lot of us. Thanks Mike.

Spleify

Vodka helps your reef get "tanked":lol:


miwoodar your corals look great.

Bubble Gum Poci

Before Vodka dosing, AA routine and Zeo rocks

http://i267.photobucket.com/albums/i...h/DSC_0052.jpg


6 weeks later

http://i267.photobucket.com/albums/i...h/DSC_0045.jpg

Orange digi that has continues to intensify in color:

http://i267.photobucket.com/albums/i...rangedigi4.jpg

miwoodar
Very impressive! How many fish do you have in your tank?

some unknown

before

http://i267.photobucket.com/albums/i...e330i/rose.jpg

2 months after

http://i267.photobucket.com/albums/i...triunknown.jpg

Bit of topic but it looks like and tricolor acro.

Mike,
How do you keep the stock mixture sterile, do you aliquate them out into several small tubes or container to prevent from contamination with bacteria, 0.5mL to 3mL/day will last you a very long time. Is refrigeration required?
Spencer

Thanks. Four.

Pacific Blue (3 years)
6-Line (3.5 years)
Watchman Goby (3.5 years)
Flame Angel (~6 months)

I'm moving into a 140 shortly.

dme330i - those are looking good. It's like opening Christmas presents!

africangrey - I keep it in one of these in the fridge and draw it out by a syringe. If I'm feeling lazy I shoot directly from the bottle. I've measured shots from the bottle a handful of times and have always gotten fairly close to my target dosage of 1.5 mL/day.

http://www.delviesplastics.com/mm5/g...atorBottle.jpg

Anyone else?

what brand of booze is everyone giving their tanks?

Anyone have any problems with Monti's while dosing vodka? I am having problems with Monti's losing their flesh. Started with my superman about 2 weeks ago, and now is effecting my danea's, Setosa, Undata, and digi's. Only acro I seem to be having a problem with is one of my blue torts. My caps seem to be fine as of now. The only other thing I can relate this to is an adjustment I made in my alkalinity. It was lower then I like at 7 dkh and I raised it to 10 dkh in about 4 days (by accident). Nothing else I can think of has changed with my system.
tom