5 O'Clock

[Chris]

Yeah I am talking 5 O'Clock Vodka lol Once I got past thinking "man this smells more like something for a top fuel dragster, then my tank" I decided to go ahead and start dosing my tank with this stuff (on top of MB-7, which I started 2 weeks before adding the vodka dosing). I don't know that its helping my levels any yet, but my fish sure seem more active for a few hrs after dosing, and I can see an improvement in water clarity (which I didnt expect since I thought the MB-7 had my water crystal clear already)! I have seen improved colors in not only my coral, but my fish since dosing the two.... I attribute it more to the clarity of the water then anything though as I can see my lights (10 t5's) penetrating deeper with intensity (yes they look brighter at lower levels then before)!!!

[larryandlaura]

Wow that sounds amazing. Do you have to vodka dose with MB7?

[Chris]

Originally Posted by larryandlaura

Wow that sounds amazing. Do you have to vodka dose with MB7?

I have been quite impressed, with both, but think mb-7 on its own worked VERY well. I just wanted to give vodka a try and shoot for "the next level" type of thing. So far, I am liking what I see without a doubt!

Its not really required to use either with the other, or even at all, and many do not and have great results. You do run a higher risk of stripping the water with using both, but if you overfeed and like lots of fish it helps....As well as following directions on MB-7 and following the guidelines for vodka/ carbon source dosing!

Right now I have 12 or 13 fish, 4 being "large fish" and feed 3-4 times a day in my 180. I am planning on having 15-20 fish when its done, adding mostly smaller types and probably 1-2 more larger fish.

[larryandlaura]

Wow that's going to be a huge bioload. This stuff must be magic.

[rmalone]

I have been using pro-biotics since the start in my 180g. Currently I have a pbt, orange shoulder, and sailfin for tangs. I have a pair of percs hosting in rbta's. I also have a potters angel, coral beauty, worlds largest pink spot goby, two chalk basslets, a canary wrasse, midas blenny, mandarin, and a blue/green chromis. Along with a pistol shrimp, 3 cleaner shrimp, a blood shrimp, a harly shrimp, and a sexy shrimp. About 15 mixed snails, fighting conch and two emerald crabs (that I think are getting hungry). The two RBTA's are huge, I never spot feed them, they get what they get and they own an entire 250w mh.

So there is my bioload. I test nitrate weekly, well most weeks at least. I have never seen nitrates get above 6ppm (that was recently, I backed off the vodka and have fed heavily). Usually my nitrates are between .2 and 2ppm (tested on salifert or lamotte). I don't shoot for ULNS (imo ulns probably gives the best sps color but it puts you on the "knives edge" whereby small mistakes are magnified), but even if you only want LNS, mb7 and vodka can really make nutrient management easy. I wont run a tank without pro-biotics ever again, assuming I have a hard core skimmer that is appropriate for the tank. Pro-biotics works, very well, but you can get yourself into trouble if you push the envelope too hard or too fast. Take your time and implement pro-biotics carefully and you will be amazed at how easy nutrient management can be.