I have seen alot of post about carbon dosing using vinegar but nobody explains why. So what is the purpose of vinegar dosing, is it important, and how much do you use per gallon?
Vinegar is sometimes added as a carbon source for bacteria in the tank to help lower nitrate. People sometimes use ethanol (vodka dosing) too. I don't think that it is ever "important" and any tank will be fine without it. There are hundreds of ways to deal with nitrate, from water changes, to vodka, to coil denitrators, deep sand beds, on and on. Adding acetate is just another of those ideas. And you take your pick if you are having a nitrate issue. As far as what is an appropriate dose, I really don't know. I've never done any vodka or vinegar dosing, but there are more threads on the subject on RC than Carter has peanuts. One interesting take that I saw involved adding a little vinegar to top-off water with kalk to not only add carbon, but to also increase the solubility of the kalk. I've also seen a thread on RC where someone was using white rice in a reactor similar to a GFO reactor to add carbon. I think if I were choosing to dose one of these, I would choose ethanol over acetate. Just for the simple fact that it is better food for the bacteria.Â
Yes, and if added directly to the top-off water and kalk it can also increase the solubility of the calcium. Just be careful to account for the fact that you are adding this carbon to the system. Too much and you will get a bloom of God-knows-what.
