Phytoplankton=Nutrients?

[xabo]

Does Phytoplankton raise/add nutrients?

 

[MONTANTK]

I believe live phytoplankton helps manage nutrients. Many people dose it to combat algae/bacteria blooms because the phyto outcompetes both and also serves as a food for coral

 

[dvgyfresh]

They reduce nitrate / phosphate by consuming it , then get eaten by pods then get eaten by fish , then turns back into nitrate / phosphate ect needs to be Live phyto

 

[Dkeller_nc]

Depends on what you mean. From the standpoint of a net increase in inorganic nutrients in your tank, yes, phytoplankton and any other organism (whether alive or dead as in fish food) adds nutrients. That is because all living creatures (or formerly living) contain carbon, nitrogen and phosphorus.

In my opinion, live phytoplankton doesn't live very long in our aquariums - it either gets consumed by lots of hungry mouths, or gets removed in aquarium filtration or skimmed out. So the bottom line is that adding phyto definitely adds nutrients, and those nutrients are then removed (either gradually or slowly) by water changes, filtration socks, and/or skimming.

 

[xabo]

Thanks for the replies

 

[Mywifeisgunnakillme]

I think it scavenges whatever it can eat before being eaten or skimmed out... in that way, it consumes and/or exports at least as much as it adds. I think it helps out compete nuisance algae.

I was wondering what it would do to phosphates, o if it added any. So i took a hanna checker reader of the tank. It read 0.09 ppm. Then I dumped, in the 20 gallon nano, like two or three cups of phyto from a batch i made. I took a another test an hour later... same 0.09ppm reading.

So it didnt add any testable phosphate... over all, since i grow the stuff, im heavy handed with it. No bad effects. Corals and macros in the refugium all grow. Lots of pods. Any nusiance algae is in the refugium only, none in the display (where i dump it). Since i light the refugium like a christmas tree--i think thats a given to have some hair algae there...

 

[taricha]

Dana riddle had a thread where live home-cultured phyto pushed his NO3 and PO4 so low he eventually got worried, and stopped the dosing experiment.
https://www.reef2reef.com/threads/nitrate-and-phosphorus-control-via-phytoplankton-additions.638788/

But obviously, phyto - IS nutrients. It is C,N,P+all the others. whether it releases those to the water depends entirely on the fate of the cells, the details matter.

 

[ZoWhat]

They reduce nitrate / phosphate by consuming it , then get eaten by pods then get eaten by fish , then turns back into nitrate / phosphate ect needs to be Live phyto

Been dosing phyto for a year

Not seeing where your chain of events goes past the Pod phase.

Dosing phyto is an excellent natural way to reduce no3 but does effect po4 bc the f/2 fertilizer used to grow phyto has a boatload of po4 still in it when dosed.

My deep green brewed phyto reduces my no2 to 2ppm but raises my po4 to 2+ppm.

In my zoa tank I had to severely cut back on phyto bc my zoas weren't eating the phyto and stripping them of no3 nutrients

.... to the point where my zoas disc heads were shrinking to tiny heads due to lack of nutrition

.

 

[SauceyReef]

Been dosing phyto for a year

Not seeing where your chain of events goes past the Pod phase.

Dosing phyto is an excellent natural way to reduce no3 but does effect po4 bc the f/2 fertilizer used to grow phyto has a boatload of po4 still in it when dosed.

My deep green brewed phyto reduces my no2 to 2ppm but raises my po4 to 2+ppm.

In my zoa tank I had to severely cut back on phyto bc my zoas weren't eating the phyto and stripping them of no3 nutrients

.... to the point where my zoas disc heads were shrinking to tiny heads due to lack of nutrition

.

Isn’t 2.0 ppm phosphate crazy high? I have pretty high phosphates and have to dose nitrates to keep up, so the thought of dosing live phyto is a bit daunting for me hearing this.

 

[Randy Holmes-Farley]

Isn’t 2.0 ppm phosphate crazy high? I have pretty high phosphates and have to dose nitrates to keep up, so the thought of dosing love phyto is a bit dauntingfor me hearing this.

I don’t recommend dosing phytoplankton for the purpose of lowering nutrients.

Yes, 2+ ppm phosphate is quite high.

 

[SauceyReef]

I test nutrients 2-3 times a week, so I will post my results here if I remember.

 

[Oscar Madrid]

Hola

Did you test your NO3?

Pruebo los nutrientes 2-3 veces a la semana, así que publicaré mis resultados aquí si recuerdo.

 

[SauceyReef]

The live phyto plankton was most definitely raising my nutrients the first few weeks using it - specifically phosphates. Not sure if it is a long-term thing to start reduction?? But I got some GFO as recommendation from the ATI ICP test I did, and I am running it simultaneously adding All for Reef, and live Phytoplankton every other day. Now phosphates are finally dropping - even a little to fast. It seems like a good combo.

Now I just have to find something with potassium in it as I am low.

 

[Oscar Madrid]

Thanks for your comments!

 

[Vanilla]

The live phyto plankton was most definitely raising my nutrients the first few weeks using it - specifically phosphates. Not sure if it is a long-term thing to start reduction?? But I got some GFO as recommendation from the ATI ICP test I did, and I am running it simultaneously adding All for Reef, and live Phytoplankton every other day. Now phosphates are finally dropping - even a little to fast. It seems like a good combo.

Now I just have to find something with potassium in it as I am low.I

The live phyto plankton was most definitely raising my nutrients the first few weeks using it - specifically phosphates. Not sure if it is a long-term thing to start reduction?? But I got some GFO as recommendation from the ATI ICP test I did, and I am running it simultaneously adding All for Reef, and live Phytoplankton every other day. Now phosphates are finally dropping - even a little to fast. It seems like a good combo.

Now I just have to find something with potassium in it as I am low.

I think I’m having the same issue. My phosphates are at .2 in a fairly fresh tank. Was dosing phyto to help with pod population, did stopping the dosing lower your phosphates?

 

[SauceyReef]

Update: Live phyto definitely helps lower nutrients over time! At least in my system. It has been a truly magical addition to my tank health, and I recommend it to all.

 

[Randy Holmes-Farley]

I’m not convinced it lowers nutrients unless you skim it out.

 

[SauceyReef]

I’m not convinced it lowers nutrients unless you skim it out.

Since using live phyto my nutrients have been progressively going down specifically phosphate. I haven't added or changed anything, and for years before had a phosphate raising problem. I don't run mechanical filtration, and dont have a skimmer. I am just giving my anecdotal experience.

 

[Vanilla]

Since using live phyto my nutrients have been progressively going down specifically phosphate. I haven't added or changed anything, and for years before had a phosphate raising problem. I don't run mechanical filtration, and dont have a skimmer. I am just giving my anecdotal experience.

How much do you dose? For reference my tank is 30g, and what else are you running for phosphate reduction?

I have a bag of chemipure blue running in my AIO overflow and I barely feed my tank, like 1/3 a cube of mysis daily with only two fish. I just don’t know how my phosphates could have hit .2

 

[Reefing_addiction]

I’m not convinced it lowers nutrients unless you skim it out.

I would say it helps balance or maintain nutrients- though I did see a significant decrease in both NO3 and PO4 but I was dosing pretty heavily. I only run filter socks and chateo. But ever tank is different. I also have a ton of filter feeders.

It is also highly dependent upon the type of phyto you dose. I was reading about several strands that help the carbon cycle out more so then others. I was creating a spreadsheet- on my laptop!- because I want to understand more! Now that I finally finished my MBA I’ll have free time to dig into available research.