Phytoplankton=Nutrients?

Dkeller_nc

Well-Known Member
View Badges
Joined
Mar 2, 2019
Messages
893
Reaction score
1,269
Rating - 0%
0   0   0
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.
 

Mywifeisgunnakillme

Valuable Member
View Badges
Joined
Sep 17, 2020
Messages
1,765
Reaction score
1,890
Location
Gig Harbor
Rating - 0%
0   0   0
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

5000 Club Member
View Badges
Joined
May 22, 2016
Messages
6,992
Reaction score
10,775
Rating - 0%
0   0   0

ZoWhat

10K Club member
View Badges
Joined
Feb 23, 2014
Messages
10,282
Reaction score
18,030
Location
Cincinnati Ohio
Rating - 0%
0   0   0
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

Valuable Member
View Badges
Joined
Mar 23, 2021
Messages
1,914
Reaction score
1,517
Location
Akron, Ohio
Rating - 0%
0   0   0
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.
 
Last edited:

Randy Holmes-Farley

Reef Chemist
View Badges
Joined
Sep 5, 2014
Messages
72,235
Reaction score
69,908
Location
Massachusetts, United States
Rating - 0%
0   0   0
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

Valuable Member
View Badges
Joined
Mar 23, 2021
Messages
1,914
Reaction score
1,517
Location
Akron, Ohio
Rating - 0%
0   0   0
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.
 

Vanilla

Community Member
View Badges
Joined
Jun 17, 2022
Messages
30
Reaction score
19
Location
New York City
Rating - 0%
0   0   0
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

Valuable Member
View Badges
Joined
Mar 23, 2021
Messages
1,914
Reaction score
1,517
Location
Akron, Ohio
Rating - 0%
0   0   0
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.
 

SauceyReef

Valuable Member
View Badges
Joined
Mar 23, 2021
Messages
1,914
Reaction score
1,517
Location
Akron, Ohio
Rating - 0%
0   0   0
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

Community Member
View Badges
Joined
Jun 17, 2022
Messages
30
Reaction score
19
Location
New York City
Rating - 0%
0   0   0
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

SBB fed the Addiction
View Badges
Joined
Jun 14, 2020
Messages
20,400
Reaction score
62,163
Location
Westminster
Rating - 0%
0   0   0
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.
 

TOP 10 Trending Threads

WHICH OF THESE CREEPY REEF CRITTERS IS MOST LIKELY TO GIVE YOU NIGHTMARES? (PICTURED IN THE THREAD)

  • The Bobbit Worm

    Votes: 47 65.3%
  • The Goblin Shark

    Votes: 4 5.6%
  • The Sea Wolf

    Votes: 0 0.0%
  • Giant Spider Crabs

    Votes: 1 1.4%
  • The Stargazer Fish

    Votes: 5 6.9%
  • The Giant Isopod

    Votes: 9 12.5%
  • The Giant Squid

    Votes: 1 1.4%
  • Other (Please explain!)

    Votes: 5 6.9%
Back
Top