Can dosing phytoplankton drop Nitrate and Phosphate to 0?

[Jib]

In effort to increase biodiversity in my new tank (3 months old), I added Pods and started dosing phytoplankton from the Algaebarn; 5ml per day. A few days after I started with the plankton, I noticed my NO3 and PO4 drop to zero (maybe if I would squint really hard could I convince myself of .02, but I don't think so).

Up until I started dosing the Plankton, my NO3 was between 2.5 & 5. PO4 was .03 (only one PO4 test before the plankton so not a great baseline.)

I'm getting a second dino bloom which I believe may be attributed to the bottomed out nutrients in the water. I'm new to the hobby, so please correct me if I'm wrong. Trying to get these under control.

Other information:
14G IM Peninsula
Running stock filtration from IM. Filter Floss, Carbon, GFO.

1 Clownfish, 1 Pistol Shrimp, 1 fighting conch, 2 trocus snails, 1 cerith snail.

Using Salifert test kits

Thanks for the input.

-Jib

 

[RC Corals]

Why run GFO if you know you're having problems with potentially bottoming out?

PO4 of .03 is more than fine. Many run fine with much much higher.

Don't do stuff to your tank that isn't needed to correct a specific issue. Find out what and where the tank prefers to be parameter wise, then nudge it if needed.

 

[Jib]

Why run GFO if you know you're having problems with potentially bottoming out?

PO4 of .03 is more than fine. Many run fine with much much higher.

Don't do stuff to your tank that isn't needed to correct a specific issue. Find out what and where the tank prefers to be parameter wise, then nudge it if needed.

I'm just running the GFO because it come as along with the tank and is recommended by IM. I don't have a lot of experience maintaining a saltwater tank, thus my questions. You think try taking out the GFO?

Edit: The .03 reading was while running the GFO. I've been running it since I set up the tank 3 months ago.

 

[RC Corals]

I'm just running the GFO because it come as along with the tank and is recommended by IM. I don't have a lot of experience maintaining a saltwater tank, thus my questions. You think try taking out the GFO?

Edit: The .03 reading was while running the GFO. I've been running it since I set up the tank 3 months ago.

Like I recommended... don't put stuff in your tank that's not needed, or you don't know what it does. When a problem does come up you don't know whats causing the issue. Keep things as simple as possible especially while learning.
If you're using RO/DI water for topoffs and saltwater you shouldn't have ongoing phosphate issues.

Adapt and fix issues that come up rather than creating issues.

 

[Jib]

Like I recommended... don't put stuff in your tank that's not needed, or you don't know what it does. When a problem does come up you don't know whats causing the issue. Keep things as simple as possible especially while learning.
If you're using RO/DI water for topoffs and saltwater you shouldn't have ongoing phosphate issues.

Adapt and fix issues that come up rather than creating issues.

I hear you. I guess where I'm stuck is my tank was chugging along just fine before the phytoplankton while running GFO. But in my research, I wasn't able to find anything that would suggest phtyo would drop NO3 and PO4. But it was the only change that was made other than adding the Pods (which I'm trying to feed with the phyto). So to me it seems like a phyto issue. But I'm to new at this to really know...

Thanks for the insights provided.

Edit: Yes, using 0 TDS RODI for Saltwater and Top Off.

 

[Subsea]

I hear you. I guess where I'm stuck is my tank was chugging along just fine before the phytoplankton while running GFO. But in my research, I wasn't able to find anything that would suggest phtyo would drop NO3 and PO4. But it was the only change that was made other than adding the Pods (which I'm trying to feed with the phyto). So to me it seems like a phyto issue. But I'm to new at this to really know...

Thanks for the insights provided.

Edit: Yes, using 0 TDS RODI for Saltwater and Top Off.

I assume you bought live phyto. If you grew it, you would know the answer to the question. Redfield Ratio is a world wide standard of the ratio of N of 16:1 in phytoplankton. Depending on the macro anywhere from 100:1 to 30:1

Phytoplankton will absorb much more than just N & P.

I assume your phytoplankton dosage is continuing too grow in the tank. Either you dosed too much or you don’t have enough consumers for your dosage rate.

 

[Jib]

I assume you bought live phyto. If you grew it, you would know the answer to the question. Redfield Ratio is a world wide standard of the ratio of N of 16:1 in phytoplankton. Depending on the macro anywhere from 100:1 to 30:1

Phytoplankton will absorb much more than just N & P.

I assume your phytoplankton dosage is continuing too grow in the tank. Either you dosed too much or you don’t have enough consumers for your dosage rate.

Yes, I bought live phyto from Algae Barn. Their Ocean Magik. Looking more closly at the insttructions, I might be overdosing with the 5 ML per day. I should realistically only be dosing 2.5. I'm going to cut back.

Appreciate the insights.

 

[Astronomical]

I also used pods and phyto from algae barn in my biocube 29 but the 5ml they recommended was too much for my tank. I've been dosing about 1ml (a little difficult to read on the bottle) and the pods are breeding like crazy. After looking through your build thread I personally wouldn't recommend any more than that and maybe even only a few times a week.

 

[Jib]

I also used pods and phyto from algae barn in my biocube 29 but the 5ml they recommended was too much for my tank. I've been dosing about 1ml (a little difficult to read on the bottle) and the pods are breeding like crazy. After looking through your build thread I personally wouldn't recommend any more than that and maybe even only a few times a week.

Thanks for the reply and taking the time to look through my build thread.

When you say it was to much, what did you experience that you thought that?

I'm going to start stepping it back over the next few days to see where I can find equilibrium.

 

[Astronomical]

I started getting an algae bloom and water was becoming cloudy (I do regular water changes.) I cut back on the phyto and everything got better. After about a month I wrote the pods off as dead and a gimmick but a couple weeks after that they're all over the glass.

 

[Silent]

Taken from the link below, "The phytoplankton utilize nitrates and phosphates, iron and other trace elements to produce proteins and essential fatty acids. The phytoplankton in turn are consumed by filter feeders and aquatic bugs like copePODS which pass these essential fatty acids on to fish and other predators".
This is good info for you to read.

#1 Essential Guide to Reef Tanks and Phytoplankton (Expert Advice)

Detailed Guide. Understanding the Microscopic World of Phytoplankton and Reef Tanks. Reef Tank Phytoplankton – Forget Everything You Think You Know.

reefhacks.com

 

[Subsea]

Taken from the link below, "The phytoplankton utilize nitrates and phosphates, iron and other trace elements to produce proteins and essential fatty acids. The phytoplankton in turn are consumed by filter feeders and aquatic bugs like copePODS which pass these essential fatty acids on to fish and other predators".
This is good info for you to read.

#1 Essential Guide to Reef Tanks and Phytoplankton (Expert Advice)

Detailed Guide. Understanding the Microscopic World of Phytoplankton and Reef Tanks. Reef Tank Phytoplankton – Forget Everything You Think You Know.

reefhacks.com

Excellent write up

 

[wenliu51]

Thanks for the info!

 

[Jib]

I started getting an algae bloom and water was becoming cloudy (I do regular water changes.) I cut back on the phyto and everything got better. After about a month I wrote the pods off as dead and a gimmick but a couple weeks after that they're all over the glass.

Thanks for the info. Good to know of others experiences.

Taken from the link below, "The phytoplankton utilize nitrates and phosphates, iron and other trace elements to produce proteins and essential fatty acids. The phytoplankton in turn are consumed by filter feeders and aquatic bugs like copePODS which pass these essential fatty acids on to fish and other predators".
This is good info for you to read.

#1 Essential Guide to Reef Tanks and Phytoplankton (Expert Advice)

Detailed Guide. Understanding the Microscopic World of Phytoplankton and Reef Tanks. Reef Tank Phytoplankton – Forget Everything You Think You Know.

reefhacks.com

This is fantastic article to read. Thank you for directing me to it.

Definitely going to start cutting back on the dosing and will monitor NO3 & PO4 from there.