How much Phyto should I dose?

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Reef By Steele

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What is the right amount of Phytoplankton?

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Although many aquarists incorporate phytoplankton in their husbandry, many do not. I believe there are various reasons that some do not use live phytoplankton from concerns of introducing something “bad” to their tanks to having no knowledge about the true and wonderful benefits of using live phytoplankton. I was one of the uninformed. I once purchased copepods that came with phytoplankton and directions to dose it for the pods. Not understanding it purpose I allowed it to die in my refrigerator.

I later happened across a post here on R2R that explained it somewhat and I was intrigued. I began purchasing it from this source and was amazed at the results. I followed his dosing guidelines and saw immediate results in nutrient export leading me to discontinue dosing homemade No-Pox and Brightwell Phosphat-E.

I was dosing 2-3 ml per system actual water volume daily. So that must be the magic number, right? Of course not, just like everything else we use wether it be 2 part, No-Pox, additives, amino acids etc, dosage levels are as individual as tanks are.

So how to determine the right levels for our personal tanks? We recommend 1-3ml per gallon of system water volume based on experience. But after that, what comes into play is measuring the results. How? Visual observation plays a role, if you see a response from your corals, either a feeding response or with time better coloration and faster growth that you didn’t experience before starting then the amount you are dosing may be sufficient for your tank. Another key and vital component is nutrients. A high quality live phytoplankton will consume nitrates and phosphates in our systems. This makes testing a vital part of the equation as well. I am sure you are all doing at least weekly tests of the various levels in your tanks, CA, MG, ALK, NO3, PO4 etc. What I look for is when my nitrates and phosphate begin to drop. Then I have to decide if I want to dose NeoNitro and NeoPhos to maintain nutrients or reduce the amount of Phyto I dose. So for my predator tanks I just drop back the Phyto to find a stable area, or bump up their food. In our reefs, if everything is looking happy, I will stay with the dosage and supplement nitrates and phosphates to accommodate the Phyto regime.

Why does it matter, and why should I even add it to my tank? Below are some of the main benefits to live phytoplankton in an aquarium. Phyto is the very first link in the food chain, and is so prevalent in the ocean that it also provides the majority of the oxygen produced on the planet.

Microalgae, what we call phytoplankton, are aquatic, microscopic, single-celled, photosynthetic organisms. Similar to plants (their land counterparts), phytoplankton have chlorophyll in their cells, and generate food through the process of photosynthesis.

Benefits to phytoplankton

Provide nutritious food source to improve copepod populations, and in turn make their nutritional value for our fish greater.

Provide food source for filter feeders, clams, invertebrates, and most if not all corals with some strains improving coral coloration.

Nutrient export, lowering nitrates, phosphates and silicates.

Nuisance algae reduction or elimination by outcompeting them.

Can help to eliminate or reduce Cyanobacteria and dinoflagellates.

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hsp

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Sounds great! Thanks for your explanation! I dose 200 ml for my Red Sea Reefer Max G2+ 300
- Display Tank Volume - 246 Liters
- Total System Volume - 303 Liters (80 gallons)
I do this automatically:
- 20 doses per day during the lights-on period
- details here
The one thing I don't understand about what you have posted is the part regarding the "Nutrient export" -- How is this working? Yes, the Phyto will consume NO3 and PO4, but the Phyto then gets consumed by Copepods and they will be eaten by fish who excrete them again as NO3 and PO4. What do I miss?
 
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Reef By Steele

Reef By Steele

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Sounds great! Thanks for your explanation! I dose 200 ml for my Red Sea Reefer Max G2+ 300
- Display Tank Volume - 246 Liters
- Total System Volume - 303 Liters (80 gallons)
I do this automatically:
- 20 doses per day during the lights-on period
- details here
The one thing I don't understand about what you have posted is the part regarding the "Nutrient export" -- How is this working? Yes, the Phyto will consume NO3 and PO4, but the Phyto then gets consumed by Copepods and they will be eaten by fish who excrete them again as NO3 and PO4. What do I miss?
Live phytoplankton consumes nitrates and phosphates as it photosynthesizes and breaking them down into nitrogen, phosphorus and oxygen. My best guess is the phosphorus is then consumed by the life in the tank including macro algae in a refugium or fish and invertebrate as it is an important element for all life forms including ourselves. The nitrogen and Oxygen are released as gas.

Other explanations would include mechanical removal through filtration such as roller mats, filter floss and skimmate. What I can say from personal experience is that live phytoplankton replaced o-Pox and Phosphat-E in my heavily stocked aquariums with long term success bringing my nutrients into check when the other methods at best reduced them but never seemed to get a head of them.
 

Philrock

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So if I have a 150 gallon system I should be dosing 300 ml a day. Seems very high? Am I missing something.
 
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Reef By Steele

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So if I have a 150 gallon system I should be dosing 300 ml a day. Seems very high? Am I missing something.
Depends on what you have in the system. A newer tank with fewer inhabitants, 150 ml will provide a solid food source for establishing pods and other inhabitants. 2ml per gallon would be for a well stocked aquarium for broadcast use. A person could use less if target feeding certain species.

And testing to see what balances for an individual tank based on coral response and nutrient maintenance.
 

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