Kalk, CO2, and Algae

Randy Holmes-Farley

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It may help with some algae species, but unlike freshwater, many marine algae get CO2 from readily available bicarbonate, and so do not necessarily grow much more slowly as the pH rises.
 

The Farmer

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Lighting
Lighting duration
Feeding schedule
Type of filtration
Could be any of multiple items that can contribute to growing (GHA)
Patients, testing, consistent husbandry plays a big roll into controlling all types of algea.
 

Randy Holmes-Farley

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Photosynthesis and the Reef Aquarium, Part I: Carbon Sources by Randy Holmes-Farley - Reefkeeping.com

Thus has a data table and discussion of CO2 vs pH for macroalgae growth.
Species of macroalgae:
Relative photosynthesis at pH 8.7 compared to pH 8.1 (as a %):​
Chaetomorpha aerea
75​
Cladophora rupestris
100​
Enteromorpha compressa
67​
Ulva rigida
100​
Codium fragile
76​
Asparagopsis armata
45​
Gelidium pusillum
33​
Gelidium sesquipedale
18​
Gymnogongrus sp.
39​
Osmunda pinnatifida
46​
Porphyra leucosticta
110​
Fucus spiralis
86​
Colpomenia sinuosa
100​
Dictyota dichotoma
53​
Cystoseira tamariscifolia
57​
Padina pavonia
53​

Table 1. Relative rates of photosynthesis19 in seawater (measured by oxygen evolution) at pH 8.7 relative to pH 8.0. A value of 100 means that the rates were the same, and values below 100 indicate less photosynthesis at pH 8.7.​
 

sixty_reefer

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no , phosphate removers help for gha
How so? I can’t find any positive results in anyone able to control invasive algaes by removing nutrients alone. Normally the removal of beneficial nutrients creates more problems than solution imo.
In addition most algae will need more nitrates and ammonia than phosphates how would someone be able to remove all the nutrients that algaes need to thrive from a aquarium without doing a big damage to the rest of the system.
 

YOYOYOReefer

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How so? I can’t find any positive results in anyone able to control invasive algaes by removing nutrients alone. Normally the removal of beneficial nutrients creates more problems than solution imo.
In addition most algae will need more nitrates and ammonia than phosphates how would someone be able to remove all the nutrients that algaes need to thrive from a aquarium without doing a big damage to the rest of the system.
first off i never said anything about using phosphate removers in a system without doing big damage learn to read... the op was asking if kalk would help to control gha , which it wont.
to use lanthium chloride you pull your rocks first then treat them.

the op was asking if kalk would help with gha it wont, i was suggesting a method that would solve his problem.
 

sixty_reefer

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first off i never said anything about using phosphate removers in a system without doing big damage learn to read... the op was asking if kalk would help to control gha , which it wont.
to use lanthium chloride you pull your rocks first then treat them.

the op was asking if kalk would help with gha it wont, i was suggesting a method that would solve his problem.
That’s correct kalkwasser won’t sort the issue although you just mentioned to use GFO to remove phosphates without going into further details. We don’t know if the op phosphates are even high. Comment’s like that are very misleading
 

YOYOYOReefer

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I disagree misleading would be pretending GHA is not caused by bound phosphates in the rocks.

We will never know if his bound phosphates are high if your lookign for a test kit answer., he doesnt have a test kit for this. neither do you or I

in order to test for bound phosphates first the rocks must be boiled in hydrochloric then nitric acid ,
potentially can be done by grinding the rocks into fine powder and then just nitric aicd.
but either way the rocks wont be good for a reef tank aftewards
 

Randy Holmes-Farley

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Why do you think your tank has excessive CO2?
What kind of algae are we talking about?
What started the algae? Had other problems that led to this problem?

IMO, it’s a reasonable question to ask whether CO2 at normal levels can be reduced to deter algae, and the data I posted suggests it might for some species.

Whether it is the best approach is a different question.
 

Randy Holmes-Farley

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in order to test for bound phosphates first the rocks must be boiled in hydrochloric then nitric acid ,
potentially can be done by grinding the rocks into fine powder and then just nitric aicd.
but either way the rocks wont be good for a reef tank aftewards

Where did you see that procedure? It sounds like the rocks would dissolve in The first step. lol
 

YOYOYOReefer

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Learned way more than i ever cared to about bound phosphates when we had an issue at our farm,, the USDA website has immense data on soil to offer on testing methods for phosphorus has alot of info about it.

IMO main sources of bound phosphate in our aquariums is phosphate bound to AL, FE, MG and CA. The aquarium phosphate tests are only registering the small amounts of P that are extracted by water and water is a terrible extractant for P

absolutely dissolve the rocks in strong acid to get into solution is the only way i can see to measure it.





Al-P, Fe-P, Mg-P, Ca-PBray 1, Mehlich 1, Mehlich 3, Olsen, Water, IIP, and AER
Ca-P and Mg-POlsen, Water, IIP, and AER
 
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