Macro algae’s nutrient uptake?

[jonelder68]

Do macros go through waves of nutrient uptakes? Trying to find the balance in my tank currently. One week it’s perfect the next it’s high or low. Do macros go through growth spurts that you’ve noticed where they use more or less PO4 and NO3?

 

[Randy Holmes-Farley Verified Community Expert]

I’m not sure if they have cycles, but if other things they need are cyclic, such as trace element dosing, they might.

 

[Rocks reef]

Are you checking the parameters at the same (or close to it) time each week?
You may be able to get a better indicator to check each day for a week and track it. That way you will have a base line to start from if you are dosing.

 

[Dan_P]

Do macros go through waves of nutrient uptakes? Trying to find the balance in my tank currently. One week it’s perfect the next it’s high or low. Do macros go through growth spurts that you’ve noticed where they use more or less PO4 and NO3?

How old is the aquarium?

 

[jonelder68]

How old is the aquarium?

Almost 5 months

 

[jonelder68]

Are you checking the parameters at the same (or close to it) time each week?
You may be able to get a better indicator to check each day for a week and track it. That way you will have a base line to start from if you are dosing.

Yes I’ve done 24 hour at same time, 7pm. I always do weekly if not more testing. Miami reef was helping me (don’t want to tag him he’s taking a break)

It will be dialed in perfect and hold to exact weekly readings and then either crash next week or sky rocket. Then back to steady for a week or two. Makes dosing NO3 and PO4 a daily testing and daily adjustment.

 

[jonelder68]

For further context my tanks 105-110 roughly total water volume. Probably 40 gallons are fuges….

 

[Fish Fan]

Yes I’ve done 24 hour at same time, 7pm. I always do weekly if not more testing. Miami reef was helping me (don’t want to tag him he’s taking a break)

It will be dialed in perfect and hold to exact weekly readings and then either crash next week or sky rocket. Then back to steady for a week or two. Makes dosing NO3 and PO4 a daily testing and daily adjustment.

You have some really great reefers helping you here, so please listen to them before me. But a 4 to 5 month old tank is still a very new tank, and parameters will fluctuate over this time before stabilizing. In my humble opinion, I would not test daily, and I would be even less inclined to be dosing NO3 or PO4 at this time, until you have a solid baseline of where this tank is running. I'm concerned that constantly testing and trying to adjust may be what's giving you some trouble here. But again, I differ to the other more experienced members already trying to help you

Good luck!

 

[jonelder68]

You have some really great reefers helping you here, so please listen to them before me. But a 4 to 5 month old tank is still a very new tank, and parameters will fluctuate over this time before stabilizing. In my humble opinion, I would not test daily, and I would be even less inclined to be dosing NO3 or PO4 at this time, until you have a solid baseline of where this tank is running. I'm concerned that constantly testing and trying to adjust may be what's giving you some trouble here. But again, I differ to the other more experienced members already trying to help you

Good luck!

Without dosing NO3 and PO4 my nutrients would bottom in a day or two. Then Dino’s again and again. Already trying to get rid of round two.

96ml of ammonia bicarbonate would test zero NO3 daily. Dosed 10ppm of sodium nitrate. Then was detectable. 96ml ammonia daily was maintaining. Then it skied to mid 20s. Stayed there for a week or two then jumped to 30s. Also added 5 more fish so that’s expected for the 30s jump. Since last week no NO3 dosing. It’s dropping about 1ppm per day now. Bring back to the teens.

PO4 took .3ppm dose to get to .1ppm. Was rock steady for a month once started dosing 5ml daily. Maintained .11-.12ppm. With 5 new fish last week decided to cut back to 4ml daily dose. Crashed down to .02 in 2 days with that dose. So back to 5ml daily since yesterday plus .1ppm worth dose to bring back up hopefully. Will retest tomorrow.

But even when doing a 24 hour test to check NO3 and PO4 daily consumption say 1ppm of NO3 and say .02ppm of PO4 consumed it changes constant. So makes figuring the daily consumption impossible. Day later it will consume .02ppm NO3 and .1ppm of PO4.

Basically just trying to keep nutrients in the tank and not go down Dino’s again. I had Miami reef pulling his hair out I’m sure

 

[jonelder68]

I’m not sure if they have cycles, but if other things they need are cyclic, such as trace element dosing, they might.

I’ve been dosing chaetogro daily. I’m dosing the recommended amount on the bottle for weekly dose but breaking up that amount total into daily doses. Until I get more corals and start consuming the big 3 I will then switch to tropic marine A & K. I do 1ml of your iron once a week as well.

 

[Zarekk]

You have some really great reefers helping you here, so please listen to them before me. But a 4 to 5 month old tank is still a very new tank, and parameters will fluctuate over this time before stabilizing. In my humble opinion, I would not test daily, and I would be even less inclined to be dosing NO3 or PO4 at this time, until you have a solid baseline of where this tank is running. I'm concerned that constantly testing and trying to adjust may be what's giving you some trouble here. But again, I differ to the other more experienced members already trying to help you

Good luck!

Without dosing NO3 and PO4 my nutrients would bottom in a day or two. Then Dino’s again and again. Already trying to get rid of round two.

96ml of ammonia bicarbonate would test zero NO3 daily. Dosed 10ppm of sodium nitrate. Then was detectable. 96ml ammonia daily was maintaining. Then it skied to mid 20s. Stayed there for a week or two then jumped to 30s. Also added 5 more fish so that’s expected for the 30s jump. Since last week no NO3 dosing. It’s dropping about 1ppm per day now. Bring back to the teens.

PO4 took .3ppm dose to get to .1ppm. Was rock steady for a month once started dosing 5ml daily. Maintained .11-.12ppm. With 5 new fish last week decided to cut back to 4ml daily dose. Crashed down to .02 in 2 days with that dose. So back to 5ml daily since yesterday plus .1ppm worth dose to bring back up hopefully. Will retest tomorrow.

But even when doing a 24 hour test to check NO3 and PO4 daily consumption say 1ppm of NO3 and say .02ppm of PO4 consumed it changes constant. So makes figuring the daily consumption impossible. Day later it will consume .02ppm NO3 and .1ppm of PO4.

Basically just trying to keep nutrients in the tank and not go down Dino’s again. I had Miami reef pulling his hair out I’m sure

I was recommended to remove my chaeto from fuge for now. Tanks been 4 months and alrdy got dinos cuz of my low nutrients. My chaeto works too well for nutriend uptake it caused dinos to pop up..

 

[JoJosReef]

Do macros go through waves of nutrient uptakes? Trying to find the balance in my tank currently. One week it’s perfect the next it’s high or low. Do macros go through growth spurts that you’ve noticed where they use more or less PO4 and NO3?

Mine go through growth spurts. I would have to test quite frequently to know when I am running positive nutrients and when I've bottomed out.

 

[Dan_P]

Almost 5 months

OK, this helps. New aquaria seem to never have stable nitrate or phosphate levels. You might have to test and dose daily to have any chance of stabilizing the levels. Unknown trace element concentration will add to the complexity of control. Underlying the nitrate and phosphate variability could be variability of micro algae growth that occurs in new systems while the many species establish a more stable ecology. Variable macro algae growth mighthappen with low water circulation in the algae ponds. Add power heads for a strong flow in each pond. Inappropriate light levels and self shading will add variability to growth rates.

You are likely doomed to daily testing and dosing if your goal is a stable phosphate and nitrate level. At some point lowering the amount of aquarium water flowing to the algae ponds might be necessary, though make sure vigorous flow in the ponds remains high to avoid stagnation.

 

[jonelder68]

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OK, this helps. New aquaria seem to never have stable nitrate or phosphate levels. You might have to test and dose daily to have any chance of stabilizing the levels. Unknown trace element concentration will add to the complexity of control. Underlying the nitrate and phosphate variability could be variability of micro algae growth that occurs in new systems while the many species establish a more stable ecology. Variable macro algae growth mighthappen with low water circulation in the algae ponds. Add power heads for a strong flow in each pond. Inappropriate light levels and self shading will add variability to growth rates.

You are likely doomed to daily testing and dosing if your goal is a stable phosphate and nitrate level. At some point lowering the amount of aquarium water flowing to the algae ponds might be necessary, though make sure vigorous flow in the ponds remains high to avoid stagnation.

Sorry the Pom Pom chamber is an older picture. Since it’s filled in and no longer tumbling I’ve added flow.

The remote fuge I run like a tidal zone. Insane flow! I’ve since moved the powerheads to opposite side because the caulerpa was growing into it. Can see it poking out from behind kalk stirrer in previous posted picture barely.

Everything seems happier with flow agreed!