Macro algae and ammonia (cycle)

[Dr. Reef Verified Sponsor]

can macro algae like red ogo survive a cycling tank?
Does ammoni and nitrites hurt/kill red ogo like they hurt/kill fish.

 

[Brew12]

can macro algae like red ogo survive a cycling tank?
Does ammoni and nitrites hurt/kill red ogo like they hurt/kill fish.

Yes, macro algae can survive cycling a tank. I've started to use red ogo when I set up a QT to help control ammonia. As long as you keep ammonia at reasonable levels the macro algae will actually consume the ammonia as food. I want to do more trials with this but the 2 times I've used it seem to show great results.
Nitrites don't bother algae either, and nitrites aren't absorbed by marine fish like they are in freshwater fish. Nitrites would have to be very high in a marine tank to cause a problem.

 

[Dr. Reef Verified Sponsor]

Thanks for the info. That's what I thought about ammonia but I wanted to be sure.
Fwiw you are right on nitrites not harmful in marine fish unless really high.
In a study nitrites of 300 ppm killed only half of population of clown fish.
Many times in a pinch I have placed fish in a cycling tank as soon as ammonia has come down to 0 and nitrites still present around 5 to 10 ppm with no ill effects.

 

[Brew12]

Thanks for the info. That's what I thought about ammonia but I wanted to be sure.
Fwiw you are right on nitrites not harmful in marine fish unless really high.
In a study nitrites of 300 ppm killed only half of population of clown fish.

Yup. The chlorides in salt water block the nitrites from being absorbed by the fish. It isn't that nitrites are less toxic to marine fish, only that it doesn't get into their systems.

 

[NashobaTek]

@Dcal This is one of the threads.

 

[Dcal]

@Dcal This is one of the threads.

Thank you!

 

[Dcal]

@Dcal This is one of the threads.

I have 0 doubts of brews experinces and findings with the red ogo but imma keep reading bc this paper makes me think its not univeral with all magroalgaes which would make brews findings pretty cool