They'll grow just fine in most situations without any help. They can fix nitrogen, so even if they consume all of the NH4/NO2/NO3 they won't starve. They can also fix carbon, so even if you have extremely low levels of DOC (say, if you run GAC aggressively) they'll just use CO2 like algae. They do like higher PO4 levels and will slow down as you hit ULN levels, but that should be fine as that makes bottoming out unlikely (and you have plenty right now anyway). The only thing is B vitamins--they can synthesize most or all of the essential Bs, but nevertheless grow significantly faster when they can obtain them from their environment. That's one reason PNS YelloSno is such a good companion product (it's rich in B vits). The only other thing I can think of that possibly could be scarce for them in an aquarium is molybdenum (especially for anaerobic growth).
Thank you for the response. I did dose w yellosno. So that should be ok.
How much would you dose? The 1.25ml/gallon as in the bottle?
To start, yes. That is given as a recommended maximum daily dose. You can then move up or down in small increments as needed/desired. Since every tank is different (and the main purpose for dosing can differ), different situations can vary. Generally, the hope is that these bacteria establish large permanent populations in the system so that dosage can decrease over time.
Thanks for the response. I'm using MB7 and vinegar now and am interested in using PNS due to it's ability to work on PO4. So far MB7 has given me positive results in some areas but not the best for reducing P04.
Great to hear! Easier (and less expensive) to add depleted NO3/PO4 than it is to remove excess, right?
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Definitely want to try out the new species! Gotta catch them all!"While able to survive in virtually any environment, PSNB are "in their element" where there is little-to-no oxygen, at least some light and plentiful organic matter (deep sand beds, under live rock, within porous filter media, etc.). This makes them very much unlike "traditional" nitrifying bacteria which prefer dark, highly aerated environments and utilize only inorganic carbon sources (e.g. CO2). Thus, rather than competing with the nitrifiers found in typical biofilters, the PNS bacteria in Hydrospace™ PNS Substrate Sauce™ actually complement them. In so doing, they reduce the amount of time required to complete the nitrogen cycle in new aquaria! Additionally, unlike the aerobic nitrifiers, PNS bacteria can perform denitrification, converting nitrate into harmless nitrogen gas."
PNS Substrate Sauce™
PNS Substrate Sauce™ Containing a blend of the ecologically important purple non-sulfur bacteria (PNSB) Rhodopseudomonas palustris and Rhodospirillum rubrum, PNS Substrate Sauce™ helps to establish a healthy and dynamic microbiome in all marine and brackish aquaria. Cultured on select...
Sorry to hear of your cyano issues, though it sounds like you're going in the right direction with respects to your nutrient levels (particularly your phosphate). Have you done anything to reduce your dissolved organic carbon levels (e.g. GAC)? A great many cyano species are facultatively heterotrophic. They benefit from elevated DOC, whereas low NH4/NO2/NO3 doesn't inhibit them much because they can fix their own nitrogen.
Thank you for the info. Yes, I am reducing the DOC by regular vacuuming of my sand again and I am running GAC in a sock. My skimmer seems to be slowly making headway as well. I am trying to take it slow and manually remove it, but it does get old. I guess it is payback for my lack of attention for several months. I’ll just stay the course.
