Randy's Tank and Learn Thread

[Subsea]

I was hoping the phyto I dose daily will suffice, along with my usual way of no mechanical filtration (which is not presently being followed). I don’t know if that’s sufficient or not.

Considering the Package, with live sand & live rock shipped in water and then given TLC with green phytoplankton; I see good things in future of this system.

Dana Riddle described photosynthesis as when the inorganic & the organic world combine to move carbon up the food chain.

With that said, we supply oxygen & carbon dioxide plus “let the light shine” and feed the microbial loop.

 

[Randy Holmes-Farley]

Considering the Package, with live sand & live rock shipped in water and then given TLC with green phytoplankton and feed oxygen & carbon dioxide plus let the light shine and feed the microbial loop.

There is a lot of stuff that gets launched into the water column from various activities. No idea of what a lot of it is, but the yellow tang and chromis often eat it and don’t always spit it back out. Some looks like moltings from little crustaceans, others are puffs of stuff being ejected from inside the rock.

 

[jonelder68]

I was hoping the phyto I dose daily will suffice, along with my usual way of no mechanical filtration (which is not presently being followed). I don’t know if that’s sufficient or not.

This is the one thing I disagree with you. I’m not a fan of phyto. Every time I’ve tried I get algae or something. Never seen the benefit. Modern filtration is so effective it’s a struggle for nutrients as is. I run no mechanical filtration as well last few tanks but large refugiums. I’m a triton fan but deviate slightly. I try to replicate natural ocean filtration best you can in a box. My pods are exploding in a dedicating remote refugium that’s dirty/filthy. Though going sps on this tank lack to see the need of dosing phyto. Even the filter feeders are exploding in growth. No phyto dosed. I do feed crushed pellet as a powder through auto feeder into return and seems to keep everything thriving.

Curious if you’ve seen any benefits of phyto yet? Don’t get me wrong I’m your biggest fan! Just can’t get on the phyto train…

 

[jonelder68]

This is the one thing I disagree with you. I’m not a fan of phyto. Every time I’ve tried I get algae or something. Never seen the benefit. Modern filtration is so effective it’s a struggle for nutrients as is. I run no mechanical filtration as well last few tanks but large refugiums. I’m a triton fan but deviate slightly. I try to replicate natural ocean filtration best you can in a box. My pods are exploding in a dedicating remote refugium that’s dirty/filthy. Though going sps on this tank lack to see the need of dosing phyto. Even the filter feeders are exploding in growth. No phyto dosed. I do feed crushed pellet as a powder through auto feeder into return and seems to keep everything thriving.

Curious if you’ve seen any benefits of phyto yet? Don’t get me wrong I’m your biggest fan! Just can’t get on the phyto train…

On that note…are you still trying to come up with/make a trac element dose?

 

[Oldsman]

Really appreciate your post on this build, showing the stages! Those sponges are really adding an interesting feature to the rockwork, cant wait to see them grow out more

You mentioned being from Bostonish area, we're gonna be around Salem/ Plymouth the week of July 4th ..any shops worth visiting while we're around ? We love to check out different places

 

[Randy Holmes-Farley]

Curious if you’ve seen any benefits of phyto yet? Don’t get me wrong I’m your biggest fan! Just can’t get on the phyto train…

I never used phyto in the past, and can’t know what this tank would be like without it, so I cannot say if it is helping.

I’m pushing the envelope adding a mandarin a week after adding the rock, and I’ve been adding pods for it (I added some more tisbe pods few days ago) and a main reason for the phyto is to get those pods growing as readily as possible.

 

[Reefer1978]

This is the one thing I disagree with you. I’m not a fan of phyto. Every time I’ve tried I get algae or something. Never seen the benefit. Modern filtration is so effective it’s a struggle for nutrients as is. I run no mechanical filtration as well last few tanks but large refugiums. I’m a triton fan but deviate slightly. I try to replicate natural ocean filtration best you can in a box. My pods are exploding in a dedicating remote refugium that’s dirty/filthy. Though going sps on this tank lack to see the need of dosing phyto. Even the filter feeders are exploding in growth. No phyto dosed. I do feed crushed pellet as a powder through auto feeder into return and seems to keep everything thriving.

Curious if you’ve seen any benefits of phyto yet? Don’t get me wrong I’m your biggest fan! Just can’t get on the phyto train…

I got rid of two species of Dino’s with only Phyto dosing. Even turned off my UV 6 weeks ago during the balled and didn’t remember until writing this post that it’s still off.

 

[Reefer1978]

@Randy Holmes-Farley to answer your previous post. I grow my own phyto out three different species and I blend them together. All the Phyto I received from well-known vendors seemed diluted to me, even though all of them said it’s not diluted, but for some reason, mine is growing much darker.

 

[Randy Holmes-Farley]

@Randy Holmes-Farley to answer your previous post. I grow my own phyto out three different species and I blend them together. All the Phyto I received from well-known vendors seemed diluted to me, even though all of them said it’s not diluted, but for some reason, mine is growing much darker.

Thanks. I’ve recently been dosing Reef Nutrition phyto feast. It is far darker and more rapidly clouds the tank than what I’ve gotten from other commercial or local diy sources.

 

[jonelder68]

I never used phyto in the past, and can’t know what this tank would be like without it, so I cannot say if it is helping.

I’m pushing the envelope adding a mandarin a week after adding the rock, and I’ve been adding pods for it (I added some more tisbe pods few days ago) and a main reason for the phyto is to get those pods growing as readily as possible.

Ah forgot about that. Do you plan to dose it long term? Or wait and see deal?

 

[Reefer1978]

@Randy Holmes-Farley to answer your previous post. I grow my own phyto out three different species and I blend them together. All the Phyto I received from well-known vendors seemed diluted to me, even though all of them said it’s not diluted, but for some reason, mine is growing much darker.

Thanks. I’ve recently been dosing Reef Nutrition phyto feast. It is far darker and more rapidly clouds the tank than what I’ve gotten from other commercial or local diy sources.

If you ever want to try mine let me know. The amount I dose, I have to grow. Otherwise would be spending all my money on Phyto.

 

[jonelder68]

@Randy Holmes-Farley to answer your previous post. I grow my own phyto out three different species and I blend them together. All the Phyto I received from well-known vendors seemed diluted to me, even though all of them said it’s not diluted, but for some reason, mine is growing much darker.

I wonder if my issue/beef with phyto was due to just buying it from LFS. Do you think because you culture it yourself it’s a much better quality? I could see maybe it being so fresh it be better quality?

 

[Reefer1978]

@Randy Holmes-Farley to answer your previous post. I grow my own phyto out three different species and I blend them together. All the Phyto I received from well-known vendors seemed diluted to me, even though all of them said it’s not diluted, but for some reason, mine is growing much darker.

I wonder if my issue/beef with phyto was due to just buying it from LFS. Do you think because you culture it yourself it’s a much better quality? I could see maybe it being so fresh it be better quality?

Fresher, darker, I cook it for full 7 days to make sure there’s no fertilizer left which can drive phosphates up.

 

[Reefer1978]

@Randy Holmes-Farley to answer your previous post. I grow my own phyto out three different species and I blend them together. All the Phyto I received from well-known vendors seemed diluted to me, even though all of them said it’s not diluted, but for some reason, mine is growing much darker.

I wonder if my issue/beef with phyto was due to just buying it from LFS. Do you think because you culture it yourself it’s a much better quality? I could see maybe it being so fresh it be better quality?

 

[Randy Holmes-Farley]

Ah forgot about that. Do you plan to dose it long term? Or wait and see deal?

It’s a long term plan unless I get convinced otherwise. Cost is a factor, certainly. I’ve already spent a lot more on phyto and
Pods than the cost of a mandarin (but to be clear, Dr Reef donated the fish I got) plus the cost of the sponges. But that’s just how it is to care for organisms. :)

 

[twentyleagues]

Fresher, darker, I cook it for full 7 days to make sure there’s no fertilizer left which can drive phosphates up.

This is one reason I went with a local guy that is/was growing his own phyto. His just seemed darker and thicker than any of the others I had purchased from. It was also way cheaper, $10 for a half gallon of blended phyto 4 types. Unfortunately his all crashed. He was unsure why he thinks temp may have been the issue but hes almost ready to supply some again. I was thinking since its so dark and he said he does what you do kind of if maybe letting it ride so long without diluting it or adding new fertilizer was actually the cause. Seems kind of a razors edge scenario.
Apparently he used to brew a lot of beer and uses most of the carboys to grow phyto. Its a neat set up for sure. Hes also working on growing that purple bacteria(I forget what its actually called) that is popping up recently. He said it looks like his sps have really improved since he started dosing it as a feed.

 

[Reefer1978]

Fresher, darker, I cook it for full 7 days to make sure there’s no fertilizer left which can drive phosphates up.

This is one reason I went with a local guy that is/was growing his own phyto. His just seemed darker and thicker than any of the others I had purchased from. It was also way cheaper, $10 for a half gallon of blended phyto 4 types. Unfortunately his all crashed. He was unsure why he thinks temp may have been the issue but hes almost ready to supply some again. I was thinking since its so dark and he said he does what you do kind of if maybe letting it ride so long without diluting it or adding new fertilizer was actually the cause. Seems kind of a razors edge scenario.
Apparently he used to brew a lot of beer and uses most of the carboys to grow phyto. Its a neat set up for sure. Hes also working on growing that purple bacteria(I forget what its actually called) that is popping up recently. He said it looks like his sps have really improved since he started dosing it as a feed.

PNS bacteria most likely, I want to try that also. And I am also using carboys.

 

[Randy Holmes-Farley]

This is one reason I went with a local guy that is/was growing his own phyto. His just seemed darker and thicker than any of the others I had purchased from. It was also way cheaper, $10 for a half gallon of blended phyto 4 types. Unfortunately his all crashed. He was unsure why he thinks temp may have been the issue but hes almost ready to supply some again. I was thinking since its so dark and he said he does what you do kind of if maybe letting it ride so long without diluting it or adding new fertilizer was actually the cause. Seems kind of a razors edge scenario.
Apparently he used to brew a lot of beer and uses most of the carboys to grow phyto. Its a neat set up for sure. Hes also working on growing that purple bacteria(I forget what its actually called) that is popping up recently. He said it looks like his sps have really improved since he started dosing it as a feed.

Yes, I’ve been trying local phyto too. :)

 

[Reefer1978]

Further evidence that Phyto seems to be working. I just tested my water nitrates 4.2 phosphate 0.08 not a sign of ostreopsis, which should take over the entire tank with low nutrients.

 

[Randy Holmes-Farley]

I started a thread in the main forum about thoughts on the best time to dose
Phyto for pods:

Pods and phyto dosing: light vs dark?

I’ve been autodosing live phyto to my tank, in large part to boost pods for my mandarin. I’ve been doing it in the middle of the night. But it occurred to me that maybe pods cannot “see” phyto in the dark. Anyone have thoughts on day vs night dosing of phyto for pods?

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