Silicate dosing and corals?

[Notsolostfish]

Iv been dosing wolf water glass 2ml everyday for my 150G to fight large amphidium dinos, iv been dosing over a month, sand is clearing up pretty nicely. However i noticed my corals some are getting ticked off. Like for example one of torch corals i had over a year 2 heads sinked inside the body. My other torch also shrinked in, my duncan colonies 2 seperate colonies closed up.

My question is does high elevated silicate level in the water, affect corals health? Thank you. Parameter going to be below.


Alk:9.6
Cal:450
Mag:1410-1380
Phosphate:0.52 with hanna (but thats probably fake because the high elevated silicate level silicate level mess with the reading)
Nitrate:9.7
Ph:8.2
Temp:77

 

[Randy Holmes-Farley Verified Community Expert]

I do not know of a way that corals would respond directly to silicate in the water, but they may respond to the results of other organisms using the silicate, such as diatoms. Heavy diatom growth may be using up trace elements the corals want, for example.

 

[Notsolostfish]

I do not know of a way that corals would respond directly to silicate in the water, but they may respond to the results of other organisms using the silicate, such as diatoms. Heavy diatom growth may be using up trace elements the corals want, for example.

Yes! You’re 100% about this. What do i do? My dinos all cleared up, and theres literally 1 corner left. Iv been dosing wolf everyday 2ml for over a month. Do i stop doing that? Since it all cleared up but tiny corner left?

 

[Randy Holmes-Farley Verified Community Expert]

Yes! You’re 100% about this. What do i do? My dinos all cleared up, and theres literally 1 corner left. Iv been dosing wolf everyday 2ml for over a month. Do i stop doing that? Since it all cleared up but tiny corner left?

I am not sure what impact it may have on the receding dinos (if any), but if you are not using a trace element supplement, you might try something like Tropic Marin A and K.

 

[Notsolostfish]

I am not sure what impact it may have on the receding dinos (if any), but if you are not using a trace element supplement, you might try something like Tropic Marin A and K.

Do i stop dosing silicate if 90% cleared up or do i keep dosing? Idk when to stop.

 

[Randy Holmes-Farley Verified Community Expert]

Do i stop dosing silicate if 90% cleared up or do i keep dosing? Idk when to stop.

I'd personally keep dosing for a bit.

 

[Miami Reef]

Yes! You’re 100% about this. What do i do? My dinos all cleared up, and theres literally 1 corner left. Iv been dosing wolf everyday 2ml for over a month. Do i stop doing that? Since it all cleared up but tiny corner left?

That’s a lot of silicate. I dose about 1ppm per week and it lasts the entire week. It’s probably about 4-5mL in my 260 gallon of loudwolf. That’s per week.

You are dosing 2mL per day.

Has diatom growth slowed down? Seems like they might be limited by some trace elements.

 

[Notsolostfish]

That’s a lot of silicate. I dose about 1ppm per week and it lasts the entire week. It’s probably about 4-5mL in my 260 gallon of loudwolf. That’s per week.

You are dosing 2mL per day.

Has diatom growth slowed down? Seems like they might be limited by some trace elements.

Thats why im not sure what to do. Im so afraid of losing my corals

 

[Notsolostfish]

I am not sure what impact it may have on the receding dinos (if any), but if you are not using a trace element supplement, you might try something like Tropic Marin A and K.

Does tropic marin and k have expiration date? Like i havw a bottle opened from few months ago is still good?

 

[Kasrift]

You could try dosing "phyto" that consumes silicates as well, this could help with dinos too. Like phaedo, which is actually a diatom.

 

[Notsolostfish]

You could try dosing "phyto" that consumes silicates as well, this could help with dinos too. Like phaedo, which is actually a diatom.

Im dosing phyto everyday

 

[Randy Holmes-Farley Verified Community Expert]

Does tropic marin and k have expiration date? Like i havw a bottle opened from few months ago is still good?

That should be fine, but I would not leave them open to the air.

 

[Randy Holmes-Farley Verified Community Expert]

You could try dosing "phyto" that consumes silicates as well, this could help with dinos too. Like phaedo, which is actually a diatom.

I did not realize many folks cultured diatoms. I’ve mostly seen green algae phyto.

 

[Pistondog]

Thats why im not sure what to do. Im so afraid of losing my corals

Scale back to 2 ml twice a week.

 

[Kasrift]

I did not realize many folks cultured diatoms. I’ve mostly seen green algae phyto.

Yup, I cultured it for awhile. Culture crashed when I switched salts, but I plan on doing it again. You can buy cultures here:

https://rlutah.com/products/pheaodactylum-tricornutum-for-culturing
https://www.podyourreef.com/product...tum-phytoplankton?_pos=1&_sid=65846c42e&_ss=r
I'm setting up a new tank and assume dinos are par for the course for new tank and will dose Phaedo to consume the silicates.

Incidentally, I bought f/2 dry mix from Florida Aquaculture and they also offered silicate water in the order. Why I lost my original culture was due to changing from reef crystals to Aquaforest salt, which apparently doesn't have silicates like reef crystals does in it's salt.

 

[Randy Holmes-Farley Verified Community Expert]

I see Wikipedia indicates that species can live without silicate:

Unlike most diatoms, P. tricornutum can grow in the absence of silicon and can survive without making silicified frustules
https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Phaeodactylum

 

[Notsolostfish]

I see Wikipedia indicates that species can live without silicate:

Unlike most diatoms, P. tricornutum can grow in the absence of silicon and can survive without making silicified frustules
https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Phaeodactylum

How much do i dose of a and k? And daily?

 

[Miami Reef]

How much do i dose of an and k? And daily?

The bottle directions:

“Add 1 ml of trace elements (each solution) to each 100 l of aquarium water daily.”

 

[Notsolostfish]

The bottle directions:

“Add 1 ml of trace elements (each solution) to each 100 l of aquarium water daily.”

Yeah but u cant always dose the bottle directions it can kill corals

 

[Miami Reef]

Yeah but u cant always dose the bottle directions it can kill corals

You can use half as recommended and ramp up overtime based on observations to tank inhabitants. :)