Utilising the CNP in phytoplankton to carbon dose my system.

[sixty_reefer]

I’m also wondering if my last rapid decrease in nutrient was connected to dinoflagellates and not as much to the phytoplankton, it’s a possibility that needs to be mentioned imo

 

[sixty_reefer]

I should test more often really, nitrates this morning 20 and phosphates 0.02 I have now raised phosphates by 0.03 ppm in the system total should be around 0.05 now, nitrates are stable, im still adding 0.4 ml of nitrogen to level nitrates just leaving them higher for now to have more room for sudden drops like last time.

 

[sixty_reefer]

How’s everything looking today

 

[sixty_reefer]

A pleasant side effect of dosing live phytoplankton, it appears some kind of zooplankton bloom, this can explain why my system is using so many phosphates of late.

- YouTube

Enjoy the videos and music you love, upload original content, and share it all with friends, family, and the world on YouTube.

youtube.com

 

[sixty_reefer]

Nitrates 10
Phosphates 0.02 added 0.06 ppm

 

[sixty_reefer]

Nitrates 10ppm = 10ppm
Phosphates 0.8 ppm < 0.00 added 0.1 ppm

 

[sixty_reefer]

Stick 2 progress so far

 

[sixty_reefer]

Stick 1 seems more pale to me

 

[Miami Reef]

How many mL per gallon are you dosing again?

 

[sixty_reefer]

How many mL per gallon are you dosing again?

2.88

 

[sixty_reefer]

Left my system for 4 days wile away, got back to this

phosphates bottomed out after the last dose of 0.1ppm on Sunday morning before I left.
I now have 0 ppm phosphates and 10 ppm nitrates.

just dosed 0.2 ppm of phosphates, will use the situation to observe the dinoflagellates

 

[Miami Reef]

Left my system for 4 days wile away, got back to this

phosphates bottomed out after the last dose of 0.1ppm on Sunday morning before I left.
I now have 0 ppm phosphates and 10 ppm nitrates.

just dosed 0.2 ppm of phosphates, will use the situation to observe the dinoflagellates

Dang. That tank is definitely something lol.

Do you have Dino’s in this tank? Have you microscoped which kind?

 

[sixty_reefer]

Dang. That tank is definitely something lol.

Must be something I’m missing on why the phosphates keep getting depleted, I would expect some phosphates to be depleted by assimilation, the skimmer cup is almost empty there for they not being used by the heterotrophic bacteria I got a theory on autotrophic organisms depleting organic nutrients Vs autotrophic organisms depleting inorganic nutrients I may use the occasion to do some investigation on the theory.

Do you have Dino’s in this tank? Have you microscoped which kind?

I just been unpacking will try the microscope later after everything settled.

 

[Miami Reef]

Must be something I’m missing on why the phosphates keep getting depleted

Well, I think part of the reason is a lot of algae growth in the tank.

 

[sixty_reefer]

Well, I think part of the reason is a lot of algae growth in the tank.

I don’t have enough algae to assimilate this much phosphates, most algaes utilise from 10:1 to 30:1 nitrates to phosphates, my nitrates are still at 10 ppm I would have to see a large decrease on nitrates to entertain the idea.

 

[Miami Reef]

I don’t have enough algae to assimilate this much phosphates, most algaes utilise from 10:1 to 30:1 nitrates to phosphates, my nitrates are still at 10 ppm I would have to see a large decrease on nitrates to entertain the idea.

You know, I had this same exact issue. Phosphates kept dropping to undetectable despite VERY heavy dosing. Nitrates untouched.

They said the rocks were absorbing it.

 

[sixty_reefer]

You know, I had this same exact issue. Phosphates kept dropping to undetectable despite VERY heavy dosing. Nitrates untouched.

They said the rocks were absorbing it.

It’s a very easy way to explain it, although I believe in most cases this doesn’t apply.

Bacteria ratios, putting a end to it!

As some of you may know already, I have been discussing extensively on bacterial ratios and the effects on po4. today I decided that the subject it’s getting a bit tiring to me, so am going to do what is logical I’ve pulled my testing tank from the garage and will put a end to the discussion...

www.reef2reef.com

On the above link I have done a experiment that was originally made to prove a point that carbon dosing depletes nutrients. That wasn’t hard to verify as it’s common knowledge, what o stumbled in to was a situation that created curiosity and no one can explain what it’s actually happening at the nutrient level.

in summary I’ve overdosed a experimental bare tank with vodka as a source of carbon and used artificial nutrients to bring the nutrients to a desired level for observation.

what was observed was that once phosphates were fully depleted a organism in my experimental tank (most likely bacteria) bloomed to a point were it was consuming phosphates on a astronomical rate, I have dosed a vast amount of phosphates to that system without ever being able to get a positive reading, the same is happening now with this system that is obviously abundant in dissolved organic carbon. I’ve dosed so far today 0.8 ppm of phosphates without getting a positive reading of phosphates, well I’m not experiencing a bloom as the carbon source has been gradually increased in the system, this will most likely become one of them things in the hobby that we may never know why it happens.

 

[Miami Reef]

But bacteria cannot consume phosphates without nitrates, no? The bacteria theory doesn’t make sense if nitrates are stable.

The only theory I can think about is that phosphates are binding to calcium carbonate, or if some other precipitation reaction occurs with phosphate. Not sure though.

 

[sixty_reefer]

But bacteria cannot consume phosphates without nitrates, no? The bacteria theory doesn’t make sense if nitrates are stable.

The only theory I can think about is that phosphates are binding to calcium carbonate, or if some other precipitation reaction occurs with phosphate. Not sure though.

The event is not well studied I believe. This article illustrates my opinion and call it a P stressed condition.

https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/abs/pii/S0304420311000648

 

[djf91]

Not gonna lie, your thread in the chemistry forum seemed a little out there to me, but since stumbling upon your original phyto doser thread and now this one I think it makes a lot of sense.

I’m more of a traditional SPS reefer (low nutrient, metal halides, oversized protein skimmer, refugium, lots of live rock and sand). My main objective is to create as close to nature as possible with water chemistry.

Reading back over old threads and articles about nutrient levels in the ocean, things are starting to click. While you can grow SPS in high N/P conditions, I think what is ideal is to lower these substantially and have your SPS get this N and P through plankton feeding as seen in the ocean.

I think I’ll look into dosing phytoplankton Into my system. Are there specific species of phyto that work best for this application? Are you still dosing any rotifers as you did before?