Phyto dosing

[nova65ss]

I have had my Solona going on a few years and never had any Nitrate issues. In the last 6 months I have started adding phyto on adaily basis, not alot though. I have been battling a Nitrate issue going on 3-4 months now and wonder if that could be the cause?

 

 

Thoughts? Thanks,

[Markushka]

what is your phyto source? It could be that the phyto has not consumed all the nitrates from the fertilizer, or yes it could be from un-utilized phyto.

[nova65ss]

Don't remember the manufacturer but it is in a bottle I can get it this evening. Thanks,

[franklypre]

Yes it's very possible

[under the sea]

why did you start dosing it? both the zooplex and phytoplex stuff is for filter feeders. I just bought a bottle of kent chromaplex to see if helps my zoanthids. i really don't like to dose it because i know in a small tank wiithout a skimmer most of it remains uneaten and eventually cause problems. i like corals you can target feed larger pieces of food to. but those damn zoas are soooo nice.

[reefer4ever]

what should i dose for a 25 gallon mixed reef?

[nova65ss]

Well I started dosing because my wife bought me a Mandarin without me knowing and in my attempts to help him in survival I started adding phyto to help promote the pod growth. He eats mysis though and my pod population is great so I think I can at least back off on the daily dosing and go to a few times a week. Thanks,

[jeremai]

pods eat mostly film and microalgae attached to the rocks and sand. phyto floating around in the water column isn't really going to help with pods anyway - except that elevated nitrates caused from polluting the tank with phyto will cause in increase in the algae that the pods can get to.

[19jeffro83]

Are you sure about thet jer. My pod culture was base primarily of phyto and it did great.

[jeremai]

anecdotal. I've seen pods crawling around on rocks and substrates, but I've never seen them swimming through the water column in search of food.

 

I suppose more details on your pod culture would be needed, but I imagine that a system designed specifically to produce a larger pod population will act differently than dumping some phyto into an established reef and hoping the pod population improves.

[19jeffro83]

Pod system included. 5 gal tank, air stone, clean saltwater, pods and phyto. No heat left at room temp and nothingt but lighting in the room. 75% water Chang once per week. When I harvested the pods. That's simple.

[under the sea]

good luck with your mandarin. it's good he's eating mysis. you can buy live "pods" but they're kind of expensive. if you have room in your tank you can make a small pile of rock rubble in the corner which will allow an area for the pods to grow. you can also raise brine shrimp and they're nutritious when they've just hatched and still have the egg yolk sack still attached to them.

[nova65ss]

good luck with your mandarin. it's good he's eating mysis. you can buy live "pods" but they're kind of expensive. if you have room in your tank you can make a small pile of rock rubble in the corner which will allow an area for the pods to grow. you can also raise brine shrimp and they're nutritious when they've just hatched and still have the egg yolk sack still attached to them.

 

 

Thanks the Mandarin has been in my tank going on a year and a half and doing very well. He eats mysis and I do get the pods in a bottle once a month or so as a treat. I can also see tons of pods running around in the evening so I know he has plenty of food.

[idrm350]

It can raise the #### out of your phosphates too. Speaking from experience here.