How effective is macro algae at phosphate export?

[SantaMonica]

Here is a tongue-in-cheek response to organic phosphate: My favorite organic phosphate is peanut butter

 

Meaning, organic phosphate is just food particles, or dissolved foods. They are eaten/absorbed by the corals. Then the corals produce ammonia/urea, which is the real problem.

 

Algae does indeed put stuff back into the the water: Mostly glucose. Same stuff you buy and dose (carbs). Amino acids too. And Vitamin C.

 

About the tomatoes: My understanding is the some of the top-tier garden fertilizers are said to be algae based. I know I through algae on to plants and tree roots sometimes, instead of miracle gro.

 

Anyway, the amount of phosphate (inorganic, which is what matters) that is removed by algae will be proportional to the photosynthesis of the algae, which will be proportional to: Light, flow, and attachment. Attachment keeps the algae in place so the strong from can pass over it and not carry it away. This determines how fast it grows, which determines how fast phosphate is removed from the water.

[Subsea]

Yes, peanut butter is organic phosphate. So is detritus. I will stick with the peanut butter and let the fish and janitors eat the detritus.

 

I use kelp concentrate that I purchase from Home Depot garden center. I add nutrients to all of my growout systems. It has all major and minor nutrients except phosphate. Recently, after Ward Lab showed me that phosphate was below .01 ppm, I used Miracle Grow Bloom Buster to fertilize my reef tank.

 

Some years back, I read a graduate thesis from University of Hawaii, that indicated the ratio between nitrogen and phosphate uptake was 100:1. With fast growing Caulerpa, it was 20:1. This same caulerpa is the first one to go sexual.

 

The things which algae puts back into the water sounds like pluses to me. Can you shed some light of lateral line as a symptom and how can Tangs grazing on algae correct the problem?

Patrick

 

PS. Thank you for the tongue and cheek. I needed a smile to start the day.

[LEEWINK]

I did have an algae scrubber on my 120ltr with 20w blue and red LED's, now took it off favouring Rowaphos and reactor instead, i'm sure scrubbers are great, for me, it didn't keep up, and wasn't "concrete" enough for me to remove phosphates / nitrates on an ongoing basis, and for me it was damn messy.

[Subsea]

I did have an algae scrubber on my 120ltr with 20w blue and red LED's, now took it off favouring Rowaphos and reactor instead, i'm sure scrubbers are great, for me, it didn't keep up, and wasn't "concrete" enough for me to remove phosphates / nitrates on an ongoing basis, and for me it was damn messy.

 

I have never used an ATS.

Rowaphos binds phosphate. What do you do about nitrate? I use macro because it gets it all. Either I export it as compost on tomatoes or I feed it to tangs for nutrient recycle.

Patrick

[LEEWINK]

For nitrate, my live rock and sand takes care of it, my last test end of March was nitrate at 1, I had 2 clowns and a massive cleanup crew at that point, now i've just added 2 wrasse, a six line and a carpenters, my next testing session is due in a couple of weeks, I only do it once a month, the tanks just over 3 months old now.

 

I have a way oversized skimmer, so it takes all the junk out of the water before it becomes "the cycle" as such.

 

My tank is 24x18x12 inches high, sumped with a Skimz SM163 in it

[Subsea]

For nitrate, my live rock and sand takes care of it, my last test end of March was nitrate at 1, I had 2 clowns and a massive cleanup crew at that point, now i've just added 2 wrasse, a six line and a carpenters, my next testing session is due in a couple of weeks, I only do it once a month, the tanks just over 3 months old now.

 

I have a way oversized skimmer, so it takes all the junk out of the water before it becomes "the cycle" as such.

 

My tank is 24x18x12 inches high, sumped with a Skimz SM163 in it

There are many methods to success in reef keeping.

I have been skimmerless for 20 years. I no longer use refugiums or sumps. I rely on shallow coarse aroggonite sand beds and macro in display tank. Tangs graze on macro for nutrient recycling and I eat Red Ogo for nutrient export. I like it simple.

Laissez a bonne temps roulee,

Patrick

 

PS. When my last phosphate test came back at <.01 ppm I actually dosed my tank with Miracle Grow Bloom Buster

[SantaMonica]

I don't know much about fishes, or lateral line, unfortunately.

[Subsea]

There are many methods to success in reef keeping.

I have been skimmerless for 20 years. I no longer use refugiums or sumps. I rely on shallow coarse aroggonite sand beds and macro in display tank. Tangs graze on macro for nutrient recycling and I eat Red Ogo for nutrient export. I like it simple.

Laissez a bonne temps roulee,

Patrick

 

PS. When my last phosphate test came back at <.01 ppm I actually dosed my tank with Miracle Grow Bloom Buster

 

This video was filmed two weeks ago. This is my oldest set up at 12 years. 75G Jaubert Plenumn on top with a 30G mud/macro refugium on the bottom. This tank has never seen a skimmer. No scheduled water changes and I feed heaviuly. The 6" coarse arroggonite substrate is loaded with micro star fish in the top 1". Every day when I stir this top inch, the detritus snowstorm feeds the tank. My granddaughter marvels at the micro stars that float about during the snowstorm. Sea Apple overloads his capture tentacles and stuffs too many at the same time in his butt/mouth.

Laissez la bonne temps roulee,

Patrick