How much phyto should I be dosing?

[Matt L]

Hey guys I'm having trouble figuring out how much phyto to dose. I have a 5.5 gal with mostly softies. The kicker is i have a flame scallop (please don't rip me a new one for putting this in there). But it seems they need alot of food from wht i read. Anyways I am using reef nutrition phyto feast. I have been doing about 2 ml twice a week. I run a hob filter and a canister with purigen, phosfiltrum, and chemipure. Some input on this filtration would be appreciated as well. I try to get as much info from the lfs I go to but sometimes I feel they are not that experienced. The tank has been running for about 6 months now and everything is doing fine but I guess I am trying to make sure I am not over or under doing the feedings. Any input would be greatly appreciated. Here are some pictures to see what is in the tank. The first pic is a plate coral that was recently added but not in the picture of everything in the tank. Zoas, colt coral, toadstool, gsp, palys, 2 feather dusters, coco worm, flame scallop

[jeffmr4]

I don't know about how much you are dosing but I was told to dose twice a week with the phyto2 that I use.  If you are following the instructions for the amount I would think that would be fine.  The tank looks nice.  It sounds like kind of a lot of filtration.  What chemipure are you using?

[Matt L]

Yeah same here but I didn't get any instruction on how much to dose. It just seems like a vague area to me. The chemipure is the carbon/phosphate remover. I threw the can away so I don't remember exactly. The store kinda told me what to buy. I'm ok with overkill as long as it's not harmful. Do you think this is bad? Thanks for the response 

[1967type1]

More filtration isn’t ever a bad thing in most cases. And soft corals love food but I’ve never had experience with scallops before. Tank looks great though so what ever is working for you keep doing it.

[jeffmr4]

I wouldn't throw away the packaging for things.  Usually the instructions and identification of materials are on them.  Reef nutrition phyto feast,

 

http://reefnutrition.com/phyto_feast.php#tab_use

 

Too much filtration with 0 phosphates and 0 nitrates can encourage dinoflagellates and sometimes cyanobacteria I think.  You also don't want to strip the water of everything.  Oftentimes corals benefit from things in water.  The chemi-pure you are talking about has a phosphate remover like you said so you probably don't need the phosfiltrum.

[Matt L]

Thank you! Well i havent fed any of the corals phyto until i got this scallop a couple weeks ago. I'm starting to get some algae growth( not much but I am cleaning the glass much more than I used to). It's my understanding that the purigen will really help remove the left overs. But seeing the rise in algae that has never been an issue before, I guess I am trying to be proactive. The last thing I want is algae everywhere but don't want to underfeed. I guess it is more of a trial an error at this point 

[CronicReefer]

4 minutes ago, Matt L said:

Thank you! Well i havent fed any of the corals phyto until i got this scallop a couple weeks ago. I'm starting to get some algae growth( not much but I am cleaning the glass much more than I used to). It's my understanding that the purigen will really help remove the left overs. But seeing the rise in algae that has never been an issue before, I guess I am trying to be proactive. The last thing I want is algae everywhere but don't want to underfeed. I guess it is more of a trial an error at this point 

This article will help you with "how much food" they require. Good luck with its survival.  http://www.advancedaquarist.com/2002/7/inverts

[jeffmr4]

Phytoplankton is good for a tank because it encourages the growth of zooplankton which corals can eat and it feeds filter feeders like clams and scallops.  I don't really know how much food scallops need but it will be difficult to keep things in balance if you are feeding for the scallop.  I would say 5 drops of phyto twice a week and if that is too much, back off some.  Also, when you feed your fish, try to feed them only what they can eat.

[Matt L]

Thanks Jeff. I didn't think to get on their website. The bottle didn't offer much info. That helps alot. As far as the phosphate remover do you think there are downsides to going overboard on this in particular? And my nitrates stay around 10 so I don't think anything is really lowering that number other than water changes.  

[jeffmr4]

Sure.  There probably is some info on chemi-pure on boyd's website or somewhere online.  I think too much gfo is not good because it can make conditions good for the things I mentioned above.  Personally, I wouldn't use gfo unless you had particularly high phosphate and then I would use it sparingly.  So, using it to bring down the phosphates and then removing it.  Putting it back in if they get too high.  I try not to use gfo at all.  Do you feed your corals anything or is it pretty much just the fish food and phytoplankton?  Some phosphates and nitrates are good for corals.  Chaetomorpha macro algae is good for filtering out nitrates and providing oxygen to the tank.

[Matt L]

Wow thanks guys! This is great info for me. That makes sense, being a beginner with the corals I thought that phosphates were just bad period. I use fuel about twice a week what are your thoughts on that? I've dosed this since the beginning and I have never been able to tell if this is really beneficial or noticed change in the corals bc they have never gone without It. 

[jeffmr4]

Sure.  I've never used that but trace elements are beneficial for corals.  Most soft corals, what you have, don't really require much except light and they probably feed off of the zooplankton that the phytoplankton creates.  I would use the fuel sparingly, possibly dosing once instead of twice per week and if your algae continues to grow, discontinue it and see if that lessens the algae and the corals continue to do well.  Also, make sure to do a water change of 10 to 25% once per week and use distilled or ro/di water.

[Matt L]

Yeah I was wondering if fuel was kind of a waste now that I'm doing the phyto. I'll cut back on that. I've read mixed reviews on it. Some say they see the benefits some say they see none. 

[jeffmr4]

Basically flow, lighting, mechanical filtration, possibly carbon, maybe a skimmer (your tank is pretty small for that; water changes will do the same thing), a heater and water changes are all you need.  I've looked at the amount of elements they have in seawater and you can try to match them but sometimes tanks do better with different amounts.  Then there are the amounts that people say and there is the amount that works for you.  You can figure out what works for you.  For the hobby people say nitrates less than 50 ideally 10 or less and phosphates < .03 but I would say up to .1 could be ok.  I don't know how much you are having to scrape algae but your tank looks pretty good.