It was a great discussion at the club meeting .I took great interest in what John said about having to much nutrients in a tank causing algae problems ,over feeding .I get red slime in my sump from time to time then it ends up in the tank.So he answered the question to my problem.I just guess I over feed.I use the Kent Phytoplex.I dose 3 capfuls 2-3 times a week in a 75 gallon mixed reef 30-40 corals assorted inverts and 5 fish,2clams.I also get the brown sand .Diatoms I'm sure .Does this sound like I'm over feeding ? What and how much are others feeding ?
How much to feed your reef
- Thread starter Hard-Rock
- Start date
Tomoko Schum
New member
I suppose it's a matter of balance. I feed heavily once or twice a day with both live and frozen foods. I have not had any issue with diatom, cyano or hair algae. I run GFO and activated carbon in my tank which keep the nutrient level low in the water column. I suppose the algae in my refugium is helping as well.
Diatom growth can be limited by the shortage of soluble silica (silicic acid or silicate.) DI resin removes soluble silica in your source water. Is your DI cartledge exhausted? If not, it could be your salt mix or food.
A Florida fighting conch, Strombus alatus, will keep your sand bed free of diatom (they also keep your sand bed stirred and free of algae in the shallow part of your sand bed.) Sponges also consume diatom as well. So do some planktonic algae and protozoa. If diatom is a constant issue in your tank, I highly recommend adding a Strombus alatus. Queen conch (Strombus gigas) grows too large and it quickly starves to death from the lack of food in our aquariums. Strombus alatus will also starve to death if your tank is very clean or if you add more than one of them to your tank.
Cyano can be a problem even in nutrient limited SPS tanks. It can be from overfeeding or a water current issue. How is your phosphate level? Cyano can assimilate nitrogen from the air, but it needs to absorb phosphate from the water.
Carion feeders such as Nassarius snails quickly consume left over food on the sand bed and keep uneaten food from decaying and increasing the nutrient load in the water column. I see them coming out of sand as soon as I add food in my tank. They stir up the sand bed as well and keep both cyano and diatom from settling there.
Tomoko
Diatom growth can be limited by the shortage of soluble silica (silicic acid or silicate.) DI resin removes soluble silica in your source water. Is your DI cartledge exhausted? If not, it could be your salt mix or food.
A Florida fighting conch, Strombus alatus, will keep your sand bed free of diatom (they also keep your sand bed stirred and free of algae in the shallow part of your sand bed.) Sponges also consume diatom as well. So do some planktonic algae and protozoa. If diatom is a constant issue in your tank, I highly recommend adding a Strombus alatus. Queen conch (Strombus gigas) grows too large and it quickly starves to death from the lack of food in our aquariums. Strombus alatus will also starve to death if your tank is very clean or if you add more than one of them to your tank.
Cyano can be a problem even in nutrient limited SPS tanks. It can be from overfeeding or a water current issue. How is your phosphate level? Cyano can assimilate nitrogen from the air, but it needs to absorb phosphate from the water.
Carion feeders such as Nassarius snails quickly consume left over food on the sand bed and keep uneaten food from decaying and increasing the nutrient load in the water column. I see them coming out of sand as soon as I add food in my tank. They stir up the sand bed as well and keep both cyano and diatom from settling there.
Tomoko
Tomoko Schum
New member
You can put a bag of activated carbon in your sump or you can run it in a reactor or a canister filter. I run a small amount of PhosAr and 1-1/2 to 2 cups of activated carbon in my Phosban reactor. Dr. Randy Holmes-Farley run them in a canister filter by themselves. He recently did away with GFO since his macroalgae became phosphate limited and stopped growing in his fuge.
I believe most SPS reefers use activated carbon and replace them every two weeks or even sooner without any ill effect. Since my 120G is a mixed reef, I use GAC to remove the toxins/alleropathic substances that softies put out in the tank.
Do you use phosphate remover?
Tomoko
I believe most SPS reefers use activated carbon and replace them every two weeks or even sooner without any ill effect. Since my 120G is a mixed reef, I use GAC to remove the toxins/alleropathic substances that softies put out in the tank.
Do you use phosphate remover?
Tomoko
greenbean36191
Premium Member
I would stop feeding the phytoplex. It's not an appropriate food for much of anything. What exactly are you trying to feed?
Mariner
New member
I agree with Tomoko that balance is the key. You need to have something(s) taking up the nutrients that you're putting in the tank. Whatever you feed that isn't taken up by desirable corals and critters will feed algae, diatoms and bacteria or have to be removed by YOU in some form (activiated carbon, GFO, skimming, macro harvesting, etc.)
Every tank is different, and the foods that can be fed are very different as well. Tomoko's use of live foods like phyto and rotifers helps her tanks a lot, IMO -- those things don't immediately die and rot if they don't get eaten.
My theory about feeding a tank/corals is simply this:
Make sure that the food that you're feeding will be used by what you are trying to feed, and don't overdo it!
FWIW,
Mariner
Every tank is different, and the foods that can be fed are very different as well. Tomoko's use of live foods like phyto and rotifers helps her tanks a lot, IMO -- those things don't immediately die and rot if they don't get eaten.
My theory about feeding a tank/corals is simply this:
Make sure that the food that you're feeding will be used by what you are trying to feed, and don't overdo it!
FWIW,
Mariner
woodywoo
New member
I've been having a PO4 problem myself. I been changing out Phosban everyday for 5 days now. I've done 56g's worth of water changes in my 65 in the past 3 day. My Corals are loving it. I bought a D&D phosphate test kit today, it should be here by thursday. Man, those things are $$$. This way I can check it out myself.
Tomoko Schum
New member
Changing Phosban everyday? It sounds like a lot of changing. Are you giving them enough time to absorb phosphate in the water? They are supposed to last 3 to 6 months. Are you using a small amount of Phosban at a time? If so, I suppose Phosban can get exhausted pretty quickly.
I prefer testing my own water with good test kits (although I only test alkalinity nowadays.) Algae problems are related to both PO4 and NO3/NH3/NH4+. A good test kit makes it easier to decipher what is causing a particular algae problem.
Good luck,
Tomoko
I prefer testing my own water with good test kits (although I only test alkalinity nowadays.) Algae problems are related to both PO4 and NO3/NH3/NH4+. A good test kit makes it easier to decipher what is causing a particular algae problem.
Good luck,
Tomoko
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