KNO3 dosing Q (primarily)
- Thread starter The_Nexis_One
- Start date
The_Nexis_One
New member
Tanks are doing good... they'd be doing better if I could spend more time keeping up with them. The lack of regular dosing has really kicked my butt. I have been adjusting my dosing by watching the inhabitants... Unfortunately, that means my stock in caulerpa is very low as it keeps sporolating and then coming back from a single or pair of fronds. I also just came out of a very bad diatom bloom that wiped out most of my Star grass (seemed to be centered around the star grass stand with much much less everywhere else). Now I'm having problems w/ my Current USA HQI pendant and waiting on a replacement ballast to show up... I think the flicker and color (from non continuos heat levels) have caused a start up in GHA... But... once I got back on top of the NO3 dosing, it has actually died back about 30% and the Seagrass has begun spreading quickly again.
I would imagine it's pretty standard as with most other peoples tanks... it's like balancing a ball bearing on a sheet of glass... once in a while you have it perfectly centered and can catch your breath - but the rest of the time you are in some form of corrective action....
Limbo: FTS?
Catch you later,
John.
Samala
New member
How exceedingly interesting.... :strooper:
Diatom bloom over the stargrass and it died. Hmm. Not good. Sounds unfavorably similar to my diatom/dinoflagellate bloom that killed one tank's stargrass bed. I wonder what is going on in the dynamics of that.
So, 12ml / day. Quite a bit. Next time make your solution stronger and you can dose smaller liquid amounts.
I'd love a full tank shot as well. (I still drool over the others..) That is one thing this forum desperately needs, MORE PHOTOS!
>Sarah
I was wondering if your only dosing NO3 to control phosphate, not necesserily to grow macro. If you added a carbon source such as sugar/vodka would it speed up things, removing NO3 and P as long as N was not limiting? Would bacteria do this and be removed via the skimmer? I have a BB tank and feed the fish heavily, have no detectable nitrates. So I think P is building up as the only thing that grows is diatoms/flagillates, the chaeto does not seem to grow.
I would speculate that I have an inbalance of N to P
I would speculate that I have an inbalance of N to P
graveyardworm
Premium Member
I would think if it was PO4 that was building up then it would also be accompanied by cyano, and other nuisance algaes like hair algae.
Many macros use N and P at a much higher ratio of N - P. Something 20 parts N to 1 part P. Of coarse not all macros use nutrients in this ratio but some do.
Four reasons your cheato isnt doing well.
1) Phosphate limitation ( unlikely if the tank is fed regularly )
2) Nitrate limitation
3) Iron limitation
4) Inadequate lighting
There were some discussions regarding adding a carbon source to control N and P. I'll see if I can dig them up.
Many macros use N and P at a much higher ratio of N - P. Something 20 parts N to 1 part P. Of coarse not all macros use nutrients in this ratio but some do.
Four reasons your cheato isnt doing well.
1) Phosphate limitation ( unlikely if the tank is fed regularly )
2) Nitrate limitation
3) Iron limitation
4) Inadequate lighting
There were some discussions regarding adding a carbon source to control N and P. I'll see if I can dig them up.
graveyardworm
Premium Member
Use the keyword Vodka in the "search this forum" box at the bottom of the main page you'll get some hits that should answer your question.
Merry Christmas!
Thanks worm, I've read pretty much the whole thread on adding sugar.
I do dump food in, I feed the fish blender mush and the corals a finer blend when the lights go out. The fish are nice and fat. I really don't want to dump more in at this point. I could have an iron deficiency.
I do have some diatoms/flagillates. I've observed a little bit more green algae since I've been feeding more often. Just some film type, this leads me to think something is limiting.
I have a 250 watt 14k bulb over a 40g, with 2 seio 820's for circulation. My sps's don't seem to grow, that's why I think there's extra P although it doesn't show on my test kit. If not P the corals are just starving.
Thanks
Thanks worm, I've read pretty much the whole thread on adding sugar.
I do dump food in, I feed the fish blender mush and the corals a finer blend when the lights go out. The fish are nice and fat. I really don't want to dump more in at this point. I could have an iron deficiency.
I do have some diatoms/flagillates. I've observed a little bit more green algae since I've been feeding more often. Just some film type, this leads me to think something is limiting.
I have a 250 watt 14k bulb over a 40g, with 2 seio 820's for circulation. My sps's don't seem to grow, that's why I think there's extra P although it doesn't show on my test kit. If not P the corals are just starving.
Thanks
Bryn
New member
I know this is a very old thread, and most of the contributors have not been active on this sight for many years, but the information is very interesting and worth a read. It has also reinforced my intentions of dosing my Macro tanks, as my systems will be a closed system, with no fish as a bio load.
Also some thread and topic searches on some of the contributors will lead you to some interesting reading. I would suggest starting with user Samala.
Also some thread and topic searches on some of the contributors will lead you to some interesting reading. I would suggest starting with user Samala.
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