Phytoplankton for control of Phophates and Nitrate in the Reef

[Dr Blue Thumb]

Even if the water around the phyto was totally devoid on inorganic N and P, the phyto itself contains large amounts of N and P and once digested, some of it is released back to the water.

I see, so once it is digested the N/P is released. Can the increase in coral, sponges etc compensate and use up this increase once released and make it balanced?

 

[Dr Blue Thumb]

My idea is to get rid of the dissolved solids naturally and not use a skimmer. while at the same time use phyto to compete with other algae within the aquarium.

 

[Dr Blue Thumb]

If this mandarin tank is worth trying in a 90G to mate them, can I add other fish say a coral beauty or a pair if possible? and maybe a maroon clown pair or single? I am trying to keep it a minimalist approach and will skip on the tangs, lol

 

[Dr Blue Thumb]

My question is how many people got to the point on where they used 1 cup of phytoplankton on a skimmerless/refugless tank? I did and I would like for people to recognize that I swear that it is possible.

It is not possible right away but over time your tank will acclimate to it.

 

[Dr Blue Thumb]

If this mandarin tank is worth trying in a 90G to mate them, can I add other fish say a coral beauty or a pair if possible? and maybe a maroon clown pair or single? I am trying to keep it a minimalist approach and will skip on the tangs, lol

Also maybe a flame angel or pair? please let me know the compatibilty

 

[Dr Blue Thumb]

looks like i can add a light and a small ball of cheato in my sump

 

[Dr Blue Thumb]

On a side note can people tell me if my math is off? 600 x 1000 = 600 000 if so can this be the world most expensive tank? because I have a gift for keeping alive 600 shrooms. And want to bring this dream into fruition. Sorry meant to erase this post I've been day dreaming a little too much, lol. but seriously I have the skills to keep alive every rare yuma on the planet.

 

[Randy Holmes-Farley]

I'm not sure I understand the question, but in general, mott organisms that consume food only retain a small fraction of the N and P in the food.

In the case of an adult person, for example, nearly ALL of the N and P you consume is excreted in urine or feces. In a growing person or fish, they will retain some of the N and P to make new tissue, but still not generally more than half of it. Much of the organic matter food is burned for energy, and the N and P that results is not incorporated into tissues.

I've not seen any similar data for a coral or sponge eating phytoplankton, but there's no reason to think it different, and strong reasons to think it similar.

 

[Randy Holmes-Farley]

I see, so once it is digested the N/P is released. Can the increase in coral, sponges etc compensate and use up this increase once released and make it balanced?

It helps, certainly, but is unlikely to balance it entirely.

 

[Dr Blue Thumb]

Weird question as always, thanks for your responses. At what rate does say a coral organism such as a large yuma consume P/N? And does this particular coral consume other stuff like ammonia etc.

Are corals similar to plants? at all? I know they are considered animals.

Sorry I am doing a written report. And if I am way off base for asking these questions I apologize, I am trying to figure something out.

I am thinking of running my tank with no skimmer for sure. A ball of cheato in my refuge while dosing large amounts of phyto. The inhabitants in my 90G will be a pair of mandarins. would you be able to tell me how many lbs of rocks I would need to keep the mandarins happy? I have 130lbs now. I would like other fishes too, but the mandarin are my main concern and their ability to be happy and want to reproduce.

If need be I will grow my on harpacticoids for them too. I would like some options on the max bioload for water quality. I am thinking of a dwarf angel ( coral Beauty ) maroon clown and 1 other fish of similar size to the others?

 

[Dr Blue Thumb]

Just talked to some people and apparently there is a secret that I would like to know if maybe true. aquaculturists are now adding inorganics to their tanks in small amounts?

 

[McMullen]

Just talked to some people and apparently there is a secret that I would like to know if maybe true. aquaculturists are now adding inorganics to their tanks in small amounts?

Inorganic? Like what?

 

[Dr Blue Thumb]

like fertilizer, lol. example GUILLARD F/2 FORMULATION from Florida Aqua Farms.

There is a science behind it for propagation of corals.

with no skimmer there is a larger amount of dissolved solids and the fertilizer encourages like a pseudo phytoplankton on the glass. Once scraped, it ends up resembling small fine strips of live nori plus a live liquid residue in the small micron size of 8 plus. this feeds the fish, serpent stars,feather dusters,worms,snails,chitons,sponges etc etc and leaves a steady balance of DOM for the large colonies of dense coral to uptake.

 

[Dr Blue Thumb]

I got this idea from the wild on where, I seen rich phytoplankton water and sewage run off supply zonathids and softies with the nutrients they need. imo if a coral does not get enough photosynthesis from the sun it will switch it's ability from being more autotrophic to heterotrophic, imo.

Here are some images of a healthy sliced open recordia yuma. I blow the psedo phytoplankton towards it and watch it be absorbed in the coral.

 

[Dr Blue Thumb]

When I feed my 20G approx up to 1 cup of phytoplankton daily, there is more then likely still a tad bit of fertelizer left in the phyto, that is then used up by the algae on the glass and the phyto that then grows for a short time gets rapidly consumed by the critters and corals. as you can see in the picture there is clear water after a few hours of adding massive amounts of phytoplankton.

T o grow my coral in massive amounts and to feed my fish in a small coral prop aquarium I use a combo of letting the algae grow on the glass then scraping it with my hand then a razor blade, while dosing 1 cup of phyto a day.

this is when I discontinued my experiment and will resume it in the followinf months on a 90G/20Grefuge/sump

I learn a lot of tricks from forums across the world: australia,southafrica, all over North America etc and I now am sharing my findings with confidence with everyone here. My method is not for everyone but some may find it useful.

When I put everything together it is one way to run a tank on somewhat of a budget, Skimmer seem counter intuitive imo as long as you can balance things in other ways skimmers will one day only be used in emergency situations, imo.

Unleash the power of algae. Unleash the power of corals to be used as mini filters.

 

[Dr Blue Thumb]

I would like to grow these:





Unless they are illegal?

 

[Randy Holmes-Farley]

like fertilizer, lol. example GUILLARD F/2 FORMULATION from Florida Aqua Farms.
.

Lots of folks here use trace elements and/or dose nitrate and even phosphate.

Coral farmers may often not have a lot of fish, so may need these things more since they may not feed fish as heavily, adding all of those in the foods.

 

[Dr Blue Thumb]

Thanks for that info. That is what I am trying to do, is to have a minimum fish load in my 90G. Such as a pair of mandarins,coral beauty and marroon clown. Then try to balance things out. Later as my tank matures, I wouldn't mind to pair the coral beauty and marron clown up, if possible? This is where it is pushing it without a skimmer. I will have another tank on stand by if I get algae problems in my 90G and will take out the mate to each marroon clown and coral beauty if need be.

I could just pack my tank full of fish and run a huge skimmer but I am trying something different out. Down the line I want maybe a few additional tanks that consist of seahorses/pipefishs and have some hard to keep soft corals. Sps and lps or anything calcium based I am avoiding only because I do not want to buy a calcium reactor just yet. Maybe the fourth tank will be just an sps/lps tank but only if the other tank I have makes me money and pays for it, lol.

 

[McMullen]

@Dr Blue Thumb. You have posed several questions as well as share your experience and personal research. Is your goal to create your own 'brand' of phyto to sell? Are you attempting to prove a particular method successful or superior?

There are countless systems on reef2reef without a skimmer with great success. In fact R2R recently had an acro growout competition and the skimmerless tanks won!

 

[McMullen]

like fertilizer, lol. example GUILLARD F/2 FORMULATION from Florida Aqua Farms.

Inorganic. Are we talking non carbon based? @Randy Holmes-Farley, I may be confused here with terms!