Are all low nitrate/phosphate situations equal?

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Here is a fact about Red Tide that may, in fact, give Randy’s theory some validation. I’m, however, still in the camp of low nutrients does not cause dinos. From IFAS, “While offshore, a small bloom of K. brevis can begin by using the nitrogen produced by the nitrogen-fixing algae, Trichodesmium. This is because Trichodesmium can “fix” nitrogen or obtain it from the atmosphere and convert it to a form that is useable by K. brevis.”

 

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It goes a little further than nutrients alone IMO. It also depends on the, age of the system, rock used, feeds, overall chemistry, water changes, stability, light, sand, etc.

Honestly, if you’re doing everything right and have good chemistry in a mature system…Dino‘s shouldn’t be a problem. At 2-3 years the biome ought to be able to outcompete them. I had them bad several times, but as the tank matured they could only resort to patches of detritus where there was no competition. They were outcompeted everywhere else as long as I didn’t fuel the fire with products they like. They were still in the system, but majorly hindered. Unless you’re creating a lot of instability or feeding too much rich feeds like amino’s, vitamins, etc…they should fade out.

IMO, Phosphate has a major impact on them. Not directly, but indirectly as everything in the system needs phosphate to thrive except Dino’s. So limiting Phosphate is a big mistake, but it does go much deeper than that.

I agree as I stated early, it’s real estate. In Mature systems dinos have “no place to live”…