Brand New 8 gallon bio cube

dantimdad · Oct 4, 2018

I say don't worry about it as long as your inhabitants look healthy.

A few years ago, phosphate was the devil and had to be removed at all costs. Now, people freak out when it is 0. I actually got ridiculed on another forum for saying that it didn't matter as long as algae wasn't out of control and the inhabitants were healthy. I have since left that forum. LOL.

But, as you know, be mindful. In an 8 gallon tank things can go from beautiful to black lagoon in a heartbeat.

Above all: Enjoy your little piece of the reef!

saltyfilmfolks · Oct 4, 2018

16:1 ratio?

NY_Caveman · Oct 4, 2018

I really do not understand whether Cyanobacteria is always high or low nutrient related. Seems more like an imbalance. I do not think I would shoot for a certain numerical ratio though. The annoying thing is you can remove it pretty easy and then it is right back.

My advice, if everything is healthy, is monitor it and do not rush into anything. You can try feeding a little more if you think that will help, but I would stick with manual removal and not dose anything. Maybe add some snails if you are low. Now, let me tell you a story where I did not take my own advice.

My tank was cruising along, but it was young. My Phosphate and Nitrate were both trending lower. Phosphate dropped to 0.10 ppm (some would say still high), and Nitrate dropped all the way to 0 ppm. I started to get a little hair-ish algae and a little Cyanobacteria. I decided if I dosed a little KNO3, I would “fix” the imbalance. I dosed it “only” to 5 ppm over a few days. So what happened? All of the algae came on much, much stronger.

NY_Caveman · Oct 4, 2018

So to be clear, I am now taking my advice and watching my system closely. I am manually removing algae and waiting while the system adapts.

Katrina71 · Oct 4, 2018

@dantimdad It's all good. The 8 was extremely easy. Now he is in a 32 and I have a 29.

Katrina71 · Oct 4, 2018

NY_Caveman said:
So to be clear, I am now taking my advice and watching my system closely. I am manually removing algae and waiting while the system adapts.

Exactly how I am. I wait it out.

Katrina71 · Oct 4, 2018

saltyfilmfolks said:
16:1 ratio?

Apparently the new numbers game. 16 nitrate to 1 phosphate

saltyfilmfolks · Oct 4, 2018

I belive they are referring to the Redfield ratio. X amount of Po4 and no3.
It’s a commonly occurring urban myth.
It refers to a study of a single phytoplankton where it was determined that the uptake of that alage was in a specific ratio.
Availability and uptake are different. Yet many took this as gospel and try to maintain this ratio in the tank, despite the fact that we all use hobby grade kits and there is always a margin of error that will prevent you from actually achieving this, and as soon as you feed the ratio is naturally changed.

Katrina71 · Oct 4, 2018

saltyfilmfolks said:
I belive they are referring to the Redfield ratio. X amount of Po4 and no3.
It’s a commonly occurring urban myth.
It refers to a study of a single phytoplankton where it was determined that the uptake of that alage was in a specific ratio.
Availability and uptake are different. Yet many took this as gospel and try to maintain this ratio in the tank, despite the fact that we all use hobby grade kits and there is always a margin of error that will prevent you from actually achieving this, and as soon as you feed the ratio is naturally changed.

You are right. It never dawned on me!

saltyfilmfolks · Oct 4, 2018

To wouldn’t belive the debates this has caused with “experts”

Fwiw if you do need or want to increase Po4 , shells have more Po4 I believe than most foods. So shrimp and krill.

najer · Oct 4, 2018

Katrina71 said:
Last night. Look at his BFF waving!

I guess I noticed due to a couple of comments on my journal, anyone else see how that has the little white splashes and a very similar coloUration to mine?
Someone needs to identify that, looks like it is available in the States?!

DSC_0003 by sshipuk, on Flickr

Rakie · Oct 4, 2018

Here's the quick and dirty (no pun intended) path to success. Even for SPS.

Nitrates: 20
Phosphates: 0.10 (not a typo)

These are around the numbers I've always run. What hilarious is just recently in a BRS video wwc has said these are the numbers they run!!!

I don't believe in low nutrients. Our tank is not the ocean, our corals don't constantly have phytoplankton available

EDIT: I loathe calling tanks with nutrients "dirty". I think that's a horrid misinterpretation that causes people to make stupid connections.

Katrina71 · Oct 4, 2018

najer said:
I guess I noticed due to a couple of comments on my journal, anyone else see how that has the little white splashes and a very similar coloUration to mine?
Someone needs to identify that, looks like it is available in the States?!

DSC_0003 by sshipuk, on Flickr

Yes he does. I noticed yours as well.