carbon dosing and microalgae

[Faulkner’s maze]

can you carbon dose and keep microalgae (ulva?) -as soon as I started carbon dosing the ulva died off-and not for lack of nutrients. Mainly I was keeping it for the copepods. My PO4 is still at .4 The microalgae was not sufficient to keep down the nutrient levels.

 

[Randy Holmes-Farley Verified Community Expert]

can you carbon dose and keep microalgae (ulva?) -as soon as I started carbon dosing the ulva died off-and not for lack of nutrients. Mainly I was keeping it for the copepods. My PO4 is still at .4 The microalgae was not sufficient to keep down the nutrient levels.

What about nitrate?

 

[Faulkner’s maze]

What about nitrate?

somewhere between 15-20 last I checked (week ago). I never lack for nitrate.

 

[Randy Holmes-Farley Verified Community Expert]

Then I expect it is coincidence, you the added organic carbon drove some trace element down that the ulva needed. Do you dose any trace elements such as iron and manganese?

 

[Faulkner’s maze]

Then I expect it is coincidence, you the added organic carbon drove some trace element down that the ulva needed. Do you dose any trace elements such as iron and manganese?

Could be- I started dosing Seachem's reef plus couple weeks ago due manganese not being detected at all and iodine being 50% of ICP's recommendations. I am also dosing all for reef and the TM's bacto balance -which has trace elements in it-but obviously not enough. Not sure if I will keep it going if I don't see much of a benefit over month. Most of the corals are looking pretty good as is.

See what the next ICP test brings.