Do you dose your macroalgae tank?

[mrjohnreed]

I have just started my 55 gallon macroalgae tank and have some macro now in the tank. All of my parameters seem to be in line as follows:
Nitrite:0
Ammonia:0
Nitrate: 20ppm ( was 40 until I added my macros)
Calcium: 500
Ph: 8.0
Kh: 200

I've been reading about dosing essential elements in reef tanks but was wondering if it is needed in a dedicated macro tank. I will be adding a few fish slowly in the near future. I did pick up a bottle of Kent essential elements but I am hesitant to use it because I saw it says it has copper in it and I am under the impression that copper is not good for marine fish or reef tanks but what about macro tanks? Thanks for all the input.

 

[Smarkow]

Gorgeous macros

What are the orange ones?

Thanks for sharing

 

[mrjohnreed]

The orange looking macro are actually a red macro named Potieria. I got it from Gulf Coast Ecosystems in a red macro sampler pack. So far I am very happy with the quality of the product.

 

[Smarkow]

The orange looking macro are actually a red macro named Potieria. I got it from Gulf Coast Ecosystems in a red macro sampler pack. So far I am very happy with the quality of the product.

Thanks I need to look at them then

Edit - that’s who I used years back for a prior tank! Loved what I got. Everything arrived *stinky* but it was actually super healthy and did really well!!

 

[Fourstars]

Don’t know anything about kent products, but yes you need to dos nitrate, phosphates and iron and maybe look into dosing Iodine. You need to be able to test in low range so you don’t overdue the phosphates and cause an algae bloom. The other answer would be to stock the tank With fish.

 

[Brokereefer603]

In my experience, yes you will need to dose and a lot. Keeping nitrates at 20 is perfect. Macros need a lot of phosphate too. I keep my levels at 1.0 for optimum growth. I also feed 4-5 times a day. My parameters are nitrates 20 phos 1.0 ph 8.2
cal 380 alk 8.2 mag 1220-1300

 

[SMSREEF]

In my experience, yes you will need to dose and a lot. Keeping nitrates at 20 is perfect. Macros need a lot of phosphate too. I keep my levels at 1.0 for optimum growth. I also feed 4-5 times a day. My parameters are nitrates 20 phos 1.0 ph 8.2
cal 380 alk 8.2 mag 1220-1300

That level of phosphate would kinda scare me.
But after seeing pic of your gorgeous tank in another thread...(Your tank and macros are gorgeous!!!), I'm gonna increase my PO4 in my macro tank. It will give me more room not to bottom out.

 

[SMSREEF]

I have just started my 55 gallon macroalgae tank and have some macro now in the tank. All of my parameters seem to be in line as follows:
Nitrite:0
Ammonia:0
Nitrate: 20ppm ( was 40 until I added my macros)
Calcium: 500
Ph: 8.0
Kh: 200

I've been reading about dosing essential elements in reef tanks but was wondering if it is needed in a dedicated macro tank. I will be adding a few fish slowly in the near future. I did pick up a bottle of Kent essential elements but I am hesitant to use it because I saw it says it has copper in it and I am under the impression that copper is not good for marine fish or reef tanks but what about macro tanks? Thanks for all the input.

Very Cool tank and macros! That's gonna look awesome when they grow out.

I use Fritz Pro F/2
Part A has Iron and other elements (it also has copper 0.00017%)
Part B has NO3, PO4, and b vitamins

 

[Brokereefer603]

That level of phosphate would kinda scare me.
But after seeing pic of your gorgeous tank in another thread...(Your tank and macros are gorgeous!!!), I'm gonna increase my PO4 in my macro tank. It will give me more room not to bottom out.

Thank you. Please understand that I have to increase and keep my phosphates at that level because of the amount of macros i have, which I am sure you already can tell but please adjust slowly.

 

[SMSREEF]

Thank you. Please understand that I have to increase and keep my phosphates at that level because of the amount of macros i have, which I am sure you already can tell but please adjust slowly.

Yes, I don't make quick changes. It's just that I can go from PO4 of 0.1 to 0 in one day with my tank. It would be nice to have a bit more of a buffer. Knowing you have a 1.0 puts my mind at ease going higher.
There is just so much info that scares the heck out of reefers regarding PO4 above 0.1

 

[mrjohnreed]

Very Cool tank and macros! That's gonna look awesome when they grow out.

I use Fritz Pro F/2
Part A has Iron and other elements (it also has copper 0.00017%)
Part B has NO3, PO4, and b vitamins

As far as the copper is concerned, does this affect any livestock that you may have in the tank? I am not keen on putting copper into my tank since I will be putting livestock into my tank also.

 

[SMSREEF]

As far as the copper is concerned, does this affect any livestock that you may have in the tank? I am not keen on putting copper into my tank since I will be putting livestock into my tank also.

It’s my quarantine 10 gallon tank that I am using for my snails, hermit crabs, cleaner shrimp, sexy shrimp, feather duster and my macros.

eveything looks good, just waiting till August to add to my 60 gallon cube and display refugium.

I use just a 1/2 to 1ml when I do a water change. If you use F/2 to grow phytoplankton alone you use the higher amounts that are on the directions.

As I understand low levels of copper are beneficial (Maybe even necessary) to macroalgae which is why they add it.

what I don’t know is the point at which copper level becomes a problem... There are a lot of interesting threads and reads with great info from @Randy Holmes-Farley in the chemistry forum.

 

[Fourstars]

That level of phosphate would kinda scare me.
But after seeing pic of your gorgeous tank in another thread...(Your tank and macros are gorgeous!!!), I'm gonna increase my PO4 in my macro tank. It will give me more room not to bottom out.

Yes, that is way to high for a new tank. Go slow, you just don’t want it to bottom out and become the limiting factor.

 

[Brokereefer603]

Yes, I don't make quick changes. It's just that I can go from PO4 of 0.1 to 0 in one day with my tank. It would be nice to have a bit more of a buffer. Knowing you have a 1.0 puts my mind at ease going higher.
There is just so much info that scares the heck out of reefers regarding PO4 above 0.1

I agree I even have a bubble tip in the tank that is thriving with the levels that I run my tank on.