Dosing nutrients
- Thread starter mixeras
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Subsea
5000 Club Member
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Subsea
5000 Club Member
If you are asking me for how I start up a system: I say focus on the basics from the bottom up:
I use a reverse flow undergravel filter with 2” of aroggonite from .1-1.0 mm in diameter. Seed bottled bacteria and dose with ammonia, I throw in a dead shrimp and measure nothing.
Gulf Live Rock.com
gulfliverock.com
In one week get some diver collected live sand & live rock and with no fish added; only adding herbivores for cuc when algae begins to grow.
@mixeras
I highly suggest you read this book to understand the big picture, then work on details.
By John H. Tullock Natural Reef Aquariums: Simplified Approaches to Creating Living Saltwater Microcosms (1st Frist Edition) [Hardcover] Unknown Binding
Take a walk on the wild side of the Natural Reef by John Tullock.
ReefGeezer
Valuable Member
In the process of getting a tank to maturity, there may come a time where you don't have enough nutrient producers (fish, shrimp, crabs, snails, & etc) to supply enough nitrogen compound (Ammonia) input to all the organisms that need it. This causes inorganic nitrate and sometimes phosphate levels to become so low that the the organisms that need them can't grow. Simply feeding more is not always the answer either. In immature systems, overfeeding adds too much organic carbon without organisms in the system to process them. I think that low inorganic nutrient levels and high organic carbon availability is a recipe for all kinds of nasties. Dosing nitrate and phosphate can bridge the gap until you can add some fish and other stuff. It is a tool in the tool box.
So, yes, I have dosed DIY nitrate and phosphate solutions occasionally, and yes, it was worth the pennies I spent to do it. My system is mature now, so I feed heavily and still dose things high in organic carbon to supplement inorganic nutrients (phytoplankton, amino acids, carbohydrates, and etc.).
So, yes, I have dosed DIY nitrate and phosphate solutions occasionally, and yes, it was worth the pennies I spent to do it. My system is mature now, so I feed heavily and still dose things high in organic carbon to supplement inorganic nutrients (phytoplankton, amino acids, carbohydrates, and etc.).
