Dosing phyto into a newly cycled tank

[bozo]

Hey Guys

I'm wondering if its beneficial to dose phyto in a newly cycled tank.

I'm adding pods as well.

My logic for adding phyto is to increase the pod population and also introduce some diversity to a clean tank to help the tank get through the expected ugly stage.

I've been culturing phyto while the tank is cycling and I have several gallons of it already.

I'm also breeding tig copepods as well.

Just wondering if I'm just wasting my time.

Thanks

 

[Rtaylor]

Yes it would be beneficial to add both the pods and phyto

 

[ptrick21186]

Add them! Especially if you've already ben growing them. No point in throwing them out. They'll add to the diversity of the tank and help to eliminate excessive nutrients and detritus

 

[Spare time]

Yes but tig pods are not good for living in the tank. They are not meant to live around predators and are free swimming at all stages of their lives.

 

[bozo]

Yes but tig pods are not good for living in the tank. They are not meant to live around predators and are free swimming at all stages of their lives.

dang. I didnt even know.

I actually just guessed if theyre tig. I'm really not sure. The person who I bought them from said theyre from the Harpacticoida family lol

So I just figured they were tig lol.

This is a horrible picture I just took earlier on my iphone

 

[Acrofiend]

For new tanks I don’t do water changes, feed very little but up the filtration (gfo, wet skim) since the rocks will release phosphates and diatoms will proliferate. Just let the tank mature on its own. Any other additions will disrupt the cycle.

 

[bozo]

For new tanks I don’t do water changes, feed very little but up the filtration (gfo, wet skim) since the rocks will release phosphates and diatoms will proliferate. Just let the tank mature on its own. Any other additions will disrupt the cycle.

Thank god you said to run gfo and skim. Ive been contemplating shutting off the gfo reactor. I turned it on purely to battle against the rock leech.

I'll keep running gfo then. I also added some macro algae and live rock from a mature tank the other day.

Just hoping phyto wont cause the uglies to be even worse.

thanks!

 

[gbroadbridge]

Hey Guys

I'm wondering if its beneficial to dose phyto in a newly cycled tank.

I'm adding pods as well.

My logic for adding phyto is to increase the pod population and also introduce some diversity to a clean tank to help the tank get through the expected ugly stage.

I've been culturing phyto while the tank is cycling and I have several gallons of it already.

I'm also breeding tig copepods as well.

Just wondering if I'm just wasting my time.

Thanks

I wouldn't add them until you have other animals in the tank.

They may very well get out of control and actually cause a problem.

 

[TangerineSpeedo]

Phyto is a food source. If you are adding pods, you need a food source for them. Or if you are adding anything else at this time that use phyto as a food source. Then yes.

 

[Spare time]

dang. I didnt even know.

I actually just guessed if theyre tig. I'm really not sure. The person who I bought them from said theyre from the Harpacticoida family lol

So I just figured they were tig lol.

This is a horrible picture I just took earlier on my iphone

The nice thing about tig pods are that they make an excellent food for all the fish in the tank

 

[Rtaylor]

Thank god you said to run gfo and skim. Ive been contemplating shutting off the gfo reactor. I turned it on purely to battle against the rock leech.

I'll keep running gfo then. I also added some macro algae and live rock from a mature tank the other day.

Just hoping phyto wont cause the uglies to be even worse.

thanks!

Pods and phytoplankton will help the tank mature faster and decrease the uglies. Don’t over filter while cycling. Test for phosphate, if it’s not high, don’t run gfo, as you risk dinos by stripping the water too clean. Same for skimming, there shouldn’t be excess organics to remove while cycling, so definitely don’t skim.

 

[homer1475]

Just watched this video with chad clayton from reef nutrition. Someone towards the end of the video specifically asks this question. His response was surprising to me, and it might change the way I cycle my next tank.

It's a good watch if you got the time.

Chad Clayton from Reed Mariculture at High Tide Aquatics “Cocktails and Coral Talk event

Hi all here is the latest event from “Cocktails and Coral Talk” speaker series at High Tide Aquatics in Oakland, Ca. All 3 of the events so far are up on the YouTube channel, including Richard Ross on Algae management and Matt Wandell on expert fish care.

www.reef2reef.com

 

[ReefGeezer]

Phyto is a rich source of organic carbon. A new tank may not have the capacity to use it. Go slow.

 

[cpschult]

I’m doing it now, I’m concerned about stalling cycle but pods are exploding!

 

[brclark82]

I would do more research around running the GFO reactor on a tank this new. I am by no means the expert but I am in about the same stage of tank development as you are and from my research running any sort of GFO at this point can set you up for problems down the road…should really be no need for it but again do you own research, the nuisance algae part of this particular site has been helpful to me.

FWIW I have been dosing phyto 4-5 days a week since the day my cycle completed and added pods 2x and I have seems some diatoms and Green film algae but not too much and it seems to be getting better. 10% water changes once a week, 5 fish already and pretty heavy feeding and my nitrates have always been 6-10 and my phosphates 0.01-0.04

 

[Jay'sReefBugs]

Thank god you said to run gfo and skim. Ive been contemplating shutting off the gfo reactor. I turned it on purely to battle against the rock leech.

I'll keep running gfo then. I also added some macro algae and live rock from a mature tank the other day.

Just hoping phyto wont cause the uglies to be even worse.

thanks!

As others have stated running GFO on a new tank is asking for a dinoflagellates disaster ask me how I know lol . And yes you have tig pods by the picture you posted

 

[brandon429]

@Jay'sReefBugs you know what I wish the market offered: a $20 mix of pods vs a $50 or $60 mix of them

anything we want to try is a huge investment plus shipping...it would be so neat if a producer would make a $20 truly concentrated amount of pods/folks with pico reefs and nanos that want refreshements dont need multi thousands of them at once

 

[Dan_P]

Hey Guys

I'm wondering if its beneficial to dose phyto in a newly cycled tank.

I'm adding pods as well.

My logic for adding phyto is to increase the pod population and also introduce some diversity to a clean tank to help the tank get through the expected ugly stage.

I've been culturing phyto while the tank is cycling and I have several gallons of it already.

I'm also breeding tig copepods as well.

Just wondering if I'm just wasting my time.

Thanks

Just a thought. A new aquarium is a nutrient desert. Not sure putting in things that might starve to death is beneficial.

 

[Jay'sReefBugs]

@Jay'sReefBugs you know what I wish the market offered: a $20 mix of pods vs a $50 or $60 mix of them

anything we want to try is a huge investment plus shipping...it would be so neat if a producer would make a $20 truly concentrated amount of pods/folks with pico reefs and nanos that want refreshements dont need multi thousands of them at once

Even better I have them at $15 a bottle of mix lol

 

[brandon429]

I’m about to order some then / very happy about that