Guaranteed analysis

[Aqua Man]

Frozen Mysis. I’m thinking this analysis is for each cube and not the whole contents. Anyone know for sure?

 

[Subsea]

The analysis is percentage of the package. Each cube has the same percentages. Your question would be valid if the unit of measurement was in actual weight like grams

 

[Dburr1014]

I would think the whole package also but not sure about each cube. Some may have more or less of each ingredient but the average of the sum would be correct.

 

[Aqua Man]

When a tank has low nutrients it is often recommended to feed more. How much more?! Knowing the amount of nutrients in the food could help figure it out. I’m not opposed to dosing, although adding more food seems a better first step.


I could weigh 1 cube if that will help get a better understanding.

 

[X-37B]

That analysis is giving the overall percentage for Mysis whether its the cube or the whole pack its the same.

I run 2 low nutrient systems and you can only feed so much.

Its much simpler to use no3 and po4 to raise nutrients, imo.

 

[Aqua Man]

There are estimates for many frozen foods and measurements on commercial food packages for protein content. Maybe we could use that as one more bit of information about the N and P input. There must be a correlation between N in food and waste N in the water. Ditto P and phosphate. And I think we can assume causation when we increase feeding and see more waste N, like nitrate

For my tanks, increase of food did not raise nitrate. Same with phosphate. I did get more detritus though! I can only guess that the input is not enough? So the protein content should be higher for there to be leftover? Pellet food does have more protein but most of my fish will just ignore pellets.

Isn’t there a formula to get close? Protein=ammonia=nitrate?

 

[livinlifeinBKK]

For my tanks, increase of food did not raise nitrate. Same with phosphate. I did get more detritus though! I can only guess that the input is not enough? So the protein content should be higher for there to be leftover? Pellet food does have more protein but most of my fish will just ignore pellets.

Isn’t there a formula to get close? Protein=ammonia=nitrate?

Why not just dose?

 

[Dan_P]

For my tanks, increase of food did not raise nitrate. Same with phosphate. I did get more detritus though! I can only guess that the input is not enough? So the protein content should be higher for there to be leftover? Pellet food does have more protein but most of my fish will just ignore pellets.

Isn’t there a formula to get close? Protein=ammonia=nitrate?

Protein is about 16% by weight N. The resulting ammonia would be 17/14 more weight than this and nitrate would be 62/17 more weight than the ammonia. This is very roughly 0.64 gram of nitrate produced for every gram of protein put into an aquarium. It doesn’t though because some it is assimilated into biomass.

I have model aquaria running and being ghost fed 1 ppm nitrate equivalent of protein every day. After 5 weeks nitrate and phosphate are both 0 ppm. Clearly, feeding extra might not raise nitrates but would increase microorganism and other organism biomass in an aquarium.

 

[Aqua Man]

Why not just dose?

I could up end doing just that. I’ve already increased feed, water changes bumped from every week to once a month. Nitrate still very low.
Nitrate has been low for months now and so far, coral look normal.

 

[Aqua Man]

I have model aquaria running and being ghost fed 1 ppm nitrate equivalent of protein every day. After 5 weeks nitrate and phosphate are both 0 ppm. Clearly, feeding extra might not raise nitrates but would increase microorganism and other organism biomass in an aquarium.

What is your protein of choice?

Increasing microorganisms is the other reason for my decision to increase feed. I have noticed a decline in brittle stars. I miss seeing there little arms peeking out of the rock work!

 

[livinlifeinBKK]

I could up end doing just that. I’ve already increased feed, water changes bumped from every week to once a month. Nitrate still very low.
Nitrate has been low for months now and so far, coral look normal.

So if corals look normal what is your primary reason for wanting to increase nitrate? You mentioned that you've noticed a decline in brittle stars but it's doubtful that can be attributed purely to low nitrate (which you haven't defined what you consider to be low nitrate yet)...what is you nitrate??

 

[gbroadbridge]

When a tank has low nutrients it is often recommended to feed more. How much more?! Knowing the amount of nutrients in the food could help figure it out. I’m not opposed to dosing, although adding more food seems a better first step.


I could weigh 1 cube if that will help get a better understanding.

Up to a point yes, however feeding more than the fish need is just creating a lot of unwanted organics.

If you're talking low nutrients like under 0.25ppm Nitrate, I would dose Nitrate directly rather than increasing feeding if the fish are already well fed. Or you could simply dose ammonium.

 

[Aqua Man]

So if corals look normal what is your primary reason for wanting to increase nitrate?

Good question! Mostly to keep Dino from reappearing again.
Salifert and Nyos kit both read zero NO3. So i consider that to be low! The question I’m asking myself is, does it matter? It’s been at least 6 months of low NO3 and still everything looks ok, No Dinos.

From the reading I’ve done so far the answer is no. Coral don’t use NO3. They prefer Nitrogen, so if there is fish and food inputs, Nitrogen should be present.

 

[livinlifeinBKK]

Good question! Mostly to keep Dino from reappearing again.
Salifert and Nyos kit both read zero NO3. So i consider that to be low! The question I’m asking myself is, does it matter? It’s been at least 6 months of low NO3 and still everything looks ok, No Dinos.

From the reading I’ve done so far the answer is no. Coral don’t use NO3. They prefer Nitrogen, so if there is fish and food inputs, Nitrogen should be present.

You do know that nitrate is a nitrogen compound, right?

 

[Aqua Man]

You do know that nitrate is a nitrogen compound, right?

Yes I do! Doesn’t hurt to ask and make sure though!

 

[livinlifeinBKK]

Yes I do! Doesn’t hurt to ask and make sure though!

Just making sure! You said corals don't use nitrate...they do.

 

[Aqua Man]

If you're talking low nutrients like under 0.25ppm Nitrate, I would dose Nitrate directly rather than increasing feeding if the fish are already well fed. Or you could simply dose ammonium.

I have thought about dosing ammonium, to scared though! Amino acids is another I’ve read helps add nitrogen.

 

[Aqua Man]

Do we need Nitrate in a reef tank?

The thread title says it but I want to discuss if there is any need of nitrogen in form of nitrates in a reef tank. I am not aware of any desirable organisms in our reefs which are dependent of nitrate availability in the water with the exception of denitrification bacteria. Just to stress out...

www.reef2reef.com

Maybe!

 

[livinlifeinBKK]

Do we need Nitrate in a reef tank?

The thread title says it but I want to discuss if there is any need of nitrogen in form of nitrates in a reef tank. I am not aware of any desirable organisms in our reefs which are dependent of nitrate availability in the water with the exception of denitrification bacteria. Just to stress out...

www.reef2reef.com

Maybe!

You said "corals don't use nitrate"...that implies that they never use nitrate...i think what you meant was that corals just need a source of nitrogen (whatever form it may be available in)...nitrate is one form that they use. Perhaps it can be substituted by other nitrogen compounds but saying they do not use nitrate at all is incorrect. I looked through that thread btw...

 

[Aqua Man]

You said "corals don't use nitrate"...that implies that they never use nitrate...i think what you meant was that corals just need a source of nitrogen (whatever form it may be available in)...nitrate is one form that they use. Perhaps it can be substituted by other nitrogen compounds but saying they do not use nitrate at all is incorrect. I looked through that thread btw...

Yes! I’m not very good at putting my thoughts out through my fingers!

I never imagined I’d be dosing NO3, so before I do I want to make sure it’s actually needed. In the past I’ve made bad judgements and almost crashed my tank.