water parameters for macro algae tanks?

[Greatreefer]

I'm a proponent for testing and don't like the idea of just blindly dumping in ferts and additives into a system without testing 1st.
For those who are rocking display refugiums, do you ever test for specific elements when dosing plant food?

 

[blaxsun]

What trace elements are you wanting to test for?

 

[flagg37]

I ran my tank with no water changes with a large refugium. I added the Red Sea colors trace elements. They had a recommendation for dosing based on calcium consumption that I followed. I never tested for iron in particular but I always felt that the fuge was sucking up more iron than what I was adding.

 

[AlgaeBarn]

I'm a proponent for testing and don't like the idea of just blindly dumping in ferts and additives into a system without testing 1st.
For those who are rocking display refugiums, do you ever test for specific elements when dosing plant food?

What macroalgae are you growing or wanting to grow?

 

[Greatreefer]

What trace elements are you wanting to test for?

Trying to learn from past mistake

What macroalgae are you growing or wanting to grow?

I would like to try calurpa again. Last time I had it, it did well for awhile and melted away.
Same thing with chaeto.
Would love to build a display refugium with multiple types of macros and sea grasses.

 

[Stephers]

I started a macro display tank about 4 months ago, so still new, but it's doing very well so far and growth is explosive (it has dragon's breathe, blue hypnea, codium, caulerpa, and halimeda.) I only test for nitrates and phos and dose as needed. Otherwise, I do dose the recommended dose of chaetogro daily. Most of those trace elements would need to be verified through ICP as no hobby level test exists... I do extensive trace element dosing on my separate reef tank, but I do an ICP occasionally to make sure the numbers are good.

Of course a good light is also going to play a very large in the health of the macro.

 

[Greatreefer]

I started a macro display tank about 4 months ago, so still new, but it's doing very well so far and growth is explosive (it has dragon's breathe, blue hypnea, codium, caulerpa, and halimeda.) I only test for nitrates and phos and dose as needed. Otherwise, I do dose the recommended dose of chaetogro daily. Most of those trace elements would need to be verified through ICP as no hobby level test exists... I do extensive trace element dosing on my separate reef tank, but I do an ICP occasionally to make sure the numbers are good.

Of course a good light is also going to play a very large in the health of the macro.

Do you shoot for certain #s for n03 and p04?

 

[Stephers]

Do you shoot for certain #s for n03 and p04?

Right now I shoot for 5ppm nitrate and 0.05 phos. I'll probably raise those numbers once the tank is more mature.