Interesting video for acropora lovers
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BiGGiePauls33
Current BRS President
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dz6t
Acro Garden, BRS Sponsor
WonderfulBack then I didn't even measure phosphate and I tested for magnesium every now and then. Kept it pretty simple....and you would be surprised how well that works
At the end of the first video (2015?) he gives a summary of nutrient levels in TOTMs with many reporting undetectable nitrate and phosphate around.03.
From a lot of what I’ve been seeing online lately (newer thinking?) all those tanks are hitting the dreaded “bottomed out” doomsday. They should be over run with dinos, and all the corals dying!
Huh?
From a lot of what I’ve been seeing online lately (newer thinking?) all those tanks are hitting the dreaded “bottomed out” doomsday. They should be over run with dinos, and all the corals dying!
Huh?
FishieBusiness
Well-Known Member
I didnt think you were running MHs anymore.
BiGGiePauls33
Current BRS President
Another one:
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dz6t
Acro Garden, BRS Sponsor
This is a great video. Basically the three major elements for coral growth as well as the health of every living things in the tank is Carbon, Nitrogen and Phosphorus.
The major inputs of these elements for coral are as following:
Carbon source: food, alkalinity, dissolved organic compounds. Food accounted for majority of the carbon input, including the nutrients produced by symbiotic algae, food particles captured by coral. Alkalinity is also provided a large portion of carbon needs.
Nitrogen and Phosphorus sources are from food (again), dissolved organic compounds, and lastly but not significantly from actual nitrate and phosphate in the water.
So, Nitrate and phosphate only accounted for small portions of total N and P intakes.
Since we can’t accurately test how much dissolved organic compounds in the water at a hobby level, which play far more important roles than Nitrate and Phosphate, that leads to all the different observations from different tanks.
These days, I will look at Nitrate and Phosphate testings as a small grain of salt, just make sure they are not too high.
The major inputs of these elements for coral are as following:
Carbon source: food, alkalinity, dissolved organic compounds. Food accounted for majority of the carbon input, including the nutrients produced by symbiotic algae, food particles captured by coral. Alkalinity is also provided a large portion of carbon needs.
Nitrogen and Phosphorus sources are from food (again), dissolved organic compounds, and lastly but not significantly from actual nitrate and phosphate in the water.
So, Nitrate and phosphate only accounted for small portions of total N and P intakes.
Since we can’t accurately test how much dissolved organic compounds in the water at a hobby level, which play far more important roles than Nitrate and Phosphate, that leads to all the different observations from different tanks.
These days, I will look at Nitrate and Phosphate testings as a small grain of salt, just make sure they are not too high.
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dz6t
Acro Garden, BRS Sponsor
In terms of metal halide, despite UV doesn’t penetrate water much, but in reef tanks, due to the high flow, every drops of water is turned to the surface and exposed to UV radiation from metal halide.
Despite metal halides have some form of UV blocking, from a study I saw many years ago, only up to 40% of UV is blocked. So there is pretty good exposure of UV at the water surface but not at the coral a few inches deep, unless the coral is growing very near the water surface.
Water surface also reflects about half of the light shining on it so that is another way UV is gone.
So it is possible that Metal Halides do something to dino and other bacteria.
Despite metal halides have some form of UV blocking, from a study I saw many years ago, only up to 40% of UV is blocked. So there is pretty good exposure of UV at the water surface but not at the coral a few inches deep, unless the coral is growing very near the water surface.
Water surface also reflects about half of the light shining on it so that is another way UV is gone.
So it is possible that Metal Halides do something to dino and other bacteria.
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Interesting about MH and dinos. Makes sense.
Then again I encountered dinos under strong MH and VHO light years ago, and under LEDs more recently. Seemed harder to deal with when I ran MH. But so many factors, can’t really conclude anything from that experience.
It does fascinate me how the same problem now can quickly get the advice to increase / dose nitrate and or phosphate, and 5-10 years ago the same problem would have been told to reduce those same things. The understanding behind it makes sense, but still makes me laugh.
Then again I encountered dinos under strong MH and VHO light years ago, and under LEDs more recently. Seemed harder to deal with when I ran MH. But so many factors, can’t really conclude anything from that experience.
It does fascinate me how the same problem now can quickly get the advice to increase / dose nitrate and or phosphate, and 5-10 years ago the same problem would have been told to reduce those same things. The understanding behind it makes sense, but still makes me laugh.
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dz6t
Acro Garden, BRS Sponsor
I don’t see why dosing nitrate and phosphate can eliminate dino, it could do the opposite. Dino issue can resolve itself over time with or without doing anything.
As you said, I don’t think metal halide is a solution for dino except in some cases, it might, just might, help a bit.
As you said, I don’t think metal halide is a solution for dino except in some cases, it might, just might, help a bit.
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dz6t
Acro Garden, BRS Sponsor
Regarding dosing ammonium chloride mentioned in the video, here is a calculator you can use. You can buy pure ammonium chloride powder on Amazon, please don’t buy those liquid solutions, as once you open the container, bacteria will rapidly build up inside and you will end up with a bottle of nasty bacteria soup quickly. (If whatever inside not already rotting).
Rotala Butterfly | Planted Aquarium Nutrient Dosing Calculator
Planted Aquarium Nutrient Dosing Calculator
rotalabutterfly.com
