Phytoplankton dosing side affects, the good kind!

[ikaros70]

After reading all the great benefits of dosing phyto, gave it a try.
Roughly ~6 weeks ago, I started dosing phyto in my system. It’s been roughy 6 months since I rebooted the system, after taking a break from the hobby.
210g display, 40 breeder frag tank and 40 breeder sump (all tied together, feed from a manifold). I don’t have a-lot of corals yet, dosing 30ml of phyto per day.
I am seeing some great benefits since starting to dose phyto and wanted to see what others have experienced, from what seems to be majic in a bottle, lol!
Here are some of the main benefits I have seen on my system. Dosing Phyto is now a daily regiment on my system.

1 - more stable PH. When dosing phyto daily, my PH only fluctuates .5 overnight.
When I occasionally get busy and skip a day, PH fluctuates at least full point overnight. 1.0 - 2.0 range.
This was a big suprise for me, personally, never expected phyto to make any type of difference in PH stability? But I guess you live and learn.
It made what I consider a big difference in ph stability on my system. Literally cut the overnight PH swing in half.

2. Phyto has been keeping nuisance algae in check. I originally read phyto would help with nuisance algae, that is typical with new tanks and is one of the main reasons I started dosing phyto. Within 3-4 months of rebooting my system, I started to get the common algae that come with the dreaded “new tank syndrome”.
Dosing phyto has really kept it in check. About once a week I have to clean the glass and that been about it. Haven’t had to do anything else to sandbed, rocks, etc. nothing growing out of control. Just occasional light coat that goes away on its own. Phyto appears to be outcompeting the nuisance algae as expected.

3. Corals inflated like they on roids, lol!
Corals look much more healthy when dosing phyto. No joke, they are at least 50% more swole (maybe more) than when not dosing phyto.
Again, if I get busy and miss a day, corals are noticeably smaller the next day.
It’s like they on steroids when dosing phyto.

Wanted to see what other have experienced when dosing phyto?

 

[william Lutman]

How much do you dose and how often?

 

[homer1475]

Explosion of microlife.

I have millions of pods(and have a breeding pair pf mandarins), and literally thousands of micro brittle stars.

 

[Reefer911]

What’s your plan for going on vacation? Dosing pump?

 

[sixty_reefer]

I use it a lot, currently doing 2ml/gallon it’s a good way at keeping underinsured algae away and film algae, my glass now can go for two weeks almost without the need for cleaning, due to the carbon content in phytoplankton I am also able to keep my parameters low finding myself every now and den adding nitrates to the system, other aspect that I’ve noticed is the protein skimmer reduction in producing skim and with all the extra bacteria being produced corals seem fairly healthier, it doesn’t work well for pods for me.

the back glass haven’t been cleaned for months now, it’s been so long that if you zoom in you can see some green coraline and white dots (feather dusters) growing on the glass.

 

[ikaros70]

PH while dosing phyto is holding pretty steady, 8.15 to 8.2 range.

 

[ikaros70]

Deleting duplicate post

 

[ikaros70]

How much do you dose and how often?

30ml per day, half of recommended dose. My tank isn’t stocked heavy, not yet. Still fairly new system and is why I cut dose in half of what was recommended.

 

[ikaros70]

What’s your plan for going on vacation? Dosing pump?

Will probably just setup a dosing pump while on Vaca. Probably easiest way to handle.

 

[ninjamyst]

Are you making your own?

 

[Reefer911]

Will probably just setup a dosing pump while on Vaca. Probably easiest way to handle.

Ok, wasn’t sure if it could be left unrefrigerated

 

[ikaros70]

Ok, wasn’t sure if it could be left unrefrigerated

You are supposed to refrigerate, I was thinking something along the lines of using an insulated fish box with ice to keep it cold or they sell these mini fridges for 6 packs. It would easy enough to use either.
I have someone that watches our dogs while when we go away, I could also just ask them to do it. I guess I have a few options.

 

[ikaros70]

Are you making your own?

No, I am just buying from algaebarn.
I thought about culturing my own but I would have to setup another holding system of some type and if I setup another system, my wife may lose it, lol!

 

[Susan Edwards]

No, I am just buying from algaebarn.
I thought about culturing my own but I would have to setup another holding system of some type and if I setup another system, my wife may lose it, lol!

This system doesn't take up much room at all. I use 2 bottles plus a pod set up from them. I have way more phyto than I need at all times!!! https://poseidonreefsystems.com/

I've only had to buy new phyto once since I started.

 

[Susan Edwards]

I use approx 8-10 oz (approx 300ml) nightly with ab+ added. Doesn't seem to help with nuisance algae as I'm going to have to use reef flux again! Or glass film, though right now, my no3 and po4 are prob. zero due to algae consuming, so not as much. At 2 ml per gal, I'm dosing about half for a 220 water volume so I could prob. double what I'm adding. Also, my ph still drops at night. 7.87 right now. Will climb back to 8 or 8.1

 

[jimmypencil]

After reading all the great benefits of dosing phyto, gave it a try.
Roughly ~6 weeks ago, I started dosing phyto in my system. It’s been roughy 6 months since I rebooted the system, after taking a break from the hobby.
210g display, 40 breeder frag tank and 40 breeder sump (all tied together, feed from a manifold). I don’t have a-lot of corals yet, dosing 30ml of phyto per day.
I am seeing some great benefits since starting to dose phyto and wanted to see what others have experienced, from what seems to be majic in a bottle, lol!
Here are some of the main benefits I have seen on my system. Dosing Phyto is now a daily regiment on my system.

1 - more stable PH. When dosing phyto daily, my PH only fluctuates .5 overnight.
When I occasionally get busy and skip a day, PH fluctuates at least full point overnight. 1.0 - 2.0 range.
This was a big suprise for me, personally, never expected phyto to make any type of difference in PH stability? But I guess you live and learn.
It made what I consider a big difference in ph stability on my system. Literally cut the overnight PH swing in half.

2. Phyto has been keeping nuisance algae in check. I originally read phyto would help with nuisance algae, that is typical with new tanks and is one of the main reasons I started dosing phyto. Within 3-4 months of rebooting my system, I started to get the common algae that come with the dreaded “new tank syndrome”.
Dosing phyto has really kept it in check. About once a week I have to clean the glass and that been about it. Haven’t had to do anything else to sandbed, rocks, etc. nothing growing out of control. Just occasional light coat that goes away on its own. Phyto appears to be outcompeting the nuisance algae as expected.

3. Corals inflated like they on roids, lol!
Corals look much more healthy when dosing phyto. No joke, they are at least 50% more swole (maybe more) than when not dosing phyto.
Again, if I get busy and miss a day, corals are noticeably smaller the next day.
It’s like they on steroids when dosing phyto.

Wanted to see what other have experienced when dosing phyto?

what phyto do you use?