# nutrient deficiencies in algae



## Flear

how do you tell nutrient deficiencies in algae ?

i'm familiar with freshwater, and many nutrient deficiences include paying attention to the veins in the leaves of plants, ... but algae as a non-vascular plant doesn't have veins.

what resources are there to help identify nutrient deficiences in algae

i don't think there's enough to tell in micro-algae, but macro-algae i'm hoping would provide enough to help identify more.

am searching for answers, but also very open to any input available, ... as this is a search i've never tried before i don't know where to begin, i can only imagine everything is going to point me to freshwater vascular plants 

really am looking for help identifying nutrient deficiencies in non-vascular plants & algae


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## corina savin

I can only think of one, and its not a nutrient....Light.
Where is light, there is algae. More or less. 
If still not algae....then you have something toxic.


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## SantaMonica

Yes old topic, but this may help:

In aquariums, a main limiting nutrients is Iron. When iron is low, growth is low, and color turns to yellow.

Algae consumes a lot of iron.


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