Can the amino acids fill a lack of nutrients for the sps in a ULNS?

[Lucas Barros]

Hi, everybody!

I have a doubt about ULNS (ultra low nutrients system).
I have a difficulty to increase the nitrate in my tank. I think my filtration is very efficient for my necessities. Every test that I do is 0 NO3 e 0 PO4 (undetectable).
For this reason, I started feeding my corals with amino acids (korallen-zucht and acropower).
It's soon to be sure about the effects.
The colors it's not the best, but it's a little better.
What do you guys can tell me something about this? Is it better keep feeding or increase nitrate too?

Bellow, some photos of my corals.










Thank you!

 

[loweryphil]

Tried saltifert coral food? That has it all in.

 

[Scorpius]

More fish and more feeding.

 

[landlubber]

i just suffered some issues running ULNS myself and learned something... i didn't fully grasp the concept of what keeping a ULNS really was.
after scouring the net the best explanation i found was actually very basic, you are consciously trying to drive the nutrients in your tank down to undetectable levels with the absolute intention of adding them in a controlled dose that you must supply. if you aren't doing this all you are doing is risking your entire system by starving it to death... which is exactly where mine was going.

 

[Lucas Barros]

Tried saltifert coral food? That has it all in.

Not yet. I just started feeding my corals. But I will find more information about this.

 

[saltwaterpicaso]

I was doing the same thing thinking I was over skimming

 

[Lucas Barros]

More fish and more feeding.

I have a 100g system and only 6 fishes: 4 tangs and 2 ocellaris. This is a "problem" to solve too. I have basically only corals

 

[Lucas Barros]

i just suffered some issues running ULNS myself and learned something... i didn't fully grasp the concept of what keeping a ULNS really was.
after scouring the net the best explanation i found was actually very basic, you are consciously trying to drive the nutrients in your tank down to undetectable levels with the absolute intention of adding them in a controlled dose that you must supply. if you aren't doing this all you are doing is risking your entire system by starving it to death... which is exactly where mine was going.

It's my fear... In a week my corals went pale. I did the tests and I saw zero nitrate and phosphate. So I started feeding and now it's a little better. But for me it's a risk continue like this.

 

[Lucas Barros]

I was doing the same thing thinking I was over skimming

And your problem really was the skimming? How did you solve it? The skimmer's pump is DC. I'm thinking of decrease the power pump.
I'm not using anything else, just skimmer and socks in my filtration.

 

[saltwaterpicaso]

my problem ended up being the probiotic salt I was using and a few zeovit additives I started the tank with the salt and it was always just super clean within a week or 2 whatever coral I put in would fade really bad. I switched salts and turned my skimmer down to 1 and feed a lot more most corals have rebounded but there is still a few that look bleached some lps takes a long time to get color back I have read

 

[bif24701]

i just suffered some issues running ULNS myself and learned something... i didn't fully grasp the concept of what keeping a ULNS really was.
after scouring the net the best explanation i found was actually very basic, you are consciously trying to drive the nutrients in your tank down to undetectable levels with the absolute intention of adding them in a controlled dose that you must supply. if you aren't doing this all you are doing is risking your entire system by starving it to death... which is exactly where mine was going.

This!

As BRS claims there 160 build is at NO3 and PO4 ~0. They say it is high nutrients because of all the foods and additives they put in everyday.

You need to feed more, research the system you are using and find the foods and AAs, or whatever is needed to supply your corals the foods they need.

 

[Fercho]

How old is your tank?
I had the same exact problem. Undetectable nutrients, pale corals which would eventually starve to death.

I fixed this by raising my nitrates between 3-5ppm. Took about 2 months to start seeing corals coloring up and within a few months they all colored up and started to grow significantly.

My advice.... dont dose anything. Just raise nitrates. Feed more. Keep between 8-10 fish and be patient. Give it about 2 months to start seeing good results.

As long as you keep nitrates between 3-5 all the time, your reef will thrive.

 

[mocika]

How old is your tank?
I had the same exact problem. Undetectable nutrients, pale corals which would eventually starve to death.

I fixed this by raising my nitrates between 3-5ppm. Took about 2 months to start seeing corals coloring up and within a few months they all colored up and started to grow significantly.

My advice.... dont dose anything. Just raise nitrates. Feed more. Keep between 8-10 fish and be patient. Give it about 2 months to start seeing good results.

As long as you keep nitrates between 3-5 all the time, your reef will thrive.

I have 0 No3 and 0.06 po4. Would like to increase No3 but not with adding KNo3 or Nano3. Adding more fishes and food for them will increase also Po4 or not?

 

[bif24701]

I have 0 No3 and 0.06 po4. Would like to increase No3 but not with adding KNo3 or Nano3. Adding more fishes and food for them will increase also Po4 or not?

Why not add potassium nitrate? I've used it to great success. Feeding dry foods contain a lot of PO4, frozen not as much. If your filtration is anything close to mine your Nitrates may never rise by feeding alone. Either add nitrates directly or literally turn off or remove filtration, like the skimmer for a few weeks.

 

[nervousmonkey]

i just suffered some issues running ULNS myself and learned something... i didn't fully grasp the concept of what keeping a ULNS really was.
after scouring the net the best explanation i found was actually very basic, you are consciously trying to drive the nutrients in your tank down to undetectable levels with the absolute intention of adding them in a controlled dose that you must supply. if you aren't doing this all you are doing is risking your entire system by starving it to death... which is exactly where mine was going.

Perfectly stated @landlubber !!!! There is a great video with a guy explaining this point exactly, but he called his system an ultra low nutrient water only tank or something strange. Either way, this is what every new hobbyist needs to understand, and understand well. I'll try to find it, but in any case, thanks for that explanation!!

 

[Griff]

Can someone post that video

 

[mocika]

Why not add potassium nitrate? I've used it to great success. Feeding dry foods contain a lot of PO4, frozen not as much. If your filtration is anything close to mine your Nitrates may never rise by feeding alone. Either add nitrates directly or literally turn off or remove filtration, like the skimmer for a few weeks.

When i start to add some brown algae start to grow on my sand. Dino or diatom and im afraid to continue.

 

[SBW925]

Can someone post that video

http://www.bulkreefsupply.com/video...effect-coral-coloration-in-the-reef-aquarium/

 

[JamesP]

I would use the red sea nitrate test and hanna phosphorous test at near 0 levels. You would want nitrate to be around 0.5 and calculated phosphate around 0.03. Remember you have to do math to convert phosphorus to phosphate but it is a more accurate test at near 0. Adjust your carbon dosing and feeding until you get a little above 0.

As the others said, you can always put more food in. The nice thing about acropower is it is sold in larger quantities than kz aminos, doesnt have to be refrigerated like red sea reef energy, and is the most affordable out there. Thats why it is my amino of choice. Perfect for dosing daily with a 1.1mL/min brs dosing pump.

Also, try spot feeding reef chilli. That stuff is coral crack. There was a scientific study a while back by a group in hawaii and it outperformed any other food including the control group that was not fed at all. By spot feeding you can keep the ulns and get nutrients to the corals more effectively.

 

[hart24601]

What if I said there was a very inexpensive coral food that when you add it you will see dramatic results if the corals are pale and "starving". Not only that but this food adds 0 phosphate to the system! Sounds like a great coral food - I should start selling it, lol

Feed nitrate!


There seems to be a feeing that dosing nitrate is something bad or a terrible "chemikill"!


It's just coral food! I think the dosing part turns people off, but you dose it just like dosing reef nutrition oysterfest or docs egg brew or phyto or anything other food!

This one is just targeted specifically for corals and many people feed their tank with it to increase sps colors - myself included.