ULNS & SPS - Learning

[specialk]

Hey All -

So running an ULNS. 125 gal display with 40 sump. Based on posts on another topic within this forum and my sps not fully coloring up ( @Randy Holmes-Farley determined it was due to lack of nutrients and that some additives may help)

* Running GFO, Rox Carbon

* P04 = do not test for with any testing kit Nitrates = 1 ppm

* Alk - 10.3 Mag - 1450 Calcium 440

* Chaeto Macro Algae just recently starting "shrinking/dying off" due to the obvious lack of Nitrate, other nutrients, etc it needs to grow

* SPS are not coloring up as they should, although some still look good and colorful -- most are not what they should be.

I was also reading on an article post done right here on this forum, that Alk also may play a role in ULNS and in this particular article, the person writing it stated that he noticed a difference in color by lowering his Alk from 10 to around 8 / 8.3 (basically lower Alk) and that this helped in coloration.

I am wondering if this may be as simple as simply adding something like Fuel, Zeovit, or Acro power OR if there is anything else I should be aware of in trying to get these SPS to their FULL potential and color.

 

[specialk]

Just to give you an idea of what the sps look like

 

[twilliard]

You can learn a lot about how and why corals do what we are not wanting them to do.
Understanding zooxanthellae will give a person insight on conditions of our tank water. Here is the problem with ULN systems, they lack what is needed if not done properly.
Here is a article to start and understand this: http://www.advancedaquarist.com/2013/5/corals

 

[reefwiser]

Running a ULNS system you do want to run low alk 7.8 to 8.2 What method of ULNS are you using. Just something made up or Zeovit, Aqua Forest or some other brand?

 

[Waters]

I have always run a ULNS and used to have a higher Alk (around 10) which eventually caused a lot of bleaching and STN. I switched salts which mixed to a lower ALK and everything that survived rebounded and starting coloring back up. I now keep my ALK around 8.

 

[Randy Holmes-Farley]

One reasonable hypothesis with higher alk and low nutrients is that the skeleton grows faster than the tissue can keep up, leading to thin tissue that is easily damaged by light or other factors.

Trying lower alkalinity is a fine plan, although it might not impact color as much as prevent burnt tips. High nutrients might help both.

 

[rvlcf]

I'm in the same boat. I've been adding AV Fuel and phyto along with heavy feeding. Ulns with alk around 7 no no nitrates or phosphates. Some of my sps started to brown out so I decided to dose stump remover to see if that would help. I finally got a nitrate reading and I'm seeing improved color in less than 2 weeks.

 

[Dave Cureton]

Slightly off topic but what about your lighting? Are you still running OR fixtures? What are your white and blue balance settings? Too much light and too little NO3/PO4 seem to cause my SPS to lighten up.

 

[specialk]

Running a ULNS system you do want to run low alk 7.8 to 8.2 What method of ULNS are you using. Just something made up or Zeovit, Aqua Forest or some other brand?

Basically, just running so much filter media it has taken my nutrients to next to nothing!

 

[specialk]

I have always run a ULNS and used to have a higher Alk (around 10) which eventually caused a lot of bleaching and STN. I switched salts which mixed to a lower ALK and everything that survived rebounded and starting coloring back up. I now keep my ALK around 8.

That is what I am in the process of doing right now. My Alk was around 10.2 and I am going to drop it down to about 8.

 

[specialk]

One reasonable hypothesis with higher alk and low nutrients is that the skeleton grows faster than the tissue can keep up, leading to thin tissue that is easily damaged by light or other factors.

Trying lower alkalinity is a fine plan, although it might not impact color as much as prevent burnt tips. High nutrients might help both.

This sounds like EXACTLY what is going on too ... skeleton is growing, but color is not there on many of the sps.

Question about this ... I have since turned off my GFO and have a sump full of chaeto macro ... should I take a lot of that macro out (along witht he gfo now off) in an effort to up the nutrients a bit? OR can I just keep doing what I am doing (with running the gfo and keeping the chaeto int he sump) and simply add some AV Fuel or another supplement?

 

[specialk]

Slightly off topic but what about your lighting? Are you still running OR fixtures? What are your white and blue balance settings? Too much light and too little NO3/PO4 seem to cause my SPS to lighten up.

Yes still running the OR's. I keep my blues at about 85% and the whites at like 20-25%. Too strong?

 

[Dave Cureton]

Yes still running the OR's. I keep my blues at about 85% and the whites at like 20-25%. Too strong?

Seems ok to me. I run mine at 100% blue and 80% white. Took a little while to get them there. I would focus on slowly increasing nutrients. Somewhere around 5-10ppm no3 and .03.06 po4. Good luck!

 

[specialk]

Seems ok to me. I run mine at 100% blue and 80% white. Took a little while to get them there. I would focus on slowly increasing nutrients. Somewhere around 5-10ppm no3 and .03.06 po4. Good luck!

Just ordered some Acropower .... I am hoping that helps.

Anyone with an opinion on if I should continue to run gfo...or if I should turn it off?

 

[specialk]

So based off the help of you all ...I am going to drop my Alk from 10.0 to around 7.8 - 8.0 ...and then up my nutrients.

This sound like a good plan of attack to start?

 

[specialk]

Crickets



....


Crickets

 

[bubbaque]

I would get a po4 test before deciding what to do with Gfo.

 

[Rick.45cal]

So based off the help of you all ...I am going to drop my Alk from 10.0 to around 7.8 - 8.0 ...and then up my nutrients.

This sound like a good plan of attack to start?

You need to let the alkalinity drop on it's own, so it does it slowly. You definitely need to stop the GFO and take it offline until you know your PO4 levels, If you keep SPS you have to keep track of your Alk, NO3 and PO4 religiously (daily at first). Running 0 NO3 and/or 0 PO4 is bad. Corals/and their symbiotic algae need a little bit to be healthy and happy.

 

[helldiver]

What is preffered testing for these parameters and what should they be in a sps environment
Off topic my sps grow but grow very thick why is this happening

 

[specialk]

You need to let the alkalinity drop on it's own, so it does it slowly. You definitely need to stop the GFO and take it offline until you know your PO4 levels, If you keep SPS you have to keep track of your Alk, NO3 and PO4 religiously (daily at first). Running 0 NO3 and/or 0 PO4 is bad. Corals/and their symbiotic algae need a little bit to be healthy and happy.

Yes I just did water change and am going to let the Alk drop on its own. Also turned off the gfo and started using acropower to add some key goodies to the system