Coralamino and other additives for SPS?

GeoHawk · Jul 28, 2011

Has anyone used Coralamino from brightwell? I have had my sps coral growing for over a year. They grow well, but color and PE has always been one of my weaknesses so I am thinking of trying some trace element additives to see if they help. I have heard Coralamino is good, and want to see if anyone else has any experience they can share? Is there another additive that is good?

Any help and experience would be most appreciated.

Troylee · Jul 28, 2011

I love it!!!!! Dose Lugols "iodine" a drop a day for your blues and purples and coral amino weekly for the rest... I also use coral frenzy once a week or so in the middle of the night when there polyps are really extended.... Great stuff man I highly recommend it...1smile1

swannyson7 · Jul 28, 2011

I've used Brightwells CoralAmino for quite some time and I've seen a significant improvement in coloration & growth since I started dosing. I've also had good luck inducing a feeder responce in my sps with Reef Nutrition Oyster feast, coral frenzy, and decapsulated baby brine shrimp eggs. Are you maintaining an ULNS? If you're not using a bacterial driven system to maintain low nutrient levels (vodka/mb7, biopellets, etc), or have a grossly oversized skimmer, I would attribute your problems to something else.

GeoHawk · Jul 28, 2011

swannyson7 said:
I've used Brightwells CoralAmino for quite some time and I've seen a significant improvement in coloration & growth since I started dosing. I've also had good luck inducing a feeder responce in my sps with Reef Nutrition Oyster feast, coral frenzy, and decapsulated baby brine shrimp eggs. Are you maintaining an ULNS? If you're not using a bacterial driven system to maintain low nutrient levels (vodka/mb7, biopellets, etc), or have a grossly oversized skimmer, I would attribute your problems to something else.

I am not using any of the bacterial diriven system that you mentioned, and don't know what ULNS stands for. I use a skimmer rated for higher than my 60 gallon, but not by much. I run my skimmer constantly and have considered possibly putting it on a timer. I don't believe it is a water parameter problem, as my ca has been at about 450, kh 10, mg, 1325 for several months. I have never had a nitrate or phosphate reading above zero.
Some of my coral do great (color/PE), but my blues are not so good, so I think I will try loguls as well.
Other corals purple nana, blue acro, blue mili and deep water coral that I am not sure the name don't have PE most the time.

My birdsnest, monti, red planet, green acro, green slimer, orange digi, and rainbow monti all have reasonably good color and PE.

Thanks

swannyson7 · Jul 28, 2011

ULNS stands for ultra low nutrient system, which is usually achieved through a bacterial inocculant such as mb7 or zeo, and a carbon based food source such as vodka, pellets, or vinegar. Do you have any algae growth in your tank? Phosphate tests are tricky because if you have algae in the tank, it will consume your PO4, yielding a test result of zero. What do you have for flow? I've found that this makes a substantial impact on color & PE as much as stable parameters. Lugols will definitely help with the purples & blues, so that's a good start if that's your primary problem with coloration.

GeoHawk · Jul 28, 2011

For flow I have 2 koralias, I think they are 450 gph, and a mag 9.5 for return. Polyps that are extended wave very well. As far as algae goes, I have a small amount of hair algae that grows on my koralias, and in my overflow. I also have amount of diatoms every once in a while in the sand. Another thing to note is that my cheato, and culerpa never grow that much in the refugium. They don't die, but I never have to cut it out because of too much growth. Im not sure if that is indicative of low nutrients.

WVUreefer · Jul 28, 2011

I only dose esv 2 part and mag...I thought my coloration is good..and pe decent..so are you saying iodine will really beef up blues..or just lugols?

swannyson7 · Jul 28, 2011

Lugols is just the easiest to use because it's extremely concentrated and you can get away with only adding a drop or two depending on the size of your system. Plus it's always good to have on hand for dipping during propogation.

snobored · Jul 28, 2011

+1 for lugols.. I use a few drops daily and feel it really benefits the Tank. especially coralline algaes, which I've always heard are analagous to stony corals as far as water parameter requirements. I can't say whether they help a certain color or not..
I've used BW aminos, as well as WM and have had pretty good results with both. I also experiemented with aspartic acid. (which is a common amino acid) and seemed to work well but I ran out of the powder.

Amino acids do seem crucial for good growth, whether u does them on their own, or via feeding.when I worked in a gym I learned amino acids are the building blocks of proteins, so it makes sense they are required by many animals. Ur corals still can get some AA s just from eating zooplankton from the water column, hoewever u might. Be lacking the the densities that occur in larger or more established systems

Reef UP · Jul 28, 2011

Lugols is more than just iodine guys it also has potassium in it as well as a few other things that make the blues and purple become richer, as for a coral amino great stuff but i wouldnt go adding a bunch of stuff that will raise po4 and nitrate such as these can if youre not careful also chaeto tends to grow slowly unless you can make it tumble, and if the slightest amount of hair algae in your tank and overflows with give you a false zero on a po4 test if you wanna get a real accurate reading clean all of it out best you can then wait for 2-3 hours after lights out but I'd contribute minimal coloration and PE to a po4 issue myself!!

GeoHawk · Jul 28, 2011

I had a Po4 issue in another tank a few years ago and I still have some phosphate remover. I could add it for a couple weeks and see if that helps. Do you guys think that is a good idea?

swannyson7 · Jul 28, 2011

What type of phosphate removal media? It probably wouldn't hurt because they all claim that they don't leach PO4 back into the system, but Im not sure on a shelf life for stuff like phosban, GFO, etc

Troylee · Jul 28, 2011

by the sounds of it no.... what kind of remover im sure it expired by now..

i run rawaphos it is the best hands down... i like to call it black gold because of the price but it's best and you get what you pay for...

swannyson7 · Jul 28, 2011

+1 on Rowaphos! You'd probably be best to just buy some new phosphate removal media to be on the safe side as Lee said.

GeoHawk · Jul 28, 2011

Do you guys run phospate remover all the time? If so do you just add it to your sock with the carbon, or do you put it in a separate sock? I think I have a kent marine brand, but I am going to have to find it to say for sure.

Reef UP · Jul 28, 2011

If you can spend a little money on a reactor and rowaphos as suggested it will be an investment you won't regret or if you have the time, do some research and start up on some vodka lol I won't keep a tank again without dosing it!!