How to Reach a ULNS
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Randy Holmes-Farley
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Organic carbon dosing is not the only way, but whether an ATS will do it may depend on your definition of ULNS (and, of course, the nature of your ATS).
Are you trying to reduce zooxanthellae populations in corals?
Are you trying to reduce zooxanthellae populations in corals?
I am trying to get rid of GHA and Cyano. I have decided to try an ATS as I have seen a lot of positive results posted. I know I should figure out what is causing the problem to begin with, but the only thing I can figure out is phosphate in my live rock. I have performed weekly water changes (RODI with 0 TDS - checked with two TDS meters), increased flow, run GFO and carbon, turkey basted, pulled-plucked and pinched off algae...nothing has worked for me...This has been going on for close to a year. I hope that the ATS will solve the issue. I was curious, though, if getting 0 nitrate and phosphate readings from an ATS would be considered running a ULNS.
Randy Holmes-Farley
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An ATS can be a fine way to go, but almost certainly will not be any better, and probably less effective, than an appropriate amount of GFO in getting to low phosphate. That said, if the nutrients are coming off of degrading detritus in the rock and sand, or phosphate already bound to the rock and sand, methods that teat the bulk water (ATS, GFO, etc.) may not be able to effectively rid the tank of the algae, or may take a long time to strip the phosophate off the calcium carbonate surfaces.
How much GFO did you use and how often did you replace it?
Have you measured nitrate and phosphate too see the magnitude of the issue?
Do you export organics (skimming, GAC, Purigen, etc.)? That can help with cyano.
How much GFO did you use and how often did you replace it?
Have you measured nitrate and phosphate too see the magnitude of the issue?
Do you export organics (skimming, GAC, Purigen, etc.)? That can help with cyano.
The tank is a 60 cube. I run an Eshopps S120 skimmer, GAC and recently added purigen. I run approx. one cup of BRS standard GFO and I have changed it as much as weekly. It didn't seem to do anything...Which is why I believe the phosphate is in the rock. I have a feeling that baking the rock or ordering new rock might be in my future. I have a medium bio load and feed 1 cube a day. I fed one cube every 2-3 days for a while to reduce the nutrients going in, but the fish didn't look as good and I felt that I was starving them.
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This is perfect!
Randy Holmes-Farley
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The amount of GFO seems fine, but if the phosphate level is high, GFO can be depleted in less than a day
Randy Holmes-Farley
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If you are going to do the ATS, I'd do it without GFO for a while and see how well it does at limiting phosphate and any problem algae in the tank. If it is not up to the job, then I'd add back the GFO.
FWIW, anything above 0.02-0.03 ppm is more than enough phosphate, and 0.06 and 2.2 ppm phosphate may be effectively the same for algae: it is not limiting algae growth.
Randy Holmes-Farley
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You're welcome.
Good luck.
Good luck.
