Ulns lowering po4

[Chase31]

So how does everyone keep p and n down to 0? Iv been using Prodibio and I'm not sure if it does anything. I think it does cuz my corals look good. I want to try zeovit bit due to my 2 weeks on 1 week off schedule my girlfriend does all the matience and feeding, so I'm looking for an easy or automated system I can put in place. Are their any low matience system I can put in place? Can I run gfo with Prodibio or bbiopellets or should I? Iv been having some hair algea issues so that's what I don't want to get to out of control.

[gqlmao]

Prodibio is another company who caters to the reefing community with several types trace elements, and carbon sources + food for the bacteria. Assuming you are following the correct product and dosing regime suggested by Prodibio, you are in a nut shell trying to recreate a low nutrient system. Zeovit is very similar in the respect of trying culture a source of bacteria. The difference is that the bacteria is cultured in the zeolite rocks. Zeovit in my opinion requires more work that prodibio, eg. you have stir the reactor once a day, change out the media every 6 weeks, cannot miss bacteria supplement doses, your parameters must be bang on, or your corals will be super sensitive due to the low nutrient environment.

I suggest stay with one kind of bacteria source whether its prodibio, zeovit, biopellets or carbon dosing. These methods are not meant as an easy way out for maintenance, you can find lots of articles on each one when you Google them. Running GFO depends on the remaining phosphates your bacteria can't handle, you have to make the call for that. I have seen lots of people run GFO with carbon dosing, but not as much for zeovit tanks. If you are getting hair algae, these methods may or may not be the way to solve it. In my opinion it isn't the best way to solve your issues, there is excessive nitrates and phosphates coming from your tank and it is best do water changes, run GFO, manually pluck it out, have a clean up crew to take care of the finer pieces and try to find the source of the problem.

What kind of inhabitants are in your tank? SPS dominant? LPS? Softies, a lot of these dosing regimes have adverse affects on the types of corals since different groups of coral demand different nutrient conditions.

[WarDog]

Seen it used a few times now and it's got me wondering, what does ULNS stand for?

[ReefHero]

Ultra low nutrient system
It is achieved mostly by dosing or running pellets to create bacteria strands that will consume nutrients within the tank itself and thus reduce the amount we must remove through use of skimmer and other filtration.
I am using prodibio currently. Yesterday, prodibio spokespeople released a how does prodibio work thread.....it was informative if you can find the thread.
It was pointed out to me that zeovit zeolite rocks do not work the same way that bio pellets do. Apparently, the zeolite media actually strips the water of its nutrients whereas the bio pellets create bacteria much more like carbon dosing. This is why zeolite must be replaced every so often.
Personally, I think the prodibio method is the easiest way to dose to create ULNS.


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[IanWR]

Ultra Low Nutrient System

[Chase31]

well i think the reason the hair algea is starting up is because i haven't had a skimmer for a few weeks and just been trying to keep up with water changes. only thing is, it is not bright green hair algea its more of a dark color and im not sure why

[monocus]

sounds like bryopsis

[gqlmao]

If you don't have a skimmer. Do not carbon dose. You won't have adequate means to remove the on going cycle of excessive dead bacteria created by these methods. Another big reason to get a skimmer or stop dosing is the depletion of oxygen caused by excessive bacteria growth, a skimmer will help replenish your oxygen levels.

[Chase31]

sounds like bryopsis

Looks more on the Brown side, doesnt match what i saw in google for bryopsis

If you don't have a skimmer. Do not carbon dose. You won't have adequate means to remove the on going cycle of excessive dead bacteria created by these methods. Another big reason to get a skimmer or stop dosing is the depletion of oxygen caused by excessive bacteria growth, a skimmer will help replenish your oxygen levels.

My skimmer has been down for a while i have one now breaking it in, Think this may solve some of my issues?

[gqlmao]

A good skimmer will definitely help with your nutrient problem :) you should see improvements once it's broken in.

[Chase31]

Yea I had a bubble Magnus that I couldn't seam to dial In with my old tank and was to small for my new one so water changes are what I have been relying on

[Proteus]

I've been using prodibio for two years and find its a great way to lower nutrients. But you still need to practice good husbandry.
Is there a chance that you gf is over feeding?

Yes a skimmer is mandatory.
Also I tried Gfo with prodi. It doesn't work properly.
Do your wc keep up the podi and get that skimmer going

[Chase31]

My gf probably over feeds a little but she always watches me so can't be that bad. I'm going to watch her next time around but I think the main thing is my skimmer. And from what I have read I shouldn't add reef booster till I get my levels at 0

[gqlmao]

Yes, reef booster isn't meant to be used until your system is near 0 or pretty much starved out. If you use it otherwise, it will create massive amounts of excessive nutrients. This could be one of the factors to the hair algae.

[Madreefer]

I'd just work on getting your skimmer dialed in. If your GF is not as in to your tank as you are it's kind if difficult to have someone else look after your hobby with the added pressure of dosing. Plus it's not really fair. Try running a phosphate reactor. Is your algae fuzzy or look kind of like a fern plant? If it looks like fern it's bryopsis.

[Chase31]

It's fuzzy, not like a fern at all, no I don't want her to have to dose she already adds and soaks food in garlic, she's not as into it as me but she loves her pretty fish (she gets to pick some out) corals are mine. She also loves the animals and is very good at following the directions I give her. I'm never scared with her looking after it, if something happens she lets me know and is willing to do whatever it takes. Skimmer is still overflowing but not as bad hoping it'll get better soon or by I get home

[Bill]

Have you considered sulfur denitrator? I also used to work shift and sulfur was the only option available that didn't require adding backteria or carbon source - once it was dialed in all you have to do is make sure the output flow isn't too fast or too slow.

[Chase31]

I just read a little on a sulfer denitrifer but what happens with my po4 then? How do you control that?