Ultralith users (or those with random STN of only expensive SPS *sigh*)

[christyf5]

So I've been using ultralith for a few weeks now, I think I'm in my 4th week. Tank water volume is 200 gallons, 6 drops a day of ultrabio, 2.25ml a day of ultraminS and ultrabak, I think theres about a liter of ultralith in the reactor. I did the week off of ultrabio last week (damn that manual is super confusing). Granted my dosing has been a little sketchy these days, as has my memory.

Anyway, my aussie delicate is showing signs of stn, about a quarter of it is gone as well my 30k lokani is starting to stn at the base. Is this cuz of the ultralith or possibly something else. Ticks me off that it isn't just my crappy digitata or other easily replaceable corals (yes yes I love all my corals but cripes this hobby kills me sometimes).

Things of note:
cyano is rampant once again, bought new fish and turned off the vortech as the fish liked to hide out in that area and the flow was too much for it (which was on low anyways, I just turned it on again last night as the fish is all over the tank now). I'm going to try to feed the tank less and see how it goes, I think I've just been too heavy handed with the feeding lately.
majanos have all popped up where I hit them with the aiptasia destroyer and they brought little friends with them. Very frustrating.

I am however, aiptasia free. And when I say that, with confidence, it only means that I can't see any in the tank :razz:

Anyway, back to the STN/ultralith. Anyone know if this dosing regimen sounds ok? Am I dosing too much? Too little? Is the STN connected to the ultralith or just my unbelievably good luck with this hobby?

Thanks

[fencer]

Cut back your dosing to every three days. Until cyno is under control. What brand of salt are you using?

[christyf5]

Cut back your dosing to every three days. Until cyno is under control. What brand of salt are you using?

Will do. Just siphoned most of it off.

I'm using IO and won't be switching, I've gone that route already.

[fencer]

Certain brands of salt caused my tank to crash
weekly 10% water changes?

[christyf5]

Certain brands of salt caused my tank to crash
weekly 10% water changes?

yep, although this week its closer to 20.

[ScubaSteve]

I share your pain. I've been getting random STN all summer and I have no idea why. I try here for answers and you get asked the basics that you've already run through a million times before deciding to post for help. Makes you want to bang your head against the tank until things work.

One comment I may make on the Ultralith system: It is a low nutrient system. Check out Fragd'it's blog about ultra-low nutrient systems. Sure it makes the corals look pretty but it also makes them more susceptable to bad things happening. Personally, I feel a little skeptical as to how "good" these systems are for your tank. I'm not criticizing or anything, just sayin' the low nutrient system itself (or the transition to it) might be the cause.

[christyf5]

I share your pain. I've been getting random STN all summer and I have no idea why. I try here for answers and you get asked the basics that you've already run through a million times before deciding to post for help. Makes you want to bang your head against the tank until things work.

One comment I may make on the Ultralith system: It is a low nutrient system. Check out Fragd'it's blog about ultra-low nutrient systems. Sure it makes the corals look pretty but it also makes them more susceptable to bad things happening. Personally, I feel a little skeptical as to how "good" these systems are for your tank. I'm not criticizing or anything, just sayin' the low nutrient system itself (or the transition to it) might be the cause.

I agree, any "low nutrient system" can be the cause of many problems as your system adapts, however I've used several and this one has worked for me in the past.

One thing I never even thought about though, I introduced a linear blenny a number of weeks ago, Ecsenius lineatus, which "may nip at the polyps or bases of SPS corals" according to liveaquaria.com. Never even thought about the little bugger, guess I'll have to keep an eye on him since I can see a few more spots of "STN" on various bases. Its just the lokani and aussie delicate that have taken the worst hits so far (the aussie because its a goodly portion of the colony and its spiky which makes me think its not the blenny and the lokani was a ridiculously small frag to begin with so any loss of polyps is a major blow).