Its called ULNT or Not? then which kh level?

[Alitoo_81]

Hi,

I have an SPS system and I dont use any carbon dose or biopellets or Zeo rocks. I dont even add bacteria. But my No3 and Po4 are always low. No3 at 2-5 ppm and po4 at 0,04-0,06 . I know that adding fish and feeding more will reise no3 and po3. I am already doing that. But some times I need to add a little bit of nitrogin and phosphorus to mainten no3 and po4. Its a sps frag tank 400 g.

I read some threads about KH and ULNT. What they say is that in a ULNT the kh must be low. I have it now at 7 and my sps started to get burn tips. My question is, even when I dont dose carbon and dont have biopellets, is my tank considered a ULNT and I should mainten my KH low? or only when I am carbon dosing or if I have biopellets or Zeolotas?

In other words, what should be the perfect KH levels in a system with No3 at 2-5 ppm and po4 at 0,04-0,06?

sorry for my bad English.

thanks

 

[ridetheducati]

Every system is different. Stay in the 7 - 10 dkh range.

 

[CHSUB]

2-5 NO3 is not low, in fact, for sps' imo that is too high!

 

[tmc1313]

IME, if those are truly your levels then you should be able to raise your Alkalinity with no issues. In my case, my system runs like ULNS (without trying). I have no detectable N03 and .02 phosphate. In my system, if my alk goes any higher than 8.5, I will get burnt tips.

 

[Alitoo_81]

thanks for your replays . ok in a ULNS high kh more than 8,5 will couse problems. What happens in a normal tank when kh goes lower than 8? it will couse also problems?

I do test my kh every day and note the date and observation. In the range on 7.8 to 8.7 is where I have noticed good PE and happy sps. Less than 7.5 they will star to have tip burns. More than 9 they will not be that happy. So I will be in the meddle 8 dkh I think maybe its ok.

CHSUB- my corals where pale in color at lower no3 levels. I add nitrogen. Also dont forget the "Red Field Ratio". If you dont have no3 in the system, specialy when you are carbon dosing or have biopellets, you will have high carbon levels and that will couse some algae or Cyano problems. I notest that with some no3, po3 in more controlable and cyano will go.

The other issue that I want to fix is the Spectrum of my Zetlight ZT 6600. I want to add some t5 ati coral + but I have 0 expirience with t5s. Does it help?

I am planing on using 2 Odyssea T5 Quad 2x24w for each side of the lamps with ATI blue + and Corals +.

http://aqualight.de/product_info.php?products_id=1629

OR DIY with reflectors and only one T5 each side with ATI Coral + using this balast:

http://aqualight.de/product_info.php?products_id=306

Is the balast importent or any balast can work? I only want to fix the spectrum and help the LED a little bit.

any note or advice is accepted. thanks again.

 

[CHSUB]

CHSUB- my corals where pale in color at lower no3 levels. I add nitrogen. Also dont forget the "Red Field Ratio". If you dont have no3 in the system, specialy when you are carbon dosing or have biopellets, you will have high carbon levels and that will couse some algae or Cyano problems. I notest that with some no3, po3 in more controlable and cyano will go.

.

i agree, low po4 and higher no3 will control cyano. however, your po4 is ~.05, which is fine imo. if i use your logic, a "better" no3 level is still <1.0 ppm, which is also many times higher than on the reef.

 

[Myka]

I have no problem with NO3 at 2 ppm in an SPS tank which is also my preference, but that is certainly not an ULNS. ULNS I think may turn out to be a fad. We all used to aim for "0" nutrients for many decades, and now that we have the equipment and knowledge to do so fairly easily we have maybe decided that this may not be optimal for everyone. ULNS will always be popular with the Zeovit crowd and other carbon dosing crowds, but many SPS keepers find small amounts of nutrients often create a more colorful reef.

I do test my kh every day and note the date and observation. In the range on 7.8 to 8.7 is where I have noticed good PE and happy sps. Less than 7.5 they will star to have tip burns. More than 9 they will not be that happy. So I will be in the meddle 8 dkh I think maybe its ok.

I think you have found your own answer. Do whatever works best (within reason).

 

[Icefire]

How stable is your alk?

Try to keep it steady day to day

 

[Alitoo_81]

Thanks again

Well the kh is not steady. Corals come and go, we are a coral farms. That is why we test every day the kh.

 

[Icefire]

If it's truly for farming you need to keep it stable within 0.5dkh daily
Alk swing will burn tips and cause STN

 

[Alitoo_81]

Yes we are a coral farm in Germany.

I always had a reef aquarium and what I always see is good PE especialy at night. In this case, I dont know why at night I dont have good PE in our Frag tanks. Especialy Montiporas. Have any one seen this before?

I thought maybe PH, but no, I tested ant the ph is good at day and at night.

thanks

 

[ridetheducati]

Yes we are a coral farm in Germany.

I always had a reef aquarium and what I always see is good PE especialy at night. In this case, I dont know why at night I dont have good PE in our Frag tanks. Especialy Montiporas. Have any one seen this before?

I thought maybe PH, but no, I tested ant the ph is good at day and at night.

thanks

Check Potassium levels.

 

[Alitoo_81]

The potasium was at 260 reised it to 400-420. I don't think is potasium, we do test it every 15 days.

 

[ridetheducati]

The potasium was at 260 reised it to 400-420. I don't think is potasium, we do test it every 15 days.

How did it get to 260 ppm if you test every 15 days?

 

[Alitoo_81]

How did it get to 260 ppm if you test every 15 days?

Becouse we use Redsea Coral Pro salt, When we tested the first time the Potassium was at 260. We searched in google for the analisys of this salt and we find that it has low potasium levels. We reised the potasium to 400-420 using the K-Balance Strong from KZ. Now each time we do a water change we add potasium.

thanks

 

[Icefire]

Like I said, your ALk need to be kept stable

 

[reefmutt]

i think your n and p are perfect. and at those levels, your alk can be higher than 7 but if you are serious about having a coral farm, you have got to figure out a way to get your parameters - including alk - more stable.