Dec 12

10% water change was done
Added 5 ml of Ultra Amin today

Dec 14

another good salt article....still looking for good salt

http://www.reefkeeping.com/issues/20...ture/index.php
http://www.reefkeeping.com/issues/2007-03/rhf/index.php

Dec 17
Today I started dosing the PowerTrace additives. There was a shipping error and I will have to start PT #3 a little later. This is the current dosing schedule:

1. Min S 3 ml/ daily
2. Bak 0,5 ml/ daily
3. Bio 4 drops every 3 days
4. 500ml of zeolite in reactor
5. Ultra Amin dosage.... 5ml/day based on 500l volume?
6. Powertrace This is based on 10ml/day at volume of 500l
PT 1 50 % ......5 ml
Pt 2 100 %......10 ml
Pt 3 100 %......10 ml
Pt 4 50 %........5 ml

Hi

This is correct but please wait with AMIN yet

Greets claude

Hi Claude
I did start adding Amin on the 17th of Dec. I will discontinue Amin for now.

Hi

Yes ok
Greets

Dec 26
Water Prams
10% water change...new salt will be added on next change
Carbon in Phosban changed
Ca...420mg/l
Mg...1400
Potassium....340 mg/l
pH...8.12
dKH.....7
Phosphate...less than 0.1 mg/l
Nitrates....less than 0.1 mg/l
Salinity 35 ppt (1.0259 SG)... a little high will lower
Redox...avg 330 mV( would like it higher)
Fish added to main tank (yellow tang, Mandrin Goby, 6 line wrasse, fire fish, PJ Cardinal)
Pictures to follow shortly

What is the new salt you are moving to? What where you using before?

I am using Coralife and I was using Aquacraft ME. I really want to use DDH2O by deltec. This all comes down to potassium content

Jan 02

I will be posting more pictures later but what you are seeing is before I started ultralith up to today. What you don't really see in them is the signifigant reduction of symbiotic algae in the coral. And an increase in polyp formation. This is happening to all the corals but at different rates. I also switched to 14k from 10K. Decide for yourself.
http://i496.photobucket.com/albums/r...est/comp1a.jpg
http://i496.photobucket.com/albums/r...est/comp2a.jpg

Hi Fencer

Please don´t use H2O this salt is relabeled Red Sea Coral Pro and we have some really problems with the coral coloration.
Take TUNZE Salt or SeaChem or Instant Ocean
The other salt i did not have expierience with so it is difficult to say

greets claude

I thought I would post this.

We have had a reviewer on another forum for a year now and here is a video of his year end result

http://s196.photobucket.com/albums/a...t=P1020020.flv

Here is what he said

1 year anniversary of using ultralith video
Hello everyone, I started using ultralith on January 1 2008, so I just hit the one year mark and decided to shoot a video of my tank. I am terrible at taking nice pictures, so I thought this would be a little better way to show the corals and colors that I am getting. It has been an experience, but once everything is dialed in, you learn what to dose and how much to dose for your tank and it's needs. I hope you enjoy watching, please let me know what you think of it, I appreciate feedback.

Thanks Claude....I will be introducing the Coralife salt slowly in to the system

Here are 2 more comparison pictures
The top photo
This photo shows 3 corals in a row. All of them have considerable reduction in symbiotic algae. The first coral is showing much of it base layer(kinda dark) and the blue coloration is much stronger. The second coral show the reduction in symbiotic algae with better pylop extensions. The last coral (not in focus) was a control coral bought locally. The owner and I agreed that it was totally brown with miminal coloration under MH light. The effect of Ultralith is very dramatic. The second coral picture show the amount of symbiotic algae reduction on the base layer. More pastel colours are starting to show as well a growth increase.

http://i496.photobucket.com/albums/r...DSCN5114a1.jpg
http://i496.photobucket.com/albums/r...DSCN5110a1.jpg

So H20 salt is the same product as Red Sea Coral Pro?! :surprise:

WOW impressive photos!!!!!!

Considering the small amount of time you have been running Fauna Ultra Lith this is outstanding.

Cant wait to see the results after 3 months. :razz:

Do you have proof of this???

http://www.canreef.com/vbulletin/showthread.php?t=47990

Claude please note the differences between the RSCP and the H2Ocean as listed in this 1 independent study and I have more studies if you have time. I have been following this thread closely and am looking for a proven coral system, not one based on conjecture.

Fencer It looks like you are doing a great job and the Fauna Marin system is looking promising. Remember that information without proof is only gossip, (from me included) so keep up the studying and keep up the good work.

Kevin

Hi

The coloration of the corals is also depending on thesalts you use
and if the salts contains to much Trace elements you wil get brown corals.We checked severals salts also in UK available salts and they was the same
in coral reaction and water parameters
In our european experience we know that the salts change sometimes the paramatern and the reaction of the corals is from batch to batch different.

Greets CLaude

I would like to know where you got the info from? I switched from RBS to H2Ocean a little while back and my coral continue to look good. Like Kevin said, the Red Sea salt tested different then the H2Ocean salt. From my findings on the few buckets I've used now (from 2 different batches) the test results that I have found are very similar to those listed on the container. If it is just a repackaged salt I would like to know.

HI

I think you missunderstand me due to my bad english
i talk about Red Sea Coral Pro and there are many salts on the market which make brown corals if you work with a Low nutrition system
This means not this salts have a bad quality.
maybe there have to much Trace elements in which you can only see
if the corals are bright.
In normal Systems you cannot see this
We use long time RSCP in our own systems at the moment we check another
salt to see which is the best in combinaton to the Ultralith System

The tests which i do 6 month ago showed that what i said
Greets claude

Prams Jan 19

Ca...450 ppm
Mg...1400
Potassium....340 mg/l
pH...7.99
dKH.....7.4
Phosphate...less than 0.3ppm
Nitrates....less than 0.2 ppm
Salinity 31 ppt ... a little high will lower
Conductivity.....53.5 mEq
Redox...avg 337 mV( would like it higher)


I would like to review:

Currently I am dosing:

PT 1.........5ml
PT 2.........10ml
PT 3.........10ml
PT 4.........5ml
MinS.......3ml
Bak...........0.5ml
Bio............4 drops every 3 days
zeolite........0.5 l...have not changed yet
Amin...........not dosing
Organic ......not dosing
10% water change/week
Carbon change one / month
Phosphate remover......not using
Claude...
Should I continue this dosing rate?
When should I adjust the power trace dosing(what are my indicators)?

Hi Fencer

Please use same dosing
reduce the Bio to 4 drops weekly

Did you filtered over carbon ? if yes how much
and which changes ?
Redox is ok Salinity can be better at 34
but iám wondering why you MG and CA is so high ?
greets claude

Hi Claude

Same dosing.
Dropping Bio to 4 drops weekly.
I will raise salinity to 34.

I use one litre of Carbon in a reactor. The reactor sits in the sump and only feeds back into the sump. In other words the carbon filtered water never goes in the main tank directly. The carbon reactor pump flows about 100 l/ hr. As for the Mg and Ca. My Mg has always been high and the Ca is due to the new salt being used. I could slow down the Ca reactor flow. But the Ca has remained constant( I have been testing this every day since I started using the new salt)

HI Fencer

which kind of carbon you use
what make your corals
greets claude

Hi Claude
I am using Kent Marine Reef Carbon

I am not sure what you are asking, "what make your corals" please clarify
- I have 85 % sps in the tank mostly acropora sp(60%) but also have other sps species in the tank
-any recommendations?

Other notes
1. I have noticed my pod population has dropped drastically
2. I was moving some rock work in the main tank and caused most of the acros to start releasing "slime" into the tank. This was enough toxin released in the tank to cause signifigant tissue loss in the montis, birdsnest and echino. Pollioporas suffered tissue loss to a lesser extent. LESSON: never do aggressive landscaping in the tank when you have a lot of sps.

Hiya

Claude means what breed of corals etc

IH Fencer

hmm i did not know this carbon
it is pelltized or small granule ?

Please check the Ph swing and Po4 level of this carbon

you are right a massive landscaping can bring a loto f problems
check here also your Po4 level with a heat test
greets claude

Hi Claude
This is a pellet type carbon...I suspect it is pH 7 or higher as is safe for reef and cichlid use. I checked it for phosphates and it did not show any trace. pH swing was also small. As a result of that moving rock around I did lose one SPS by STN others were damaged but have recovered.

Water tests to come on Friday/Sat. Here are some comparison photos:

http://i496.photobucket.com/albums/r...DSCN5153ab.jpg
http://i496.photobucket.com/albums/r...DSCN5155ab.jpg
http://i496.photobucket.com/albums/r...DSCN5144ab.jpg


Here is all the images from the day ultra was started;


http://s496.photobucket.com/albums/r...view=slideshow

The Monti on the upper right side of this photo has not responded to Ultralith. O suspect it might be the light also:


http://i496.photobucket.com/albums/r.../DSCN5159a.jpg

I would like to review:

Currently I am dosing as of Mar 10th:

PT 1.........5ml
PT 2.........10ml
PT 3.........10ml
PT 4.........5ml
MinS.......3ml
Bak...........0.5ml
Bio............4 drops every week
zeolite........0.5 l...have not changed yet
Amin...........not dosing
Organic ......not dosing
10% water change/week
Carbon change one / month
Phosphate remover......not using
Claude...
Should I continue this dosing rate?
When should I adjust the power trace dosing(what are my indicators)?

Photos look great.

What kind of time daily, weekly, etc. do you put in with this system?

HI

This montipora need full light and very very low nutrition to
increase the coloration.

Please change 50 % of the ultralith now
add 0.5 ml more BAK and let run the system.

Be careful with the carbon i cannot say something to that carbon
no experience with this brand

Greets claude

Great thread been thinking of going on ultra, But one thing concerns me I am using h20 ocean salt right now and did not know it was a rebadged red sea salt !!! I feel quite ripped off since this is much more expensive the RSCS, I was told that this was a high quality salt, going to have a word with my LFS. If i go on ultra should i stop using this salt and change to something else that is high quality, what should i change to?

We suggest using Reef Crystals this has been tested to be the most stable and also works well with Ultra Lith

Catherine I spend about 5 minutes a day dosing Ultra additives and water change weekly.

Claude

I will do this tonight

Change 50 % of the ultralith
Add 0.5 ml more BAK to a dosage of 1 ml/day

I don't really see any problems with the carbon. but if you would private message me I will consider changing to your recommended carbon or tell me what you are looking for in selecting carbon. How often do you change Carbon?

Hiya

In regards to carbon, Claude developed Ultra CarbL this is lab tested not to have any impurities. the other important thing with carbL due to the way it is processed the carbon last a lot longer than other carbons of similar quality on the market and as such cuts down maintenance times and costs in the running of

Here is the blurb

Ultra-Carb L is an acitvated carbon specifically made for permanent and long-term use.

Extremely pure, vapour-activated and pre-washed activated carbon for efficient removal of yellowness, turbidity and harmful toxins, essential for maintaining good water quality in any aquarium. Ultracarb is almost entirely free of phosphate and has an extremely high capacity. Ultracarb is specifically made for permanent and long-term use but should be exchanged every 30 days. Suitable for freshwater and marine aquaria, cleans the water without any negative side effects.

Hey, not to hijack your thread Fencer but I just finished a large container of UltraCarbL, there were a ton of little white granules towards the bottom of the container, what the heck were these things and were they supposed to be in there? can they go in with the carbon into the tank??

Thanks :biggrin:

This is just binding residue should look like tiny white bits.

Notes
The use of this system has a an unexpected side effect all the softies are doing very well in the tank. I had trouble getting duncans to grow which now not an issue. The other issue is that it has spurred the growth of Apistia. SPS polyp extension has been excellent and growth has been good. I have plans to increase the lighting of the tank to 250 MH to increase growth rates.


Prams May 17

Some pictures will follow.

Ca...450 ppm
Mg...1400 ppm
Potassium....not done
pH...7.92
dKH.....7.4
Phosphate...less than 0.15ppm
Nitrates.... 3 ppm (due to the introduction of fish)
Salinity 32 ppt
Conductivity.....55.5 mEq
Redox...avg 320 mV( would like it higher)


I would like to review:

Currently I am dosing:

PT 1.........5 ml
PT 2.........10 ml
PT 3.........10 ml
PT 4.........5 ml
MinS.......3 ml
Bak...........1.0 ml
Bio............4 drops every week
zeolite........0.5 l added an additional 0.5l
Amin...........not dosing
Organic ......not dosing
10% water change/week
Carbon change one / month
Phosphate remover......not using

Here are some picture shots as of May 20 under 12K/Actininc VHO's:

http://i496.photobucket.com/albums/r...t/DSCN5176.jpg

http://i496.photobucket.com/albums/r...t/DSCN5180.jpg

Here is the same filed with 14K MH and actinics much earlier

http://i496.photobucket.com/albums/r.../DSCN5147a.jpg

http://i496.photobucket.com/albums/r.../DSCN5150a.jpg