If I can have great colours using IO, DIY 3 part and no additives.....what does that mean? I tried navagating the endless confussion of supplements. Like I said some do work like AA but most are not needed in a healthy tank....mostly its just a money generator for these companies. What is worse is that they dont need to tell you whats in them......I could spit in a bottle and put a fancy name on it and sell it as an crazy coral colour enhancer.

Most of my favorite tanks utilize none to very few additives.

Wicked Frags Ultimate Bonsai
http://www.myreeftank.ca/data/images1/p5265517.jpg

These pictures were from my TOTM a few years ago before I screwed things up with biopellets. I'm slowly getting back to this point the old fashion way (water changes) once again. That little mistake set me back 2 years worth of growth with some specimens. If it aint broken don't fix it right?

For the sake of the thread starter maybe you could list some of the additives that you've used that you credit your success to. That is after all what this thread was intended for.

http://i254.photobucket.com/albums/h...icture1329.jpg

http://i254.photobucket.com/albums/h...icture1922.jpg

That's a lineaged, cherry-picked coral. I'm working with a piece of crap Bali Aquacultured. Let's compare apples to apples. Bet you I could turn that Ultimate Bonsai into something completely different with some tinkering. I'm not talking about simply getting great colors. I'm talking about getting enhanced or modified colors. It's a matter of perspective. For me, watching a coral get colorful (subjectively speaking) and grow is standard/boring. It's like buying an off-the-shelf computer -- it works just fine and will meet the needs and demands of 99% of the population. However, I'm the sort of guy who likes building his own computer with top shelf hardware (customizing his corals).

No can do due to my previous affiliations. Let's be clear, I AM heavily biased myself.

There are lots of additives out there that do all sorts of things! No additives are needed (besides "the big three"), but there can be no argument that many additives can have quite a dramatic effect on the corals.

For someone looking to do some experimenting with additives I would suggest that if you have any nuisance algae that you stay away from any food-type additives like amino acids and dead phyto and zooplankton products as well as powdered foods. Broadcast feeding is probably not a good idea either. Iron and Iodine will also fuel algae. All of these products can have quite a profound effect on tanks where algae is not a problem, though there is a fine line between feeding the corals and polluting the tank. I would not suggest a person to feed their corals if they do not have a very strong nutrient export system.

For SPS, many of the ULNS methods are quite effective. LPS, Zoas/Palys, and softies generally do not like ULNS. ULNS can be achieved in many ways...usually via carbon dosing of one brand or another like ZeoVit, Fauna Marin, Prodibio, or vodka/sugar/vinegar dosing. As mentioned already, SPS will often benefit by the regular monitoring and addition of potassium to help with blues and purples. Imo, potassium dosing is part of "the big three" on my SPS system. It's like "the big four". :)

ZeoVit has some great products I have used like Sponge Power, Coral Vitalizer (this is food, so be careful), Coral Snow, and Spur2. I really like the Brightwell Aquatics and Fauna Marin lines too. I love the Prodibio BioDigest and BiOptim.

In the big picture though, I think the best things you can do for long-term success, good growth and great color are...

1) Have a good nutrient export system in place including a good quality skimmer.
2) Use good quality lights/light bulbs and change them regularly.
3) Keep up on regular waterchanges making sure to keep all areas of the system clean.
4) Keep parameters at acceptable levels and keep them stable (calcium, alkalinity, magnesium, phosphate, and nitrate).

ULNS is for SPS. In the wild, SPS come from ULN waters. Zoas/Palys, softies, and LPS come from water with more nutrients and therefore prefer those conditions.

That's nothing, the lfs out here still runs under gavel filters in all his fresh and salt tanks