How can I achieve ULN from where I am now? Brightwell Bacter7/Vodka user

[Tom Toro]

I'm at a point in my reef where my sps are doing better than they ever have. I have great growth, polyp extension and decent color. I'm feeding them twice a week, cyclopeze and the new coral frenzy with eggs. I feed the fish every day with very small amounts of formula 1 and 2 mixed. I have an Orange Shoulder tang(3"), Tamini Tang(2"), Kole Tang(2"), Bengaii Card (1.5"),Lemon Damsel(1.5),Algae Blennie(2"),Flame Angel(2"),3 mithrax, 6 peppermint, 5 Trochus.

I dose daily:
5ml of Vodka
2.5ml of Bacter7
2 drops Lugols
3ml Strontium
20ml Magnesium Tech M
Kalk Drip 24/7

Once a week I add an additional 15ml of Bacter7.

I use two etss 800 skimmers with ample pumps.
I use a BRS Reactor with carbon.
50gal water changes every two weeks.

PH 8.0
Alk 6.8
Ca 450
SG 1026
Temp 76-78
Mg 1700+
Nitrates 0
Phosphates 0
I use Salifert testers.

My problem: I still have nuisance algae although the Bryopsis has died from the high mag. I have red turf and valonia.

Question:How can I achieve the ultra low nutrient level using the bacter7/vodka method? Should I increase both dosages and if so, by what increments?

What would you do with this system to achieve Ultra Low Nutrient levels?

Thanks,
Tom

[ReeferRob]

Hey Tom, I am no expert heck I don't even run a bac driven system...........yet. But it seems as though cutting the Coral Frenzy down to once a week or even every other week would do the trick. Fish poop is all your SPS truly need.

[schminksbro]

You can up your vodka by .25ml per day. Watch your nutrients. Increase slowly over time until the algae dies off.

[Werdlone]

I have been running a bacteria driven system for almost a year now and I still have some valonia and red turf algae. It may be that the rock is still leaching some PO4, or just that detritus builds up on the rocks. My corals are doing great and I don't have what I would call an algae problem..just a little here and there. It might just be maintaining the uln until all of the nutrient finally leaches out of the rock. Be patient and give it time.

[Sir Patrick]

^ +1 to what werdlone said. The algea is probly betting its source from your rock, and not the water column. Gonna have to wait that one out. Can take many months for your rock to leach out all its nutrients. Keep up what you are doing.

[Tom Toro]

Thanks for the help, Folks.

I'll try to up my vodka by 2.5 every two weeks, monitoring levels to make sure I don't mess up.

Slow my coral feeding to once a week.

Wait, wait, wait. That I'm good at. Until the rock leaches out it's excess nutrients. Hadn't thought of any of these, so again thanks!

[schminksbro]

Hey Tom, Just to clarify, you want .25 not 2.5. Huge difference. I also second what Werdlone said. I have the odd bubble algae here and there. Just not a what I consider problem levels.

Originally Posted by Tom Toro

Thanks for the help, Folks.

I'll try to up my vodka by 2.5 every two weeks, monitoring levels to make sure I don't mess up.

Slow my coral feeding to once a week.

Wait, wait, wait. That I'm good at. Until the rock leaches out it's excess nutrients. Hadn't thought of any of these, so again thanks!

[Tom Toro]

Originally Posted by schminksbro

Hey Tom, Just to clarify, you want .25 not 2.5. Huge difference. I also second what Werdlone said. I have the odd bubble algae here and there. Just not a what I consider problem levels.

Ah, big difference for sure. Thanks for the clarification. Unfortunately I have more than the occasional valonia. I also have tons of it on my LR in the sump. I've just got to come up with a good way to remove it from there, clean it, rinse it without killing the tons of pods my mandarin depends on. I think if I can do that, I can get a leg up on the bubble problem. The red turf is another thing entirely. Still don't think my acros will survive Mexican turbos and sounds like besides long term low nutrients, that's my only answer.