[plyle02]

Hi cflow,
Not sure about your CUC, but regardless of approach, it is still necessary to have ample predators of algae, as well as animals that break down waste. The most effective means of ANY algae I have seen is Mexican Red Leg Hermits. They will decimate algae. Once the rock becomes clean, more surface area for bacteria homing will become available. I am a firm believer in having a solid bristleworm population as well, I have so many that nothing goes uneaten in the tank. My rock is pristine, as the red legs constantly pick. Cucumbers are also great at keeping sand pristine. No need to use KNO3, if you have the right CUC in place, you will be able to feed more to your fish, as well as targeted coral foods without need of supplementation. At the end of the day, you have nitrates, they are just being consumed by algae. So adding KNO3 is fueling this. Get on top of the algae, and then you will have available NO3. Cheers