What is ATI Nutrition?
ATI Nutrition is a nutrient management dosing system that improves coral growth and controls the growth of nuisance algae, as well as other problematic items like cyanobacteria. Levels of phosphorus, nitrogen and carbon are more efficiently managed by using this product.
Why Are Phosphorus, Nitrogen and Carbon Important?
In nature, corals feed on phytoplankton, even those who live in symbiosis with zooxanthellae. When they digest the phytoplankton, they get C, N and P in specific ratio, known as the Redfield Ratio. Corals then use the C, N and P they have consumed to build up their tissue and grow.
To learn more about the Redfield Ratio, please read our article regarding the Redfield Ratio.
All living things need C:N:P, so if you manage them properly you can control the growth of corals within your aquarium. Obviously, you do not want to feed algae, nor do you want to starve coral, so this becomes a delicate game of cat and mouse.
Before Getting Started with ATI Nutrition
Before starting an ATI Nutrition dosing regimen, it’s important that there be no algae growth in the reef. If you start dosing while algae is growing, it will quickly out compete with the corals, consume the ATI Nutrition products and grow even more.
However, if the algae is already under control with a clean up crew and other algae eaters, ATI Nutrition will be used to primarily feed your coral. This will improve coral growth and make it more challenging for algae to become established.
Pro Tip #1:
Often times users are puzzled because water tests show very little or no nutrients in the system, like phosphate for example, yet they have algae growing. This is because the algae is soaking up the nutrients as soon as they become available so they do not show up in a test. However, you can still be certain there are nutrients present, because there wouldn’t be any algae growth otherwise.
How to Properly Dose ATI Nutrition
It’s important to dose the proper amounts of ATI Nutrition at the proper times for success. Dosing excessive nutrients at improper times – such as while infested with algae or during a cyano outbreak – will only make the situation worse.
The basic dosing principle is as follows:
- Dosing Carbon: Reduces both Nitrate and Phosphate when either one, of both of them, is too high
- Dosing Nitrogen: Increases nitrate when it is too low
- Dosing Phosphorus: Increases phosphate when it is too low
For more detail dosing recommendations, please use our handy online calculator (as shown below):
Pro Tip #2:
Test and adjust dosage regularly.
You’ll want to continue testing and adjusting your dose on a regular basis. It’s more than likely that your reefs requirements will change significantly over time. Therefore, you will need to make changes to your dosing routine to stay dialed-in.
Pro Tip #3:
Never stop using ATI Nutrition abruptly. This can cause significant stress or even death to corals – or even worse, your entire tank may crash as a result. If you decide to stop using ATI Nutrition or any other nutritional additive, please reduce dosage slowly by no more than 20% for each week.
Tired of limited or stagnant coral growth? Give ATI Nutrition a try and help optimize and drive the growth of your aquariums corals.
ATI North America is a leader in equipment for the saltwater aquarium. If you have any questions about this article or any of our products, ATI North America can be reached at (303) 459-2119 or you can email us at customercare@atinorthamerica.com.
We also provide a convenient store locator on our website to help you find a location near you. If you are interested in becoming a dealer in our equipment, please contact us here.