is a natural way to eliminate the problems associated clarity and solids problems. Proper use will make routine tank maintenance much more effective. However, some maintenance will still be required. will help reduce undesirable growth and decayed algae. Overall, the product is used to keep the system in biological balance, prevent blooms, minimize (but not eliminate) maintenance, and beautify the marine systems.

The Problem: Algae Blooms in Reef Tanks
Expensive, work-intensive, and sensitive marine / reef tanks sometimes become overgrown with nuisance algae. The most typical culprits are generally the following:

Brown Algae or Diatoms. This is typically a dusting on your substrate and rapidly turns into a brown mat that can, if not controlled, cover the bottom in a few weeks time. It is not actually algae at all, it?s dead diatom skeletons that are actually linked together (visable when viewed through a microscope). Diatoms thrive on silicates, which are often found in tap make-up water. Silicates can also be introduced via sand, so you need to be careful when introducing any sand that can leach silicates into your water. Check with specific suppliers to make sure that this is not a problem. Silicates, though, are not the only food for diatoms, or brown algae. They also require N and P (nitrogen and phosphate, and Marine SST will generally consume these faster than the diatoms, keeping their population below the nuisance level.

Green Hair Algae. Green hair algae attaches to live rock, glass, overflow boxes, powerheads and anything else it settles on. As the problem gets worse, it is visible as the dreaded hair algae. Once the hair alga has gotten out of control, Marine SST is perhaps the best way to bring the system back to equilibrium. Controlling algae is actually a simple matter of limiting nutrients. In general, keep nitrate concentration below 10 mg/L and phosphate concentration below .05 mg/L. Nutrients can be reduced with regular partial water changes with RO or DI water. Doing a 20% water change (with RO or DI water) will reduce the nutrient levels in the tank by 20% because RO (Reverse Osmosis) or DI (DeIonized) water should contain virtually no nutrients until you add your favorite synthetic salt mix. However, these water changes might keep the nutrient levels low, but once hair algae become overgrown, it is almost impossible to get rid of without completely restarting your tank.

Once the hair algae become a big problem, Marine SST is the ideal way to solve things. Use the 'problem dose' as listed on the label weekly until the problem is solved, and then revert to the maintenance dose. We suggest vacuuming lightly or scraping in order to remove the dying hair algae. It will be very easy to remove once Marine SST has been in the tank for at least one week. Do not expect Marine SST to simple make all the hair algae vanish. Instead, most of the hair algae will start to turn brown, after which it will begin to die off. Continued product use will prevent re-occurrences.

Red Slime Algae - Cyanobacteria. Red Slime Algae or Cyanobacteria grow in the presence of excess N and P, but also when organic contaminants reach high levels. This can occur when skimmers fail, or when a tank is crowded, overfed, poor lighting is used, or other events that cause organic build-up. Cyanobacteria start off as a small spot or discoloration from blue-green to dark red and sometimes almost black in color that slowly forms a sheet or mat. Bacillus in Marine SST will solubilize and biodegrade the organic material, and will purify the water. Marine SST is particularly good at this function in that it is specialized for marine environments. Other products attempt to use freshwater bacteria (which are cheaper and easier to grow) rather than the preferred marine strains

Using with your system
is compatible with most standard tank maintenance. But any time you add the product, stop the use of protein skimmers, UV sterilizers, or other such systems for at least 8 hours (preferably 24 hours) after applying the product. Since is a 100% live product, it will be killed and rendered inactive by UV sterilizers. Once the product is added, it will go with the natural flow pattern of the system, and will become part of the substrate bed, rock / biomass interstices, and other sites where bacteria naturally grow.

You could add 10 times the recommended dose of without toxicity in your tank. However, the 'problem dose' as listed on the label is the maximum recommended dose as is the frequency. It is usually uneconomical and unproductive to add much more than the recommended dose.

Using the product will result in noticeable visual results such as browning. This results from decaying during the initial phase of treatment. Always remember that simply consumes nitrogen, phosphate, and organic waste rapidly.

The product is extremely effective when used as described above. As long as your expectations are proper, you will be extremely satisfied with the product and how it enhances the enjoyment of your marine system

How Safe is UltraClear
The bacterial species included in UltraClear are recognized by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) and the American Type Culture Collection (ATCC) as Biosafety Level 1 bacteria. CDC and ATCC give the following definition of Biosafety Level 1 bacteria:

'ATCC cultures and related products are classified by biosafety level (BSL) in an effort to provide guidance to the user on potential risk. The classification is based on assessment of the potential risk using U.S. Public Health Service guidelines, with assistance provided by ATCC scientific advisory committees. Those items in BSL-1 have no known potential to cause disease in humans or animals.'

Dosage Instructions
The dosage of is based on the volume of water in your aquarium or reef tank. Generally, use 1 ounce for every 10 gallons of water. In most cases, you will dose between once a week to once a month. If you are simply trying to prevent a problem, start dosing Marine SST before you have a problem, and repeat dosage once a month.

If you are treating an existing problem, dose once a week until the problem is solved, then revert to dosing monthly or as needed. You cannot harm your system by overdosing. Remember that all biological solutions take time to show results. By following the above dosage guidelines, you will achieve the best mix of rapid results without wasting product.