Ultralith Calculator now available! Calculates how much Ultralith, Ultra-Bio, Ultra-Bak and Ultra MinS you should be using, and helps you track your progress.

Click to download the Ultralith Calculator in Excel format.

Have you looked in amazement at the coral systems of other reefers?  Systems with high growth rates and stunning colouration – and wondered how you could have that in your own tank?

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You might think you don’t have the time, the patience, or the know-how.  Think again.  The Fauna Marin Ultralith-System is a balanced approach to achieving and maintaining a natural low-nutrient environment that will help your corals do their very best.Your reef aquarium is a complex biological system, housing many different organisms with diverse water quality and nutritional requirements.  In order to fulfil these requirements, Fauna Marin have developed novel and user-friendly systems usable even by beginners.  Unlike many other manufacturers, Fauna Marin think about complete systems that work together rather than individual products which can give mixed results.

What is the Ultralith-System?

The Ultralith-System is based on the application of Zeolite.  Zeolites are minerals that have a microporous structure with pores smaller than 2nm.  The natural Zeolite used in Ultralith has been specifically selected to bind Ammonium, and has pores down to 1nm (one billionth of a meter) in diameter.

The Ultralith-System is suitable for use in marine aquaria that use the classic Berlin Method of filtration (live rock and protien skimmer) and is not suiable for DSB, Jaubert Plenum or Mud filtration systems.

When used to reduce nutrient concentration in your aquarium, Ultralith prevents the masking effect on colour (due to excess Zooxanthellae) that can turn your corals brown.

Almost as an added bonus, Ultralith was designed for general filtration and water purification – not just to produce pastel-coloured SPS corals.  Filtration with the Ultralith-System can enhance the natural colouration of all corals, and is suitable for maintaining water quality in tanks set up to house azooxanthellate (non-photosynthetic) corals.

When combined with Fauna Marin’s special Ultra-BAK and Ultra-Min S foods, Ultralith is a simple and safe method of keeping even the most delicate and sensitive animals.  The Ultralith-System makes it possible to set up and cycle new tanks quickly and safely, and older tanks can be rejuvenated – safely avoiding “Old Tank Syndrome”.

The basic Ultralith-System contains four products.  In this most basic form you will have very effective water filtration and a tank with healthy and colourful corals:

1. Ultralith: Marine Zeolite Mix,
2. Ultra-Min S: Basic Nutrient and Trace Element Solution,
3. Ultra-BAK: Bacterial Food, Carbon and Vitamin Source, and
4. Ultra-Bio: A specially formulated blend of bacteria for rapid nutrient reduction.

Though the Ultralith-System is very easy to use, when first using the Ultralith-System, please read the manual very carefully.

Click to download the Ultralith-System Manual in PDF format.

The Ultralith-System needs some time to achieve optimal results and should therefore be started slowly and carefully.  Patience is perhaps the most important factor for a successful start.

Additonal additives can be employed if required or desired:

• UltraAMIN: Food and colour booster for SPS/LPS corals
• Ultra-Carb: Highly-activated carbon for rapid removal of yellowness, turbidity and toxins,
• ULTRA Organic: Solution with organic trace elements and nutrients, and
• Ultra Power-Trace: Four trace element solutions for specific addition of: 1: Strontium/Calcium, 2: Iron/Zinc, 3: Iodine/Boron, and 4: Magnesium

The Ultralith-System has to be adjusted to each tank and requires a certain discipline. The basic system is designed for modern reef tanks with mixed livestock.  More extreme, but still natural colours can be achieved with careful higher dosing.

How does the Ultralith system work in the Aquarium?

Ultralith removes Ammonium and Ammonia from the water and binds it to its mineral structure.  The specially formulated bacterial strains (Ultra-Bio) will colonize the mineral grains and use the bound nutrients, thereby avoiding the buildup of Nitrate in the Aquarium.

Ultralith also removes certain trace elements from the water, which can be replenished with our specially formulated trace element solutions (Ultra Power-Trace 1-4) and our general nutrient and trace element solution (Ultra-Min S).

Ultralith does not remove phosphates directly from the water. However, by using Ultralith, skimming efficiency, bacterial as well as coral growth will be increased, thereby removing phosphate from the water. The result are concentrations that are below the detection limit of standard hobbyist aquarium tests.

The trick, or rather the success of the method is to maintain extremely nutrient poor conditions and to add exactly those nutrients and trace elements which are necessary to maintain maximum growth rates and colouration.  Only through additions of bacteria, nutrients and trace elements can the corals be maintained at optimal conditions.

In the natural reef environment the corals have the necessary amount of nutrients constantly available, although the water is basically devoid of any measurable nutrients. Such conditions are simulated with our Ultralith system.  Growth and colouration of the corals can be influenced by dosing of trace elements and nutrients.

As you can see, Fauna Marin’s Ultralith-System is quite different from others on the market.  Having their origins in the respected German reef aquarium market, Fauna Marin are respected for their easy to use products and the great success they bring to their customers.

First off, once you receive your magnets you will need some cyanoacrylate super glue and a small piece of rubble. For flat frags such as montipora caps I try to find a piece of rubble that will sit on the magnet and have a surface that is somewhat flat and at 90 degrees to your work surface. It does not have to be exact but the flatter it is the easier it is to mount your monti cap. For any other frags, though, I try and find a piece of rubble with an interesting shape and only one flat side.

Separate your magnets and put the other magnet a fair distance away from the magnet that you plan on gluing (a foot or more away). These magnet are quite powerful, and if yours are close together and one gets nudged by accident once the glue is applied and your magnets stick together you may have a very sticky situation on your hands.

Apply liberal amounts of super glue to one magnet.

Place rock on magnet and press firmly.

Now at this point the longer you can allow the super glue to dry the better. Allowing the super glue to completely dry overnight is preferable but not required. Once your super glue has sufficiently dried you can pick up your piece. Now apply liberal amounts of super glue where you plan on attaching your frag.

This is where the technique of attaching your frags will differ. I chose a piece of cap as it is the most challenging to attach.
Dry the bottom of your cap with a piece of paper towel. I usually just put my cap on a piece of paper towel and let it sit there for a few minutes.  Turn your cap upside down and place your magnet + rubble + glue onto it.  Be sure to give yourself a bit of space between the frag and where the glass will be once its in the tank.

Allow the glue to set for a few min and place your piece in the tank.
Now this part is important. When you put your piece into the tank keep the magnets separate and do not allow the magnets to get to close to each other. I find it easiest to place the frag in the tank and figure out where i want it while the other magnet is in my pocket. Once you know where you want it for sure grab the other magnet and place it on the other side of the glass.

On one of the first magnets that I put together I made the mistake of allowing the magnet to get too close together while I was putting my frag into the tank. The magnets jumped together and pushed my frag off of the rock. Both my magnets and frag and subsequently fingers were covered in superglue so it would be great if I can help you avoid making my mistake.

If you are attaching a frag with a flat side already it is much easier and faster.

Here we took a piece of encrusting orange monti that we fragged off of a very large colony here. We cut the piece in half with a diamond wheel on a Dremel to give us a nice flat surface.

Again apply your super glue.

Place your coral on the magnet.

And you are done!

You can purchase Mag Mounts or Thumb Crushers Here.