rtparty
Raise The Reef!
Alright, let me preface this a little bit. My LFS told me about a "brand-new revolutionary" product that they have been using on their tank for a few weeks now. They said their growth has exploded since using the product and have some pictures to prove it. I had them show me pictures and the growth was good but not what I would call "explosive".
A local guy asked a question about it and I said that until I could see the ingredients and science behind it, it was just snake oil to me.
Here is their response to me. Sorry it is a long read.
"I love that people are questioning it, and Ryan, we still have not come up with a name for it yet so Snake Oil will definitely be on the list, lol.
Nano Particulate Dosing Products
For all of those reading this, there is a base knowledge that must be learned before I can explain the way these new products work. For those advanced aquarists skip to the **** section for the explanation.
For those looking to increase their knowledge please read this first.
We are all trying to grow corals as fast as we can, the faster they grow the more frags we can cut and the more we cut the more we sell and the more we sell the more we can buy. This is an endless cycle, at least, for me.
Base Knowledge of Growing Corals:
We must first understand the makeup of corals. There is Zooxanthellae which is the symbiotic algae that live within the tissue of the coral. The skeletal structure of the coral which is made of Calcium Carbonate. This helps us understand that in order for the coral to grow they need Light to grow the algae as well as Calcium and Carbonate to grow their skeleton. The 'catalyst' for maintaining good levels of Calcium and good levels of Carbonate is Magnesium.
This is where we get the term the 'Big Three' in Reefkeeping and coral growing. Calcium, Alkalinity(Carbonate Hardness/Level) and Magnesium. In order for a coral to grow there needs to be good levels of each of these in the water column. We as Aquarists have come to understand that these 'good' levels are often tested out at 400-500 ppm for Calcium, 8-12dkh for Alkalinity, and 1200-1500 for Magnesium.
There are also a handful of trace elements that we have learned help the corals grow and color up better in captivity. Some of these are Iodide, Vitamin C, and other Vitamins, as well as Carbohydrates, Amino Acids and others.
****This is the exciting part. These new products we have just released are to be used in addition to what you are currently using to replenish used Cal/Alk/Mg whether that be a standard 2 part dosing system or a calcium reactor.
In the past we have dosed Calcium Chloride, Sodium Bicarbonate (Sodium Carbonate) and Magnesium Sulfate/Chloride to increase the levels of these needed elements in the water column. When dosing these there is a Chemical Reaction that must take place in order for the Calcium to release from the Chloride, the Carbonate to release from the Sodium and the Magnesium to release from the Sulfate/Chloride. Any chemical reaction that takes place uses Energy. Usually this Chemical reaction also causes Unwanted changes in the tank like a pH change, or a warming of the water.
With our New Products there is no Chloride, Sodium or Sulfate to release and no chemical reaction that needs to take place in order for it to be accessible by the coral for coral growth. So no Energy is expended by the coral in order to grow....This is possible due to the fact that the Cal/Alk/Mg is broken down to a nano particulate size which can be absorbed by the coral passively. With no 'carrier' like chloride, sulfate or sodium, the mixtures we have are the clean calcium, carbonate (alkalinity) and magnesium in a pure h2o/water.
We recommend dosing these in conjunction with your current dosing regimen and in doing so you will see an EXPLOSION in growth. We recommend dosing 15 ml of each product per 100gallons per day to see the same results as our show tank. These can be dosed into the system within seconds of each other with NONE of the Unwanted changes to pH or water.
Currently we have 4 products that have hit the market in Utah for a test run at the discounted price of $9.99 per 16 ounce bottle, or 4 bottles for $32. These were designed to last a 100 gallon system 1 month at the above mentioned dosing regimen.
The available bottles are: Pure Calcium, Pure Alkalinity, Pure Magnesium and Coral Accelerator(our trace elements blend).
We have come to recognize Two growth rates which we are calling:
Standard Growth Rate, or the rate at which your coral grows through the chemical reactions of actively removing the Calcium, Carbonate and Magnesium from the water column.
Explosive Growth Rate, or the rate at which your coral grows through passively absorbing the needed Calcium, Carbonate and Magnesium from the water column.
We have seen that this rate is an Explosion of growth lasting as long as our products are present in the system.
We also mention a term called BASE-LINE, which is the levels that the tank is at before dosing our products.
These products are unlike ANYTHING on the market now, and will cause this Explosive Growth Rate each time you dose. If you would like to test as you dose(which we recommend):
1- Test the tank before add the product. This gives you the BASE-LINE of what the tank is at.
2- Add the Products and wait 10-15 minutes.
3- Test the water.
4- Wait 1-4 hours(depending on coral load).
5- Test again, waiting less and less time every day until you can determine how fast your tank is using the products.
When we started our dosing we were only dosing twice a day, and thus missing out on keeping the corals maintained in the Explosive Growth Rate.
You will find that there is Explosive Growth Rate happening until all the the products you dosed are completely used up. After the products are used up the corals will return to their Standard Growth rate. As you test, you will be able to determine how fast your corals are using up the easily accessible elements, and adjust your dosing to match these time lines in order to MAXIMIZE your growth. Keep in mind that as your corals grow this fast, you will have to increase the amount of your regular dosing regimen in order to keep up the BASE-LINE"
I have my opinions on the subject but no concrete knowledge. I am not a scientist and my last chemistry class was in high school over 10 years ago.
So to Randy, bertoni, David, and all others: What say you?
Thanks!
A local guy asked a question about it and I said that until I could see the ingredients and science behind it, it was just snake oil to me.
Here is their response to me. Sorry it is a long read.
"I love that people are questioning it, and Ryan, we still have not come up with a name for it yet so Snake Oil will definitely be on the list, lol.
Nano Particulate Dosing Products
For all of those reading this, there is a base knowledge that must be learned before I can explain the way these new products work. For those advanced aquarists skip to the **** section for the explanation.
For those looking to increase their knowledge please read this first.
We are all trying to grow corals as fast as we can, the faster they grow the more frags we can cut and the more we cut the more we sell and the more we sell the more we can buy. This is an endless cycle, at least, for me.
Base Knowledge of Growing Corals:
We must first understand the makeup of corals. There is Zooxanthellae which is the symbiotic algae that live within the tissue of the coral. The skeletal structure of the coral which is made of Calcium Carbonate. This helps us understand that in order for the coral to grow they need Light to grow the algae as well as Calcium and Carbonate to grow their skeleton. The 'catalyst' for maintaining good levels of Calcium and good levels of Carbonate is Magnesium.
This is where we get the term the 'Big Three' in Reefkeeping and coral growing. Calcium, Alkalinity(Carbonate Hardness/Level) and Magnesium. In order for a coral to grow there needs to be good levels of each of these in the water column. We as Aquarists have come to understand that these 'good' levels are often tested out at 400-500 ppm for Calcium, 8-12dkh for Alkalinity, and 1200-1500 for Magnesium.
There are also a handful of trace elements that we have learned help the corals grow and color up better in captivity. Some of these are Iodide, Vitamin C, and other Vitamins, as well as Carbohydrates, Amino Acids and others.
****This is the exciting part. These new products we have just released are to be used in addition to what you are currently using to replenish used Cal/Alk/Mg whether that be a standard 2 part dosing system or a calcium reactor.
In the past we have dosed Calcium Chloride, Sodium Bicarbonate (Sodium Carbonate) and Magnesium Sulfate/Chloride to increase the levels of these needed elements in the water column. When dosing these there is a Chemical Reaction that must take place in order for the Calcium to release from the Chloride, the Carbonate to release from the Sodium and the Magnesium to release from the Sulfate/Chloride. Any chemical reaction that takes place uses Energy. Usually this Chemical reaction also causes Unwanted changes in the tank like a pH change, or a warming of the water.
With our New Products there is no Chloride, Sodium or Sulfate to release and no chemical reaction that needs to take place in order for it to be accessible by the coral for coral growth. So no Energy is expended by the coral in order to grow....This is possible due to the fact that the Cal/Alk/Mg is broken down to a nano particulate size which can be absorbed by the coral passively. With no 'carrier' like chloride, sulfate or sodium, the mixtures we have are the clean calcium, carbonate (alkalinity) and magnesium in a pure h2o/water.
We recommend dosing these in conjunction with your current dosing regimen and in doing so you will see an EXPLOSION in growth. We recommend dosing 15 ml of each product per 100gallons per day to see the same results as our show tank. These can be dosed into the system within seconds of each other with NONE of the Unwanted changes to pH or water.
Currently we have 4 products that have hit the market in Utah for a test run at the discounted price of $9.99 per 16 ounce bottle, or 4 bottles for $32. These were designed to last a 100 gallon system 1 month at the above mentioned dosing regimen.
The available bottles are: Pure Calcium, Pure Alkalinity, Pure Magnesium and Coral Accelerator(our trace elements blend).
We have come to recognize Two growth rates which we are calling:
Standard Growth Rate, or the rate at which your coral grows through the chemical reactions of actively removing the Calcium, Carbonate and Magnesium from the water column.
Explosive Growth Rate, or the rate at which your coral grows through passively absorbing the needed Calcium, Carbonate and Magnesium from the water column.
We have seen that this rate is an Explosion of growth lasting as long as our products are present in the system.
We also mention a term called BASE-LINE, which is the levels that the tank is at before dosing our products.
These products are unlike ANYTHING on the market now, and will cause this Explosive Growth Rate each time you dose. If you would like to test as you dose(which we recommend):
1- Test the tank before add the product. This gives you the BASE-LINE of what the tank is at.
2- Add the Products and wait 10-15 minutes.
3- Test the water.
4- Wait 1-4 hours(depending on coral load).
5- Test again, waiting less and less time every day until you can determine how fast your tank is using the products.
When we started our dosing we were only dosing twice a day, and thus missing out on keeping the corals maintained in the Explosive Growth Rate.
You will find that there is Explosive Growth Rate happening until all the the products you dosed are completely used up. After the products are used up the corals will return to their Standard Growth rate. As you test, you will be able to determine how fast your corals are using up the easily accessible elements, and adjust your dosing to match these time lines in order to MAXIMIZE your growth. Keep in mind that as your corals grow this fast, you will have to increase the amount of your regular dosing regimen in order to keep up the BASE-LINE"
I have my opinions on the subject but no concrete knowledge. I am not a scientist and my last chemistry class was in high school over 10 years ago.
So to Randy, bertoni, David, and all others: What say you?
Thanks!
