Zoanthids and Vitamins

[dustin Combs]

We are constantaly discussing use of supplements with our Zoanthids without mentioning the use of Vitamin suppliments.
Have or has anyone had continued success with dosing Vitamins to their Zoanthids/corals?
What are you using?
We are hoping to develop some great conversation about your success or failures on this topic!

We have had great success in dosing Vitamins to our collection.
We use Sechem Vitamins and Amino Acid suppliments weekly to help boost the immunity of our Zoanthids with no ill effect. We have seen better growth and healther colonies over the last few months.
Do you use this in a dip?

 

[650-IS350]

I just dose the tank with PHYTO, SELCON, VITA C , etc......

 

[dustin Combs]

How many times a week do you dose Vitamins?

 

[ChuckNorris]

Hmm, I've heard about this before but I don't know much about it. Is it just regular vitamins you buy at a store or are they special "saltwater" vitamins?

Thanks
Sean

 

[Don Lino]

theyre fintstone vitamins....





J/K

 

[ct_vol]

I tried using the Seachem Amino Acid and it made my skimmer go BERSERK!!! Then I thought to myself... No sh!t... You're just adding potein to the water!!!

 

[chadfarmer]

<a href=showthread.php?s=&postid=10597782#post10597782 target=_blank>Originally posted</a> by ct_vol
I tried using the Seachem Amino Acid and it made my skimmer go BERSERK!!! Then I thought to myself... No sh!t... You're just adding potein to the water!!!

same thing

in the tank and 5 mins out of the skimmer

 

[Peter Eichler]

It's almost impossible to tell if things like vitamins and amino acids are really doing anything. I gave some amino acids a shot for a while just for kicks and I didn't notice any benefit. The little research that has been done in this area suggests that dosing amino acids might only be beneficial in an aquarium almost devoid of other nitrogen sources, which is not that case with an overwhelming majority of aquariums. Also, it is believed that many corals/stoloniferans, synthesize their own amino acids so providing it for them is a little redundant. It has not even been shown that all corals are capable of absorbing amino acids from the water column, and those that do only do so at very low rates. Lastly, it has been suggested that amino acids being added to the water colum would be used up so quickly by various single celled organisms that it's virtually pointless to dose them. I have a feeling much of what I just said would apply to vitamin additives doesed in the water column as well.

In short, amino acids seem like another fad additive that will mostly go by the wayside sooner rather than later like so many additives in the past.

 

[gh0st]

I typically use the Amino Acids in the tank, skimmer off, a few minutes before feeding, seems to get all the polyps open and waiting.

Then I soak whatever I'm feeding in a little Amino Acid and Vitamin supplements for a while, 5-15 minutes, then feed, seems to prevent it all from being sucked right out through the skimmer.

 

[Peter Eichler]

One last thing, every time you feed your tank you're essentially dosing with amino acids, you're just doing so in a way that we know many of our corals can utilize.

 

[kiran523]

I use Seachem Reef Plus 2x per week. However whenever I spot feed my zoanthids and other corals I use a mixture of brine shrimp, Selcon, and reef chili. I find that everything looks very healthy, lots of sponges, feather dusters and good growth.

 

[dustin Combs]

Just curious, have vitamin additives always been a part of your weekly regiment or did you just decide to start . I am looking for someone who has seen marked progress with growth or health.

 

[kiran523]

I have used them since the beginning. My first tank was a GARF "Bulletproof" tank. The husband of the couple had commented that her wife's tanks were always more vibrant and healty. The sole difference was that she dosed Seachem's Reef+. I can't comment on "marked progress with growth or health" but on one occasion a friend of mine brought over a disc of zoa's that refused to open up for months in spite of every other zoa, sps, and lps being perfect. Within 2 weeks of being in my tank they started to open up (I realize it may be because of many things) . now those green bay packers look so good they put every pic in zoaid.com's green bay packers gallery to shame. I'll send a pic to them as soon as I buy my new digicam.

Dustin, I am aware that in your situation you need to make a cost assesment verses potential growth. I hoped that helped a little.

Edit: btw I turn my skimmer off before dosing and feeding like gh0st

 

[Reef Junkie]

Remember your tank is not an endless pit. Adding suppliments only increases the amount of dissolved organics to your tank. Not all of it get consumed by corals and fish. The rest goes to your sand bed, algae and critters...

Plus, if you you ever throttle back or stop feeding there is a huge propensity for your tank to crash.

When you feed these foods they fuel a pod/worm community that breeds in accordance with the available food. If the food were to stop coming in the same amount, the small animals would begin to starve and then die. This death can start a domino effect that begins with a few hundred pods dying and increases to thousands dying. The increased death can and will cause an ammonia spike that will kill more animals and further move the death ball along. Eventually your tank will crash. Soon after the crash the algae will begin to grow out of control, killing more animals (corals).

This is a worse case scenario, but not a stretch.

It's funny how this phenomenon started happening a lot not too long after DR. Ron proposed the reefing community feed more and add deeeeeeep sand beds back in '00.

So, when you decide to feed more or add suppliments, be prepared to do more maintenance.

The short term benefits are great, but long term can be disasterous.:eek1:

 

[dustin Combs]

Nicely said Bill.