[ben]

now im going into sps i would like to know if i should start adding amino acids yet. if so what sort of dosage and when in the day should it be added?

do you add it and have you seen a difference?

the thing is ive been reading that its only worth adding to systems with very low nutients, i.e nitrates and phosphates. is this correct.



cheers
ben

[Crabbit]

The amino acids are to stimulate the corals to feed more. The amount is going to depend on the amount of corals you have in your tank. Your best bet is to start off with a small dose and up it the more corals you get and the heavier you feed. Here is the Pappon method sound like you are thinking of trying this.

[ben]

thanks mark. ive read about the pappone and its something i might try when i get more corals. i was wondering if its worth me adding amino acids yet?

[Crabbit]

Get it in there my boy. There are many on the market or you can use a vegetable based one from a health food shop. You can start the method now but use a smaller amount. The sugar in the recipe is what sorts out the phosphates and nitrate.

[ben]

cool, ill look into it asap

[dylan]

ive started useing amino acids after talking to jas and linds i use the salifert product i feed them an hour before the lights go out then an hour after the lights go out i use a cocktail of salifert coral food,oyster eggs,sugar,and cyclopeeze i do this 2-3 nights a week sometimes i leave the skimmer cup off over night, im seeing good results from my lps , not so much in my sps but i think thats coz there still settling in to there new tank, one thing that has gone mad since i started useing this method is my clam!!!

[ben]

how are your nitrates dylan?

[dylan]

0-2 never been that low even when i had a bucket on my old system, ive also got a ton of cheato in my sump, i think ive spoke to you before about the oyster eggs spiking my nitrates not with the good old sugar though!!!

[Social D]

Interesting you got a spike using the Oyster eggs i use DT's now so may have to test for nitrate
as they are meant to be like this .. although the consistency of the food in a mixing cup is no more really than mysis juice!.

[ben]

opening up this topic again.

as ammino acids are supposed to encourage polyp extention, is there anything else they do for your corals?

is there a way or need to test for these and are they available in other products or food ect?

do any of you who run a low nutrient system use ammino acids?

[ziggy]

AA are the building blocks of life so fire them in.......

[Social D]

I'm using Red Plankton which contains AA with a dash of Vitamin C , also i use AA concentrate before i use the zoo-plankton and the tank seems to be better off for it ... although i couldn't pinpoint any real benefits but its the morning after effect that you know the tank has enjoyed the meal the night before
That makes me spend my money on products if that understandable

[ben]

where do you get the red plankton tim, and what is it called?

[dylan]

tim do dt's make the zoo plankton??

[Social D]

Down from Pool School, The make is Brightwell Aquatics Zooplanktos-L suspension for fishes stony corals, clams , inverts.

Dont think so dylan

[ben]

next time you pop in there can you let me know before you go

[ben]

totally tropical

[dylan]

so tim how often do you add this?? do u dose exactly what it says on the bottle have cut down on any other foods since you've started adding this and do u add it after lights out?? sorry for all the questions

[Simon Garratt]

Seeing as ben prodded me.

Quote

now im going into sps i would like to know if i should start adding amino acids yet. if so what sort of dosage and when in the day should it be added?

do you add it and have you seen a difference?

the thing is ive been reading that its only worth adding to systems with very low nutients, i.e nitrates and phosphates. is this correct.



cheers
ben

Are they essential for a successfull and colourfull SPS system....well, no not realy, at least not in terms of addition 'beyond' what normaly makes its way into our systems through more normal foods etc. (dont forget, this isnt something 'new')...

Imo, both mine and Si clarks old systems prove this beyond a shadow of doubt... especially Si's old system which had colouration even the most avid ULNS user would die for.

Is it usefull though, yes, most certainly as a feeding trigger for SPS and other corals. Its been well known for a long time that if you want to induce a good feeding response in corals to get thier polyps out prior to the main food input, then squeezing the juice out of a prawn or mussel has the same effect. what you are realy doing is adding a concentrated mix of ammino acids and other chemical response triggers into the water that trigger a physiological response in the corals that pick it up.

Personnaly, i dont use custom made highly condensed addatives of this nature, Ive been offerd a whole host of stuff by various manufacturers but to be brutally honest, i just sit there and think to myself, why, ive got good growth, good colouration and the system runs well. In fact from experience with running a well grown out system, I'm not that sure i would actually 'want' to increase growth rates..and i think this is where people occasionally go wrong by putting too much faith or importance in a product becouse of marketing jargon that 'tells' them its essential..In fact there is more and more thought these days going into examining whether we are pushing things 'too' far, after looking at wild growth rates and comparing them to captive corals. I think we are in real danger in this hobby at present, of ending up holding corals in tanks full of chemical concoctions that are all aimed at boosting this or that, to the degree we actually end up farther away from natural conditions than we were previously...(call it the test tube clone syndrome if you will....you know, from the science fiction movies where they grow people in big glass jars swimming in a concoction of 'essential' chemicals and growth enhancers.....the end product may 'look' like a normal subject, but its a far cry from 'natural'..)

buit getting back to the point...Currently i split my feeds into two distict methods...

1. Several feeds a day for the main tank inhabitants using all the normal frozen fair and pellet,

2.Then a single large feed of Red Plankton, rotifers and my own blended mix at night about half an hour after lights are out to feed the rest of the tank....what i do, is add a small amount (teaspoon worth) to the tank to start with, and let that swill around for 15 mins to get everything open, then dump the rest of it in.

I think doing it this way you ensure that a better portion of the food gets taken up. wheras if you just dump it in, alot of it gets pulled out or washes over the weirs before the corals have had a chance to kick into full feeding mode. ( logical no3 control in action)..

I think if you want to dabble in the ammino acids and other addatives market then fine i cant see any 'harm' in it if you stick to the recommended doses etc, in fact it may just do what it says on the tin and increase coral health etc in some systems.. but i'd always keep in mind that there are numerous systems out there that prove beyond a shadow of a doubt that its not 'essential for a successfull, thriving and colourfull reef tank..


Regards

Si.