Dana, when to dose Amino Acids and Vitamins ???

[PSXerholic]

Hello Dana,

I'm in the rebuild of my tank after Harvey and another Tank disaster and my tank is now filled up with tons of SPS after 4 weeks running and the tank does so far excellent.

Thread for whoever is interested is here:
https://www.reef2reef.com/threads/andre’s-full-blown-300gallon-sps-reeftank-up-within-a-week.339591/

So in order to accelerate growth and keeping coral health as best as possible I like to hear your opinion on "when" dosing Amino Acids as well as Vitamin products. I still read mixed information about what the best time is for dosing Amino Acids for Coloration as well as health.
Same thing about Vitamin products. Some say after lights turn off when PE is best, some stick to the fact the photoperiod is the best phase since this is when the tissue starts consuming elements out of the water.

I thought just to throw this question out here since the answer is likely tied into the photoperiod for each of those supplements.

-Andre

 

[A. grandis]

After the system is well stablished is the best time to add aminos and/or vitamins.
Every tank will have it's specific amounts due to the type/photoperiod/intensity of light and also bioload, to say the least.
Variables, variables and more variables. LOL! Have fun!
My $0.02.
Grandis.

 

[PSXerholic]

I’m more interested in the preferred time during the day or after the lights are off ;-)

But generally fully agree with your statement @A. grandis !

 

[jwshiver]

This is a question that I have been wondering myself. Thanks for posting. I agree with you that there is conflicting info on this subject. I can see the argument for both sides. Is there scientific evidence for either? I lean towards lights on. I'm curious to hear Dana's opinion on this subject including do we need to dose them at all. I currently do not and my corals seem perfectly happy.

 

[mcarroll]

I'm not sure that any need at all for dosed amino acids has been demonstrated – to the contrary. All the tanks that have great coral success that never dosed amino's are proof. Feed your fish well and you shouldn't have to worry about it.

But....

There's an article I saved on my blog called Trophic dynamics of scleractinian corals: stable isotope evidence that has some info you might be able to make some inferences from. (Click the link on the posting to see the original article....full text is availble there! )

 

[PSXerholic]

I'm not sure that any need at all for dosed amino acids has been demonstrated – to the contrary. All the tanks that have great coral success that never dosed amino's are proof. Feed your fish well and you shouldn't have to worry about it.

But....

There's an article I saved on my blog called Trophic dynamics of scleractinian corals: stable isotope evidence that has some info you might be able to make some inferences from. (Click the link on the posting to see the original article....full text is availble there! )

Agree, I have great success and colors without Aminos, true..... but want to see what difference it potentially can make from a specific tank what I have seen in person I got Corals from. Well there are some corals I never achieved that GLOW he had in this tank.
Talking about the @Diesel DIESELTANK during his SPS phase.

 

[Diesel]

AA's is a big topic every time it got mentioned.
I ran systems dosed on AA's and systems without the dosing.
Must say that I haven't seen much different in both of the systems.
Using a balanced food mix of different kinds of frozen food as in mysis, caviar, brine, spirulina, and of course LRF you should have enough AA's added to the system.
If my nutrients dropped below my target level I dosed some concentrated AA, from ZEO, oyster feast to the food and fed it the same time.

 

[PSXerholic]

AA's is a big topic every time it got mentioned.
I ran systems dosed on AA's and systems without the dosing.
Must say that I haven't seen much different in both of the systems.
Using a balanced food mix of different kinds of frozen food as in mysis, caviar, brine, spirulina, and of course LRF you should have enough AA's added to the system.
If my nutrients dropped below my target level I dosed some concentrated AA, from ZEO, oyster feast to the food and fed it the same time.

Thx for chiming in!!!
What times did you prefer to dose AA during the day.

I still have a piece of that Red pink RR RB ;-)
The ultimate coral in my opinion drooooool, lol.

 

[jda]

In order to full tell if they are doing anything, you need to start, "think" that you notice a difference, quit and then verify that the difference was real. Lots of folks claim to notice a difference when starting aminos or other feedings yet when they quit, nothing changes. The ultimate example of this is the increased red, and other colors, from Iodine... folks swore by it yet when they stopped, nothing changed.

Most of the time, adding aminos and stuff comes at a point in the life cycle for either the tank or the reefer when a heightened awareness is desired. Most of the time, any increases come from a conglomeration of things from the heightened awareness and not any one thing in general... or the tank is just more mature now. This is where then taking them away and looking for differences is the last piece of the puzzle that you need to be sure.

 

[Wrangy]

Vitamins is definitely a dose after dark as quite a few of them are photosensitive and if done during the day they just get destroyed before they have any chance of being useful! As for amino's I've always dosed at night, just cause lol no particular reason

 

[A. grandis]

I've never thought about the differences of dosing with lights on or off, but that is very interesting.
Another thing is that most corals are used to expand to feed at night and that is probably also could related to absorption too.
I normally dose about midday and see great results with either amino acids and vitamin C.
I actually did stop several times for a month or so to check if the aminos were responsible for my "visions" LOL! They were!
Same with vitamin C. Stopped and went back dosing, noticing evident differences in my zoanthid system.
Choosing the right spectrum of lights too!! Changing my T5s I could see evident responses in certain pigments.
Great topic!! Let's enjoy it!
Grandis.

 

[saltyfilmfolks]

If you dose them in the evening, they’re in the water all night , and the next day, if not longer. No?

 

[Diesel]

Thx for chiming in!!!
What times did you prefer to dose AA during the day.

I still have a piece of that Red pink RR RB ;-)
The ultimate coral in my opinion drooooool, lol.

If I had to dose something I did it before the skimmer went to sleep as you keep the elements or nutrients in the water column before the skimmer came back on in the morning

You mean this beauty.........

 

[Diesel]

I've never thought about the differences of dosing with lights on or off, but that is very interesting.
Another thing is that most corals are used to expand to feed at night and that is probably also could related to absorption too.
I normally dose about midday and see great results with either amino acids and vitamin C.
I actually did stop several times for a month or so to check if the aminos were responsible for my "visions" LOL! They were!
Same with vitamin C. Stopped and went back dosing, noticing evident differences in my zoanthid system.
Choosing the right spectrum of lights too!! Changing my T5s I could see evident responses in certain pigments.
Great topic!! Let's enjoy it!
Grandis.

In what way you did see results?
Just asking as my study on AA was the only outcome hobbyist noticed is that they had better PE when dosing AA.

Here is my thread I started about 4 years back to complete the study.
https://www.reef2reef.com/threads/power-up-your-acros.142538/

 

[A. grandis]

If you dose them in the evening, they’re in the water all night , and the next day, if not longer. No?

Nope, the skimmer take 'em out of the water, just like iodine and such.
So it's a good idea to turn off the skimmer for an hour or so.
Grandis.

 

[bubbaque]

I thought acros absorbed aminos during photosynthesis and used their extended polyps at night to capture particles in the water.

 

[A. grandis]

If I had to dose something I did it before the skimmer went to sleep as you keep the elements or nutrients in the water column before the skimmer came back on in the morning

You mean this beauty.........

Yes, that's it.
Oh man!!! That is a sweet picture.
What species of Acro is that?
Grandis.

 

[saltyfilmfolks]

Nope, the skimmer take 'em out of the water, just like iodine and such.
So it's a good idea to turn off the skimmer for an hour or so.
Grandis.

It would take it out during the day too. Not sure an hour would be effective really.

 

[A. grandis]

In what way you did see results?
Just asking as my study on AA was the only outcome hobbyist noticed is that they had better PE when dosing AA.

Here is my thread I started about 4 years back to complete the study.
https://www.reef2reef.com/threads/power-up-your-acros.142538/

Thanks for the link!
With the amino acids first I've noticed better coloration and increase of growth a bit.
With the vitamin C dosing it went totally crazy and overboard!! LOL!!
Colors are really crazy right now and growth is more than I can deal with.
My system has all T5s and it's very uniform, as we know. Nutrients like phosphates and nitrates are aways undetectable.
I think if I had halides, like back in the day, the tank would be popping zoas like pop corn all over the living room. LOL!!! ;Wideyed
I aways dose so little because my system is already too packed and no ore room for growth!!
When I started dosing it was already mature around 8+ years old...
I just keep giving frags to friends...
My best advice is to dose little is to add a lot!!!
It does work and it doesn't need much at all!!! Results are great in the long run or in a mature system.
People use them to help injured corals and zoas as well in newer systems.
If I stop dosing it just comes back to normal tank growth and the colors and polyp sizes go back to what they were before in a month or so.
Dosing, they show more vibrance, more like what we find in the ocean. Again, very small quantities.
Talking about 2 or 3 drops of each 3 times a week for a 75gal display.
Grandis

 

[A. grandis]

It would take it out during the day too. Not sure an hour would be effective really.

If I dose with the skimmer running it still makes a difference, like I did for months.
Then I started to turn off the skimmer for an hour after dsing and it the difference is great!!!!
It does make a difference either way.
Grandis.