Acropower or???

[45ZoaGarden]

I’ve been running acropower on my tank for years.... There’s just so, so many options out there. I just ran out and have been wondering what everyone else is supplementing. My tank is mostly zoas, euphyllia, a RBTA, and a few sticks. Should I change to something else or stick with what I know?

 

[Gernader]

I started using Red Sea ab+, polyp booster, and benepets to feed corals. However, I never tried acropower!

 

[csb123]

Do a search for DIY amino acids...way cheaper.

 

[vetteguy53081]

Seachem FUEL is also very good

 

[45ZoaGarden]

Do a search for DIY amino acids...way cheaper.

I’m not worried about the cost. I’m looking for the most effective :)

 

[45ZoaGarden]

Seachem FUEL is also very good

Do you have it hooked up to a doser or feed manually?

 

[Rijodan]

I use Brightwell Aquatics CoralAmino much to my satisfaction. I dont have experience with any other aminos tho.

 

[vetteguy53081]

Do you have it hooked up to a doser or feed manually?

Manual addition to water

 

[csb123]

I’m not worried about the cost. I’m looking for the most effective :)

Amino acids are simple building blocks of protein. So, when it comes to commercial products, I would say they are all the same...except in concentration and preservatives. Unfortunately, they are not labeled like supplements in a health food store.

 

[jda]

Nothing.

Quit for a while. See if you can tell. If you can, then start again and see if it makes a difference. It likely will not. Fuel, Acropower and other amino supplements are the hot supplement of today and will be a punchline tomorrow when HUFAs, Kryptonite, Coral Stem Cells or something else comes along.

 

[MentalNote]

I've used Acropower and KZ aminos. I started on Red Sea AB+ about a month ago.

Does it help? Definitely.... maybe... BRS showed it helps... I guess I feel like I'm doing something, and that's the important part. I don't know if AB+ is any more beneficial than Acropower, but it is neon green so it looks more potent. Sort of like going to the restroom after taking a multivitamin...

 

[MentalNote]

Nothing.

Quit for a while. See if you can tell. If you can, then start again and see if it makes a difference. It likely will not. Fuel, Acropower and other amino supplements are the hot supplement of today and will be a punchline tomorrow when HUFAs, Kryptonite, Coral Stem Cells or something else comes along.

Jda,

I can't wait for Kryptonite to come out! A solid state glowing amino rock that you just drop into your tank. And maybe it'll finally stop that one montipora from trying to take over my tank...

 

[weamdog]

I had bought a gallon of that stuff, seems to be snake oil to me. Also have AB+, but I couldn't see any differences there either. Maybe like everything else, something was out of balance in my tank which rendered them ineffective? The drawback with AB+ is refrigeration.

 

[45ZoaGarden]

I had bought a gallon of that stuff, seems to be snake oil to me. Also have AB+, but I couldn't see any differences there either. Maybe like everything else, something was out of balance in my tank which rendered them ineffective? The drawback with AB+ is refrigeration.

That’s why I haven’t gone that route. I want to be able to run it through my doser

 

[Rijodan]

That’s why I haven’t gone that route. I want to be able to run it through my doser

The coral amino I mentioned is good on the shelf, my brother has it hooked up to his doser on his 75. ~1ml/30g

 

[csb123]

I’ve found a significant increase of coloration since starting it. Ive kept detailed notes and no other changes were made over this time period. No way am I going to stop, to see my colors go blah.

 

[Tahoe61]

I do see a feeding response after using. I use Acropower very sparingly as I have had odd algae blooms in the past. As to benefit, I probably do not use enough to make a noticeable difference. After I dose I feed other coral foods once I see a feeding response.

 

[45ZoaGarden]

I do see a feeding response after using. I use Acropower very sparingly as I have had odd algae blooms in the past. As to benefit, I probably do not use enough to make a noticeable difference. After I dose I feed other coral foods once I see a feeding response.

Yeah, I’ve always dosed less than 1ml on my 45 gallon per day. I had a strange bloom when i first started but nothing after that.

 

[MJV15]

Nothing.

Quit for a while. See if you can tell. If you can, then start again and see if it makes a difference. It likely will not. Fuel, Acropower and other amino supplements are the hot supplement of today and will be a punchline tomorrow when HUFAs, Kryptonite, Coral Stem Cells or something else comes along.

I’m not a scientist but these guys are, this was looking at Stylophora.
Bottom line:
1 They measured that the coral animal does take in the Amino Acids
2. That they will basically use any available aminos (so probably any brand will work so long as they actually contain amino acids)
3. That the uptake happens during the day.

Uptake of dissolved free amino acids by the scleractinian coral Stylophora pistillata

SUMMARY. This study was designed to assess the importance of dissolved free amino acids (DFAA) as a nitrogen source for the scleractinian coral Stylophora pistillata. For this purpose, experiments were performed using 15N-enriched DFAAs, and %15N enrichment was measured both in animal tissue and...

jeb.biologists.org

“In summary, our results show that DFAA (Dissolved Free Amino Acids) can represent an important source of nitrogen for corals at in situ concentrations (200–500 nmol l–1), with uptake rates as high as those measured for DIN at the same concentrations. DFAA uptake by Stylophora pistillata shows no discrimination, allowing the uptake of any available amino acid through the animal membranes, depending on the DFAA concentration in the surrounding water. A `light-enhanced amino acid assimilation' process (Al-Moghrabi et al., 1993) has been confirmed, suggesting DFAA uptake is a diurnal event.”
Bold added for ease of referencing

 

[jda]

This has been posted and referenced many times. Who cares? There is no evidence that it did anything. Also, you have no idea what is in those bottles that you are dosing. Are there even real aminos in there? If so, are they the right ones? Would a coral like to use aminos more than ammonia or ammonium? Can a coral outcompete the single-celled organisms in a tank for the aminos?

The most important thing about that article, that nearly everybody misses is that concentration of aminos in the water has to be pretty high for uptake - likely higher than any of us would ever do. Does anybody even know how much of a concentration that they are adding?

Seriously, just stop dosing stuff and see what happens. There were lots more studies than this that said that Phyto, rotifers, marine snow, oyster eggs, etc. where all super important - it is amazing that we can have tanks anymore without this stuff. Everybody was convinced that they did so much, then they stopped and could not even tell.