AF Life Source

[Hydrored]

Observations 9 hrs after initial dose of AF Life Source. Mud was purchased at BRS.

*No change in PE on Acro’s.
*Water still not back to full clarity.
*Mud Silt all over the tank (expected)
*Both of my Goni’s actually look worse than before I started.
*Dino’s flared pretty significantly.

Not impressed yet. Hopefully better observations coming later.

Update: 24 hrs after dosing

Still not seeing any benefits at all. FWIW, all my trace elements are close to target range or above and my nutrients are on point. So my chemistry was not lacking much before I started, and I dose bacteria monthly. Maybe that is why I didn’t see any increased PE or positive effects.?

I also looked at it under the scope. There is not much bacterial life like you would see in Dr Tim’s products, but there is a little. Although dormant bacteria will wake up as nutrients become available again. Also, some of the natural minerals in the mud may take a little time to be available for the coral’s. Just guessing here. So I expect better things in the future.

Here is what the texture looks like at 10x objective:

I dose it once a month only really because my goni’s seem to love the stuff. I have a candy cane that gets fat also, but nothing changes for any of my SPS for polyp extension

 

[Reefahholic]

I dose it once a month only really because my goni’s seem to love the stuff. I have a candy cane that gets fat also, but nothing changes for any of my SPS for polyp extension

I wish my Goni’s would blow up. They been struggling lately not sure why.

 

[Saltyanimals]

Observations 9 hrs after initial dose of AF Life Source. Mud was purchased at BRS.

*No change in PE on Acro’s.
*Water still not back to full clarity.
*Mud Silt all over the tank (expected)
*Both of my Goni’s actually look worse than before I started.
*Dino’s flared pretty significantly.

Not impressed yet. Hopefully better observations coming later.

Update: 24 hrs after dosing

Still not seeing any benefits at all. FWIW, all my trace elements are close to target range or above and my nutrients are on point. So my chemistry was not lacking much before I started, and I dose bacteria monthly. Maybe that is why I didn’t see any increased PE or positive effects.?

I also looked at it under the scope. There is not much bacterial life like you would see in Dr Tim’s products, but there is a little. Although dormant bacteria will wake up as nutrients become available again. Also, some of the natural minerals in the mud may take a little time to be available for the coral’s. Just guessing here. So I expect better things in the future.

Here is what the texture looks like at 10x objective:

Thank you for sharing the view under the microscope. Your comment about very little bacterial activity is a bit of a bummer because the idea was to use it to seed bacterial diversity as captured from this ocean substrate. I wouldn't expect you to see benefits overnight or at least for weeks afterwards as the diversity replicates in your own tank, but again going back to little activity just coming out of the bag. I wonder if there is a further test to challenge the dormant theory and see what "wakes up".

 

[Reefahholic]

Thank you for sharing the view under the microscope. Your comment about very little bacterial activity is a bit of a bummer because the idea was to use it to seed bacterial diversity as captured from this ocean substrate. I wouldn't expect you to see benefits overnight or at least for weeks afterwards as the diversity replicates in your own tank, but again going back to little activity just coming out of the bag. I wonder if there is a further test to challenge the dormant theory and see what "wakes up".

I’ve been reading these studies about bacteria dormancy. It’s quite interesting and recently I saw a remarkable event happen with the Dino species I currently have. I’ll be more specific about what happened later. Can’t say for sure what caused it. Actually let me copy and paste from my Facebook post.

***Update***

Backdrop first…

So…I had something really incredible happen today and I’m not exactly sure what did it. As you guys know my Fluconazole treatment went sideways and on day 9 the entire tank was fixing to be nuked so I stopped the treatment and did several water changes (50% total to flush most of it out). Afterwards the Dino’s flared hard. They basically form those red/maroon mats all over the rocks in different places and on the bottom of the tank by the starboard near the crack where organics settle and they get fuel form that. They basically get fuel from everything you dose. I’ve been the most successful at suppressing them by limiting their fuel. I’ve held all coral food, aminos, vitamins, liquid mud, iron, etc. I’ve also been running the Powerfilter 24/7 to keep the water column extra clean along with UV typically at night, but the last few days I’ve forgot to turn it off and left it on 24/7.

Then I got the mud, mixed it well and dosed a hefty golf ball sized chunk with skimmer, UV, and Powerfilter off for several hours. It coated all the surfaces of the tank. The only other thing I’ve been dosing is 4oz of Phyto only the last few days and Carbon dosing daily. System is 105/G.

Well, today I woke up at around 12:00 noon to take a leak. Glanced at the tank like I always do to see what fuel’s or suppresses the Dino’s. Been hoping to see some positive results from the mud. Being frustrated that the Dino’s had taken up so much real estate again after the WC’s and the initial mud dose I decided to blow them off the rocks. These red mats never blow off, but the gas bubbles and slime will. I grabbed the turkey baster and got to it. As soon as I blew off the first area…the entire mat DISLODGED! I was thinking surely it’s just this one spot becuase one time I had one that literally wouldn’t go away for like 6 months and I finally took a hard bristle brush to it. They are tough and stick to the rock like a hard turf algae. Crap doesn’t come off easily even when you scrub it. So yeah, I kept basting and literally every single area let go and blew into little piece’s. Had the Powerfilter and UV going to catch and hopefully kill as many as possible. I’m literally shocked! Something has definitely outcompeted them and I’m not exactly sure what did it. If I had to guess I think it’s the Mud and Powerfilter together, becuase I literally tried to blow them a few days ago and the mats didn’t move whatsoever. This was very similar as if you outcompeted a bad GHA infestation on the rocks with a ATS. The GHA looses up and dies making it extremely easy to siphon it out. Same thing here.

Super happy about this and maybe a few more mud doses will put the final nail in the coffin. ‍

Deep sea microbes dormant for 100 million years are hungry and ready to multiply

KINGSTON, R.I., — July 28, 2020 — For decades, scientists have gathered ancient sediment samples from below the seafloor to better understand past climates, plate tectonics and the deep marine ecosystem. In a new study published in Nature Communications, researchers reveal that given the right...

www.uri.edu

Metabolic strategies of dormancy of a marine bacterium Microbulbifer aggregans CCB-MM1: Its alternative electron transfer chain and sulfate-reducing pathway

Bacterial dormancy plays a crucial role in maintaining the functioning and diversity of microbial communities in natural environments. However, the me…

www.sciencedirect.com

 

[Saltyanimals]

I’ve been reading these studies about bacteria dormancy. It’s quite interesting and recently I saw a remarkable event happen with the Dino species I currently have. I’ll be more specific about what happened later. Can’t say for sure what caused it. Actually let me copy and paste from my Facebook post.

***Update***

Backdrop first…

So…I had something really incredible happen today and I’m not exactly sure what did it. As you guys know my Fluconazole treatment went sideways and on day 9 the entire tank was fixing to be nuked so I stopped the treatment and did several water changes (50% total to flush most of it out). Afterwards the Dino’s flared hard. They basically form those red/maroon mats all over the rocks in different places and on the bottom of the tank by the starboard near the crack where organics settle and they get fuel form that. They basically get fuel from everything you dose. I’ve been the most successful at suppressing them by limiting their fuel. I’ve held all coral food, aminos, vitamins, liquid mud, iron, etc. I’ve also been running the Powerfilter 24/7 to keep the water column extra clean along with UV typically at night, but the last few days I’ve forgot to turn it off and left it on 24/7.

Then I got the mud, mixed it well and dosed a hefty golf ball sized chunk with skimmer, UV, and Powerfilter off for several hours. It coated all the surfaces of the tank. The only other thing I’ve been dosing is 4oz of Phyto only the last few days and Carbon dosing daily. System is 105/G.

Well, today I woke up at around 12:00 noon to take a leak. Glanced at the tank like I always do to see what fuel’s or suppresses the Dino’s. Been hoping to see some positive results from the mud. Being frustrated that the Dino’s had taken up so much real estate again after the WC’s and the initial mud dose I decided to blow them off the rocks. These red mats never blow off, but the gas bubbles and slime will. I grabbed the turkey baster and got to it. As soon as I blew off the first area…the entire mat DISLODGED! I was thinking surely it’s just this one spot becuase one time I had one that literally wouldn’t go away for like 6 months and I finally took a hard bristle brush to it. They are tough and stick to the rock like a hard turf algae. Crap doesn’t come off easily even when you scrub it. So yeah, I kept basting and literally every single area let go and blew into little piece’s. Had the Powerfilter and UV going to catch and hopefully kill as many as possible. I’m literally shocked! Something has definitely outcompeted them and I’m not exactly sure what did it. If I had to guess I think it’s the Mud and Powerfilter together, becuase I literally tried to blow them a few days ago and the mats didn’t move whatsoever. This was very similar as if you outcompeted a bad GHA infestation on the rocks with a ATS. The GHA looses up and dies making it extremely easy to siphon it out. Same thing here.

Super happy about this and maybe a few more mud doses will put the final nail in the coffin. ‍

Deep sea microbes dormant for 100 million years are hungry and ready to multiply

KINGSTON, R.I., — July 28, 2020 — For decades, scientists have gathered ancient sediment samples from below the seafloor to better understand past climates, plate tectonics and the deep marine ecosystem. In a new study published in Nature Communications, researchers reveal that given the right...

www.uri.edu

Metabolic strategies of dormancy of a marine bacterium Microbulbifer aggregans CCB-MM1: Its alternative electron transfer chain and sulfate-reducing pathway

Bacterial dormancy plays a crucial role in maintaining the functioning and diversity of microbial communities in natural environments. However, the me…

www.sciencedirect.com

Good story. The correlation is there based on your AF/mud additions, but any thoughts on maybe the previous solutions finally "kicked in"? I say this going back to the low bacterial activity you described in the mud. Could it really be that your tank woke up the dormant bacteria and it turned into superman-bacteria that quickly? I wonder what a controlled experiment could look like for the AF and dormancy theory.

Just glad you're seeing progress.

 

[Reefahholic]

Good story. The correlation is there based on your AF/mud additions, but any thoughts on maybe the previous solutions finally "kicked in"? I say this going back to the low bacterial activity you described in the mud. Could it really be that your tank woke up the dormant bacteria and it turned into superman-bacteria that quickly? I wonder what a controlled experiment could look like for the AF and dormancy theory.

Just glad you're seeing progress.

Honestly pretty shocked and have no idea what did it. Really the only thing I’ve added new is the Mud & Powerfilter. I’ve had the UV for months and it didn’t do anything for my Ostreopsis Dino’s. Maybe controlled them slightly, but nothing drastic.

I’ve looked at the mud out of the bag and there’s very little bacteria moving around, but there is some.

I think what I’m gonna do next is get some tank water and mix it with the bacteria and let it sit there for 24 hrs and see if there is an increase or explosion in life. Doesn’t seem like it could happen that fast, but almost everybody that dose’s it has positive results in 24 hrs, so something is happening. Something in the mud is helping the biome or something else.

I literally went from 80% Dino’s to 10% overnight.

 

[Saltyanimals]

Honestly pretty shocked and have no idea what did it. Really the only thing I’ve added new is the Mud & Powerfilter. I’ve had the UV for months and it didn’t do anything for my Ostreopsis Dino’s. Maybe controlled them slightly, but nothing drastic.

I’ve looked at the mud out of the bag and there’s very little bacteria moving around, but there is some.

I think what I’m gonna do next is get some tank water and mix it with the bacteria and let it sit there for 24 hrs and see if there is an increase or explosion in life. Doesn’t seem like it could happen that fast, but almost everybody that dose’s it has positive results in 24 hrs, so something is happening. Something in the mud is helping the biome or something else.

I literally went from 80% Dino’s to 10% overnight.

I would be interested to hear the results of that experiment to see if the population increases. I would say give it 24 and again 48 hours. Would also be interesting to see if a couple drops of carbon dosing as fuel to feed would boost that replication activity.

 

[Reefahholic]

I would be interested to hear the results of that experiment to see if the population increases. I would say give it 24 and again 48 hours. Would also be interesting to see if a couple drops of carbon dosing as fuel to feed would boost that replication activity.

I have carbon in my water already.

 

[Saltyanimals]

I have carbon in my water already.

That’s awesome. Actually makes more sense because your tanks carbon feed balance should be perfect for a bacterial breeding farm

 

[hans4811]

I have carbon in my water already.

So any update Reef ? Is the ‘Force’ still with you ?

 

[acabgd]

Any updates?

Not really for a pretty stupid reason - I borrowed a File Fish to sort out a problem I've had and it would absolutely freak out when I dosed AF and water got cloudy. It went as far as jumping out (twice) so I've had to simply stop dosing.
Now that the File Fish is out I'm getting ready to start again. Tank is doing fine, SPS corals are growing and I'll see if anything changes in the next couple of months.

 

[Devaji]

I have been curious about this product. expected it to do better in the BRS investigates test.
not sure it 's worth the $$ or not for me. IDK maybe dosing various bottled bac. would give one the same or better Bac.
wish there was a proven way to add biodiversity ( besides real LR witch is hard to get these days and deal with possible pets )
I tend to lean more towards the natural methods of reef keeping.

 

[Saltyanimals]

iPsf.com has been mentioned around here as an option. Haven’t done it myself. Maybe one day after I finish my 2nd and likely final bag of life source. Benefits are not clear, but what is clear is definitely not my sump. Lol. Filthy and covered in life source. I’ve doubled up my life source just to push through using it all up so I can give my sump a good hard vacuum to remove all the dirt.

 

[Sidsreef]

 

[Sidsreef]

I did a video on this stuff. And if you see the second video it’s pretty cool how much growth I got. Not a single ounce of algae. Got some cyano but fixed that.

 

[Saltyanimals]

Awesome. Thanks for sharing I’m 4 months and and can’t say I’m convinced personally beyond basic “stability” that comes with a constantly maturing tank. However I discard that residual sediment that is left behind after the mixing. Same stuff I assume comes from the magnetic particles in my photos earlier in this thread when I ran a magnet over it. Maybe this is the magic unicorn stuff that in discarding thus not getting the full benefit.

 

[gbru316]

One thing to note (that's pretty obvious in retrospect but not at the time) - if you have an SPS/LPS heavy tank, you'll want to dose at night.

The cloudy water temporarily reduces photosynthesis, potentially having an impact on pH and alkalinity consumption. Enough to throw Trident-controlled dosing "for a loop" and requiring manual intervention to get it back on-track.

 

[Kfactor]

i started dosing it to my new tank and my water is remarkably clearer . i only does just a little bit once a week

 

[cdnco2004]

I have mostly been using it as an aid when starting tanks.

 

[zirky]

Has anyone used this with a clam in there tank? I added a 5” maxima and it’s doing great but I’m afraid the life source will clog its inner’s.