AlgaeBarn...Is it all just hype?

[TFD Live Reef Foods]

Hey there. Not really one to complain about too much and I'd like to preface this by pointing out that this is not a complaint but maybe i just had my expectations set too high?

Setting up my new reef tank i decided to go all out and give algae barn a try. I purchased their Nitrocycle kit that comes with a bottle of Turbostart900 and a bottle of Nitrocycle as well as a few varieties of macro algae and some pods

So, I guess this is where the concern started. Last week i received my bottle of Turbostart however when they sent it out they decided to put a heating pad in the box (they say this is too keep pods alive however i split the orders so there was no live goods being sent together) the heating pad kept the TurboStart at around 66F which i was a little worried about considering on the bottle it says to store between 34-55F. I did reach out to Algae barn and they said it will be ok and to just use it (which i did but i dont think it was really effective at jump starting my tank cycle)

So then today i got my chaeto and pods. This is where I am so confused. I bought what was supposed to be 5280 pods but this jar looks like it has maybe 1000 at the most. I would even say maybe 500 max but i want to give them the benefit of the doubt. I usually buy the small bottle of reef nutrition tigger pods and i feel like those bottles are waaay more stacked full of pods than this jar Algae Barn sent me.

So i guess that being said? Are they all hype? Where does all that extra money go? I could have spent a lot less on other brands but decided since some of the real informative YouTubers all talk them up and give them praise so thats what got me sold. But if i had to buy from them again personally I would probably just go with the macroalgae they have. That seems to be the only thing i felt was worth the money I paid.

 

[aerofly0610]

You can’t physically see baby pods. AB has a good reputation so if you have issues contact them.

 

[TFD Live Reef Foods]

I realize a lot are juvenile at the moment so i dont think I can really fairly judge how many are in here. I just know when ive gotten pods from my LFS or aquarium depot they are a lot more visible than the jar I just received.

I have reached out to support about the TurboStart and they kindof gave me the run around and told me to just use it and that they always send it with a heat pad. Thats the biggest issue I have though, that TurboStart should have never been boxed up with a heat pad. I really think that did a number on the bottle I got because i havent seen any rapid change in my tanks cycle. Forsure no 5 day cycle like is advertised..

 

[TFD Live Reef Foods]

And they also never replied to my last email I sent which was last week so they arent trying very hard to clear up any confusion ive got

 

[Thespammailaccount]

Hey there. Not really one to complain about too much and I'd like to preface this by pointing out that this is not a complaint but maybe i just had my expectations set too high?

Setting up my new reef tank i decided to go all out and give algae barn a try. I purchased their Nitrocycle kit that comes with a bottle of Turbostart900 and a bottle of Nitrocycle as well as a few varieties of macro algae and some pods

So, I guess this is where the concern started. Last week i received my bottle of Turbostart however when they sent it out they decided to put a heating pad in the box (they say this is too keep pods alive however i split the orders so there was no live goods being sent together) the heating pad kept the TurboStart at around 66F which i was a little worried about considering on the bottle it says to store between 34-55F. I did reach out to Algae barn and they said it will be ok and to just use it (which i did but i dont think it was really effective at jump starting my tank cycle)

So then today i got my chaeto and pods. This is where I am so confused. I bought what was supposed to be 5280 pods but this jar looks like it has maybe 1000 at the most. I would even say maybe 500 max but i want to give them the benefit of the doubt. I usually buy the small bottle of reef nutrition tigger pods and i feel like those bottles are waaay more stacked full of pods than this jar Algae Barn sent me.

So i guess that being said? Are they all hype? Where does all that extra money go? I could have spent a lot less on other brands but decided since some of the real informative YouTubers all talk them up and give them praise so thats what got me sold. But if i had to buy from them again personally I would probably just go with the macroalgae they have. That seems to be the only thing i felt was worth the money I paid.

Have to be careful when someone on utube recommends something because they generally receive free products for the recommendation. I ordered from them as well and have received far more pods in a bottle a tenth of the size from a fellow small scale reefer

 

[Codiak]

I wasn't impressed with them, and won't be doing any future business with them.

 

[Cell]

Did you really put a thermometer in the bottle of Turbostart right when you received it? I never would have thought of this or be overly concerned. The bac probably lasts longer in the bottle at fridge temp, but it's not like it dies at higher temps. Guess what temp it goes up to when added to your tank?

 

[sde1500]

I ordered from them as well and have received far more pods in a bottle a tenth of the size from a fellow small scale reefer

Not sure how that is relevant. When I was running cultures I could have sent you a tiny bottle with 10's of thousands. Hows that an accurate comparison to buying a product that tells you roughly how many pods to expect?

I've ordered from them a couple times. Once there was definitely tons of pods in the bottles. Another time I was underwhelmed by what I saw in the bottles. Of course, the pods are tiny. Do I count them? No that is quite impossible. Kind of odd they give that number as what you'll get, idk how they verify it. I wouldn't call them all hype though, they are generally quite responsive here as well as my communication with them.

 

[TFD Live Reef Foods]

Have to be careful when someone on utube recommends something because they generally receive free products for the recommendation. I ordered from them as well and have received far more pods in a bottle a tenth of the size from a fellow small scale reefer

Thanks for the reply. Im honestly probably there with you. I have no complaints with the chaeto however. I would 100% buy more from them as it is difficult for me to get any clean chaeto here where I live so ordering theirs is forsure worth the money to me so I can avoid hitchhikers from my friends refugium/reactors.

 

[DaneGer21]

I no longer use them. To pricey.

I now use a local reefer who PACKS his bottles full. He sells on here. @hollback , he’s so good he usually has a waiting list!

Ohio - Copepods FS - $15

I culture Tigriopus genus copepods for my system and prefer feeding them over flake or frozen. Every several months my staggered cultures sync and produce more than I need so time to clear them out! I have 8 oz bottles LOADED with hundreds of copepods for $15 per bottle. Shipping is USPS...

www.reef2reef.com

 

[TFD Live Reef Foods]

Did you really put a thermometer in the bottle of Turbostart right when you received it? I never would have thought of this or be overly concerned. The bac probably lasts longer in the bottle at fridge temp, but it's not like it dies at higher temps. Guess what temp it goes up to when added to your tank?

I have a laser temp probe. And you can see my unboxing of it all here.

I understand as soon as it goes in my tank it is going to be upwards of 75F so I did use it because in my thinking the bacteria probably wasnt harmed too much. Im just pointing out that there was absolutely no need for the heat pad and on the bottle it has specific instructions for storing it and Algae Barn completely disregarded that.

 

[Salt & Peper]

All I can say is don't take advice from YouTube.

 

[TFD Live Reef Foods]

Not sure how that is relevant. When I was running cultures I could have sent you a tiny bottle with 10's of thousands. Hows that an accurate comparison to buying a product that tells you roughly how many pods to expect?

I've ordered from them a couple times. Once there was definitely tons of pods in the bottles. Another time I was underwhelmed by what I saw in the bottles. Of course, the pods are tiny. Do I count them? No that is quite impossible. Kind of odd they give that number as what you'll get, idk how they verify it. I wouldn't call them all hype though, they are generally quite responsive here as well as my communication with them.

Yeah thats the big thing too I have no idea how they ensure there are 5280 pods in here. I was probably hasty in saying that though. I think in a week or so once these guys have grown out i will see a lot more in there than I thought. Already now that they are in the refugium with my chaetomax shining down on them i see a lot more than I thought was there.

 

[TFD Live Reef Foods]

All I can say is don't take advice from YouTube.

I'll still listen to Melevs and BRS.


I will just will always keep in mind that most of these dudes pitching you something are probably getting paid out a little something to talk about these products... I will do a little more digging for impressions from other people in hobby vs the dude whos trying to sell me it.

 

[Deezill]

I wasn't impressed with them, and won't be doing any future business with them.

I said the same thing. my LFS does a better job. I will say that when I expressed I was unhappy with my AB order they did try to make it right. They do have great Customer service it's just I would like to see a few pods here and there and not feel like I'm paying 50-60 bucks for some rodi water.

 

[thaistalyn]

Its seems you are looking for a quantity of 5,280 pods. The term 5280 from @AlgaeBarn is a brand name for their pod mixture. It comes from the fact they are based in Colorado in the "Mile high" city which is 5280 feet.

 

[Deezill]

Its seems you are looking for a quantity of 5,280 pods. The term 5280 from Algae Barn is a brand name for their pod mixture. It comes from the fact they are based in Colorado in the "Mile high" city which is 5280 feet.

I personally would have been ok with seeing 10 pods but like I said earlier looked like water. I can go to Walgreens for some water that cost a lot

 

[TFD Live Reef Foods]

Its seems you are looking for a quantity of 5,280 pods. The term 5280 from @AlgaeBarn is a brand name for their pod mixture. It comes from the fact they are based in Colorado in the "Mile high" city which is 5280 feet.

I dont think so. If you read their description it says " with 5280+ live copepods in every 16oz jar"

 

[thaistalyn]

The name is trademarked, it is a brand name. Whether you can count or see over 5280 pods is probably beyond the ability of most consumers.

 

[KrisReef]

I would toss out a guess at the technology used to count pods:
Coulter particle counter

I did get a free shipment and the visual count looked weak in my batch too. That said, counting really small pods isn't a visual activity but it can be done (estimated) using a good microscope and a thingamagig that indicates the area of water you are counting from. If the visual stuff is good (phyto) then I would suspect that the non-visul is good as well, but this isn't verified by me. I trust and if I suspect something was wrong I would find a scope and count a few cells.

I believe the culture is supposed to seed your system so that they might become self sustaining there. Hope it works out for you.