AlgaeBarn...Is it all just hype?

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BRS said something on a stream that hit home. NEVER EVER EVER get macroalgae from another reefer get it from a source where it is clean. So I might have to retract my statement and try them for macroalgae. +1 for the Macroalgae.
Algaebarn Your name has been restored. (somewhat) lol. Thanks for reminding me @311Reefer

That exact video is the reason why i decided to make a purchase from algae barn. I've been following the BRS 160 and the biggest regret they had besides removing their sand bed was that they got chaeto from a friends tank and subsequently infested their system with bristle worms. I think I should have just stuck with the macroalgae, i just think i got excited and carried away when adding to my order...you live and you learn.
 

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That exact video is the reason why i decided to make a purchase from algae barn. I've been following the BRS 160 and the biggest regret they had besides removing their sand bed was that they got chaeto from a friends tank and subsequently infested their system with bristle worms. I think I should have just stuck with the macroalgae, i just think i got excited and carried away when adding to my order...you live and you learn.
Sorry. Newbie here. I was under the impression bristle worms were good for tank?
 

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BRS said something on a stream that hit home. NEVER EVER EVER get macroalgae from another reefer get it from a source where it is clean. So I might have to retract my statement and try them for macroalgae. +1 for the Macroalgae.
Algaebarn Your name has been restored. (somewhat) lol. Thanks for reminding me @311Reefer

Well BRS does sell algae barn so of course they'd say that and so would I trying to put food on the table.
 

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Personally you're not going to get 100% clean macro no matter what. Imo it's overpriced but a viable option for those willing to pony up. It really is quality macro.

I can get a ton of macro for 1/3 of the price. Since you need to quarantine anyway then I just buy from a fellow hobbyist. $30 I can get dang near basket ball size portion of chaeto.
 

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Sorry. Newbie here. I was under the impression bristle worms were good for tank?
I only have room for only one ugly, fat thing in my home. Bristle worms or my sister in law. I can't get rid of my sister in law so the Bristle can't stay. Dang after reading my statement that was cruel. I will retract what I said my bristle worms are not ugly. :) At least they have a job.
 
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BRS said something on a stream that hit home. NEVER EVER EVER get macroalgae from another reefer get it from a source where it is clean. So I might have to retract my statement and try them for macroalgae. +1 for the Macroalgae.
Algaebarn Your name has been restored. (somewhat) lol. Thanks for reminding me @311Reefer
Yeah but also, they brought this up a lot and stressed it right after they started selling algaebarn products on their site. Personally it seems like a big indirect advertisement for more sales on their part.
 

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Yeah but also, they brought this up a lot and stressed it right after they started selling algaebarn products on their site. Personally it seems like a big indirect advertisement for more sales on their part.
Yeah they did plug AB lol so you right
 

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Three things, turbostart 900 is not an instacycle. I used it in my tank, it was shipped with an icepack in my case, my tank still took three weeks to cycle. Secondly, Youtubers rave about algae barn because algae barn sponsors them, I do not take any product recommendations from Youtubers for that reason, some are even unscrupulous enough to shill products they have spoken out about in other videos. Coralfish12G did this in the most disingenuous way I'd ever seen, I lost a lot of respect for him after seeing that. Lastly, as others have pointed out, you can't see all the pods, also, the numbers cited are approximations. In addition, you are comparing pods in a small container to pods in a larger container, the quantities may look different.
 

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Three things, turbostart 900 is not an instacycle. I used it in my tank, it was shipped with an icepack in my case, my tank still took three weeks to cycle. Secondly, Youtubers rave about algae barn because algae barn sponsors them, I do not take any product recommendations from Youtubers for that reason, some are even unscrupulous enough to shill products they have spoken out about in other videos. Coralfish12G did this in the most disingenuous way I'd ever seen, I lost a lot of respect for him after seeing that. Lastly, as others have pointed out, you can't see all the pods, also, the numbers cited are approximations. In addition, you are comparing pods in a small container to pods in a larger container, the quantities may look different.
yeah what he said :)
 
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Three things, turbostart 900 is not an instacycle. I used it in my tank, it was shipped with an icepack in my case, my tank still took three weeks to cycle. Secondly, Youtubers rave about algae barn because algae barn sponsors them, I do not take any product recommendations from Youtubers for that reason, some are even unscrupulous enough to shill products they have spoken out about in other videos. Coralfish12G did this in the most disingenuous way I'd ever seen, I lost a lot of respect for him after seeing that. Lastly, as others have pointed out, you can't see all the pods, also, the numbers cited are approximations. In addition, you are comparing pods in a small container to pods in a larger container, the quantities may look different.


It says on the bottle it can cycle a tank in 5 days my friend.

Now im not saying that is a forsure going to happen thing but everyone who talks it up uses that as turbostarts main selling point.
 
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It says on the bottle it can cycle a tank in 5 days my friend.

Now im not saying that is a forsure going to happen thing but everyone who talks it up uses that as turbostarts main selling point.


Also can you give me a reference to what George apparently did? I do enjoy some of his videos although he seems to get a lot of hate for repping Fritz and AlgaeBarn
 

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I've purchased numerous times from algae barn. Their 5280 pods always seem way short, even looking at the bottle through a loupe it's pretty thin. Now, the newest pod mix offering they have, forgot the name, had a much denser pod population. It was also more expensive than the 5280 pods. If I were to buy again, that's what I'd purchase. I prefer reef nutrition by a large margin though, seems their pods live longer in the bottles too.

The one issue I have with algae barn are their contests. They say they are random drawings but the winners are always the person in the #1 point position, not exactly random drawing in my opinion. Specifically the holiday contests.
 

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I was initially impressed with the diversity of macroalgae they are offering, but it seems a bit much to sell a golf ball sized portion for thirty bucks. Maybe it's just me.

Hi, Most of our golf ball portions of macroalgae are $15 each. We do offer some rarer macroalgaes at the higher prices you suggested, but that is not the common price.
 

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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.

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.


Hi,

I appreciate your feedback, its what helps us keep improving our processes! In there winter, we do usually include a heat pack with the turbostart with the primary goal to avoid having it freeze (we have had customers receive solid frozen blocks in the past). Freezing is much more destructive than a little heat is to the final product. I am surprised that you didnt achieve a 5 day cycle, as we have tested this numerous times at our facility here when we start new systems up and we have encouraged quite a few reef2reef posts that monitored ammonia levels when dosing various nitrifying bacteria blends. Can you give me a rundown of your setup so we can determine if there was a setup issue or if there was a product/shipping issue?

Please reach out so we can make this right and get you taken care of. We ship a ton packages, and we do our best to ensure each and every one makes it the customer in the best possible shape. However, we do know things can occasionally go poorly, so we back it up with our 100% satisfaction guarantee. We are more than happy to send a complementary replacement, we won't even ask you to pay shipping.
 
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