Mag or Gag: Do you test magnesium?

[Miami Reef]

That has been suggested tangentially in the scientific literature, where it was suggested corals have a significant need (it binds calcium and so may help in calcification) and it was suggested that corals do not make enough, but get it from various sources in the water.

Where could someone even purchase aspartic acid? I’m in a grow out competition and enjoy experimenting lol.

 

[Reefing_addiction]

Amino acids are especially useful in low N situations ( as noted by Miami), and aspartic acid may be especially useful for corals. I’d treat dosing aminos as an experiment, looking to see if it was useful or not. :)

I feel like everything we do is an experiment

 

[Randy Holmes-Farley Verified Community Expert]

Where could someone even purchase aspartic acid? I’m in a grow out competition and enjoy experimenting lol.

It’s pretty common;

https://www.bulksupplements.com/pro...MI-Jmpt8_yhwMVezcIBR3J2guoEAQYASABEgKTUPD_BwE

 

[Reefing_addiction]

It’s pretty common;

https://www.bulksupplements.com/pro...MI-Jmpt8_yhwMVezcIBR3J2guoEAQYASABEgKTUPD_BwE

What would your dosing recommendation be?

 

[Randy Holmes-Farley Verified Community Expert]

What would your dosing recommendation be?

Not sure. It’s about 10% N by weight, so 1 g/100 liters could add as much as 1 ppm N (4.4 ppm nitrate).

 

[Miami Reef]

What would your dosing recommendation be?

That’s a good question. I was too shy to ask, so I was planning on putting a tiny pinch into my 260 gallon.

I already purchased it.

 

[Reefing_addiction]

That’s a good question. I was too shy to ask, so I was planning on putting a tiny pinch into my 260 gallon.

I already purchased it.

I expect to have a full detailed report of your experiment!!!

 

[Reefing_addiction]

Not sure. It’s about 10% N by weight, so 1 g/100 liters could add as much as 1 ppm N (4.4 ppm nitrate).

Considering I fight to keep my nitrates readable this may be a good thing

 

[Miami Reef]

I expect to have a full detailed report of your experiment!!!

It’s hard without controls. I feel guilty to say it helped even if I feel like it did because maybe it’s just in my head or it was something else. :(

 

[Miami Reef]

I will say I’ve been wanting to try this for a long while. I remember Randy saying he saw potential, but hasn’t looked into the latest research on it. I’ll try to find the quote since I’m excellent at using the search function.

 

[Miami Reef]

Found it. I’m quick lol.

Click on Randy’s name to get taken to the original thread he posted it in:

Ammonia is suitable for any use that a coral would make of nitrate. There may be other nitrogen-containing chemicals that a coral cannot make itself and needs to get it in foods. Aspartic acid was suggested by scientists long ago and I discussed it in a 2002 article, but I have not followed more recent research on that particular question (see below).

 

[Reefing_addiction]

It’s hard without controls. I feel guilty to say it helped even if I feel like it did because maybe it’s just in my head or it was something else. :(

Just keep track of how much you add and what it does to your nitrates?

When adding things and then trying to determine if it was helpful I believe it purely based on our view of the tank.

I’m wondering now how best to document any changes that would occur…

Maybe photos of the corals? Maybe weekly?

An ICP test prior to starting and 1 in a month ? (This may be silly now that I think about it)

 

[Reefing_addiction]

Found it. I’m quick lol.

Click on Randy’s name to get taken to the original thread he posted it in:

Oh I read this before but didn’t remember it specifically

 

[Miami Reef]

Oh I read this before but didn’t remember it specifically

Looks like I’ve been wanting to try it since last year January lol.

 

[Reefing_addiction]

oops wrong thread

 

[Miami Reef]

Just keep track of how much you add and what it does to your nitrates?

When adding things and then trying to determine if it was helpful I believe it purely based on our view of the tank.

OK I’ll try my best. I don’t have a good gauge on my nitrate. I test once a week at best, and I recently added some new fish that I’ve been feeding very well. I also carbon dose vinegar, so I have no idea if the nitrate increase/decrease will happen from aspartic acid. It’s difficult to say since so many things are at play.

I’ll focus on coral growth and coloration. Maybe I’ll stop it after a few months and see if restarting will give different results?

 

[Reefing_addiction]

OK I’ll try my best. I don’t have a good gauge on my nitrate. I test once a week at best, and I recently added some new fish that I’ve been feeding very well. I also carbon dose vinegar, so I have no idea if the nitrate increase/decrease will happen from aspartic acid. It’s difficult to say since so many things are at play.

I’ll focus on coral growth and coloration. Maybe I’ll stop it after a few months and see if restarting will give different results?

This last part seems like a sold idea

This is why I’ve been leaning towards photography for keeping track of things during “experimentation” as it may be the easiest way to verify a difference between before and after

I may go buy some and run my own little test- I’m going to be moving soon so I need to decide if I start that test now…. Run it until I move and then stop….

 

[Randy Holmes-Farley Verified Community Expert]

Here’s a recent paper, discussing aspartic acid and coral calcification. It is very complex and added aspartic acid may not be a benefit. But when reading it, bear in mind corals want to calcify some locations and not others in very close proximity to form detailed skeletons, so inhibition is not necessarily bad: it’s what they have to do in some places.

https://www.nature.com/articles/s41598-020-69556-0

 

[Miami Reef]

Here’s a recent paper, discussing aspartic acid and coral calcification. It is very complex and added aspartic acid may not be a benefit. But when reading it, bear in mind corals want to calcify some locations and not others in very close proximity to form detailed skeletons, so inhibition is not necessarily bad: it’s what they have to do in some places.

https://www.nature.com/articles/s41598-020-69556-0

I see. Hmm. That’s kind of off-putting to me. It’s too complicated for me to understand, but I just don’t want the possibility of reducing calcification.

I don’t want to experiment with it anymore.

 

[Randy Holmes-Farley Verified Community Expert]

I see. Hmm. That’s kind of off-putting to me. It’s too complicated for me to understand, but I just don’t want the possibility of reducing calcification.

I don’t want to experiment with it anymore.

Sounds reasonable.