Most economical amino acid product or DIY amino acids?

[csb123]

Hey fellow reefers,

I tried over the last month, amino acids, for the first time. I feel that I’ve gotten a positive response, with better coloration, growth, and polyp extension (which I’ve never had before, during the day.) No, I did not take photos or measurements, and the observation is subjective.

My question regards the costs of the supplements. I used the Brightwell product, but with my large reef, it’s going to cost about $30/ month if I continue. Does anyone know the concentration of the various amino acid products, so I can make a fair cost comparison?

Better yet, does anyone have a less expensive recipe for a DIY amino acid mix?

Thank you, in advance, for your response!

 

[Dr. Dendrostein]

Hey fellow reefers,

I tried over the last month, amino acids, for the first time. I feel that I’ve gotten a positive response, with better coloration, growth, and polyp extension (which I’ve never had before, during the day.) No, I did not take photos or measurements, and the observation is subjective.

My question regards the costs of the supplements. I used the Brightwell product, but with my large reef, it’s going to cost about $30/ month if I continue. Does anyone know the concentration of the various amino acid products, so I can make a fair cost comparison?

Better yet, does anyone have a less expensive recipe for a DIY amino acid mix?

Thank you, in advance, for your response!

Raw egg, chlorella algae in powder, kelp in powder form, spiralina in powder.


1 of 33 carnation corals, dendronephthya sp.

 

[C. Eymann]

I know a few years ago @Biggles was making his own additives, I wanna say he made an amino acid supplement as well?
Maybe he can chime in?

 

[mattdg]

I bought my Elos Aminos 5 years ago. It lasts forever if refrigerated. I've used it in 5 different setups since. Only a few drops a week and good results. I've tried some of the more popular / expensive brands and have not seen improved results, so for now I'm sticking with this dirt cheap high quality option.

 

[bacc2bacc]

I use continuum aquatics coral exponential and seachem aqua vitro fuel with good results, I want to try Brightwell aminos, I’ve heard great things about it but for the cost, the other 2 seem to be getting it done for me

 

[Arturs Millers]

How about polyp lab pro colors 200% i know its expensive for small bottle but you use only like 1 drop per 60gal of so..

 

[kyley]

My question regards the costs of the supplements. I used the Brightwell product, but with my large reef, it’s going to cost about $30/ month if I continue. Does anyone know the concentration of the various amino acid products, so I can make a fair cost comparison?

What route did you go? I'm struggling to decide which aminos to use as well. Based on what I've read (from current sale prices and daily dosing instructions), here's what the cost would be for dosing each option (that I've looked at) to my 120g tank:

• Korallen-Zucht Amino Acids (100 mL bottle): $5.10 cost per month - also easy to dose by counting drops (I think 5 / day for me)
• Red Sea Reef Energy A & B (using the huge 5L bottles): $10.20 per month ($5.10 for each bottle)!
• Brightwell CoralAmino (2L bottle): $8.70 per month!
• Acropower (32 oz bottle - would be cheaper with a gallon): $3.30 per month (but I'm personally skeptical of this brand)
• Aquaforest Amino Mix (just a 50 mL bottle) - Wow, just $1.56 per month! Based on their recommendation of 1 drop / 27 gallons every other day (which seems low?)
• PolypLab Colors Amino Acids (50 mL) - Also cheap at just $2.25 per month! But that's based on their recommendation of just 1 drop per 100 gallons per day, which seems like almost nothing. I'm skeptical of this company though - their expensive coral dip ($15 to use one time with one gallon) has terrible instructions and is nothing but potassium salts. Plus they offer two different amino acid products - why?
• PolypLab Acids (50 mL) - Still cheap at $4.05 per month, but what's the difference between this and "Colors?"

I was leaning towards Korallen-Zucht (being a reputable company), but I have to say that Aquaforest (who I don't know as well but still seems like a good company) is pretty compelling with that super low price point. I definitely wouldn't do Brightwell. I like Red Sea, but they require 2 components and the price is really high - especially considering that's with buying 5L jugs!

*Another note - Aquaforest has an "Energy" product with fatty acids, vitamins, carbs that doses in the same amounts as their Amino Mix. Sounds like it would be similar to Red Sea's two products for a fraction of the cost...

The big unknowns are A, how good are the amino acid mixes in each of these and B, how conservative / aggressive is each company being with their dosing recommendations. I'd love to hear more opinions on this!
--Kyle

 

[Arturs Millers]

What route did you go? I'm struggling to decide which aminos to use as well. Based on what I've read (from current sale prices and daily dosing instructions), here's what the cost would be for dosing each option (that I've looked at) to my 120g tank:

• Korallen-Zucht Amino Acids (100 mL bottle): $5.10 cost per month - also easy to dose by counting drops (I think 5 / day for me)
• Red Sea Reef Energy A & B (using the huge 5L bottles): $10.20 per month ($5.10 for each bottle)!
• Brightwell CoralAmino (2L bottle): $8.70 per month!
• Acropower (32 oz bottle - would be cheaper with a gallon): $3.30 per month (but I'm personally skeptical of this brand)
• Aquaforest Amino Mix (just a 50 mL bottle) - Wow, just $1.56 per month! Based on their recommendation of 1 drop / 27 gallons every other day (which seems low?)
• PolypLab Colors Amino Acids (50 mL) - Also cheap at just $2.25 per month! But that's based on their recommendation of just 1 drop per 100 gallons per day, which seems like almost nothing. I'm skeptical of this company though - their expensive coral dip ($15 to use one time with one gallon) has terrible instructions and is nothing but potassium salts. Plus they offer two different amino acid products - why?
• PolypLab Acids (50 mL) - Still cheap at $4.05 per month, but what's the difference between this and "Colors?"

I was leaning towards Korallen-Zucht (being a reputable company), but I have to say that Aquaforest (who I don't know as well but still seems like a good company) is pretty compelling with that super low price point. I definitely wouldn't do Brightwell. I like Red Sea, but they require 2 components and the price is really high - especially considering that's with buying 5L jugs!

*Another note - Aquaforest has an "Energy" product with fatty acids, vitamins, carbs that doses in the same amounts as their Amino Mix. Sounds like it would be similar to Red Sea's two products for a fraction of the cost...

The big unknowns are A, how good are the amino acid mixes in each of these and B, how conservative / aggressive is each company being with their dosing recommendations. I'd love to hear more opinions on this!
--Kyle

Try to check out fauna marine amino

 

[kyley]

Try to check out fauna marine amino

I don't know why, but Bulk Reef Supply no longer seems to carry their products. Premium Aquatics doesn't. Marine Depot doesn't. I have been considering them for trace elements because BRS did a video on how they can be added to two part for easy dosing. But now they discontinued them (at least, BRS did, but it's hard to find them elsewhere too). So in addition to aminos, I'm trying to find good trace element dosing options. Red Sea is what I'm leaning towards, but it's fairly expensive for all 4 parts.

At any rate, I just looked at their aminos and they would be the most expensive of all! $16.56 per month! Their product calls for 5 mL per day for my tank while PoylpLabs is just over 1 drop per day, LOL. Thanks,
--Kyle

 

[csb123]

I found this mixture of pure, crystalline amino acids. If you mix 5g in 125 ml vinegar and 375 ml ro water, you get a solution of the same concentration as Brightwell’s product. It’s amino acid ratios are geared to humans, but you can’t hit a home run every time. There’s enough powder in there to buy $7000 worth of commercial products.

I switched to this from Brightwell’s a month ago and my corals continue to do well with no side effects.

The vinegar prevents bacterial/mold growth. It helps to use warm water to dissolve it.

 

[kyley]

I found this mixture of pure, crystalline amino acids. If you mix 5g in 125 ml vinegar and 375 ml ro water, you get a solution of the same concentration as Brightwell’s product.

I'd be pretty nervous about doing that myself. How did you determine that it's the same concentration as Brightwell? Hat tip to you for figuring it out and trying it, but I'm not sure I'm that brave.
--Kyle

 

[csb123]

I'd be pretty nervous about doing that myself. How did you determine that it's the same concentration as Brightwell? Hat tip to you for figuring it out and trying it, but I'm not sure I'm that brave.
--Kyle

I just looked at the ingredients. The Coral amino is 1% crude protein and 99% water. Amino acids are the basic building blocks of proteins. All proteins on earth are made with them. The difference between one protein and another is the sequence of amino acids. Coral proteins are the same as human proteins except for the sequence in which the amino acids are assembled.

My assumption is that the corals will uptake which amino acids they need and skip the ones they don’t. Any left over amino acids that the corals don’t use, another organism will.

Sean

 

[madlos123]

update?

 

[Scrubber_steve]

I have the Aqua forest amino mix, don't use it much as I was told it's only useful in ULN systems.
In any case, thinking about DIY amino, the AquaF smells just like salty beef stock?????
I haven't tasted it. And it's too expensive to use for cooking.
Just saying ???????

 

[kyley]

update?

I started using Aquaforest AminoMix, Energy, Vitality, and Build. I don't think all are necessary (AminoMix and Energy would be the two most helpful), but these are quite affordable and easy to dose. Just 5 drops of each every other day in my 120g tank. When I looked at the numbers on most of the major brands, these aminos worked out to be the cheapest. Check out their Facebook group. You'll see some amazing tanks there where people are using those. Here's some info on them.
Oh, I also alternate using their Power Food, Reef Roids, and Coral Frenzy foods. Cheers,
--Kyle

 

[csb123]

After 3 months of using my DIY amino mix, I’m very happy with the results. My corals have much improved coloring. The growth rates, I would say are slightly improved. Unfortunately, I didn’t take before and after pictures.

 

[madlos123]

After 3 months of using my DIY amino mix, I’m very happy with the results. My corals have much improved coloring. The growth rates, I would say are slightly improved. Unfortunately, I didn’t take before and after pictures.

got pictures now? does your corals react like dosing brightwell coral amino?

 

[csb123]

I see no difference from Brightwells.

 

[Enchanted Reefs]

I use polylab poly booster before i feed reef roids because it makes the tentacles extend out significantly. If anyone is feeding reef roids or any other supplement i would add the polyp booster 15 mins before adding the supplements

https://amzn.to/30pyoJk

 

[Hijinks_78]

I see no difference from Brightwells.

Interesting. It would be great to have an option this cheap where cost was not a prohibitive factor in how much was used...