New Oceamo Organo-MS Results

[static416]

Figured I'd share the results of the new Oceamo Organo-MS test on my tanks.

It's a 350gal SPS tank, no major issues at the moment.

• Detected the Fluconazole from June, despite carbon and water changes.
• Detected Oxybenzone (sunscreen) despite very minor and brief contact two weeks ago.
• My aminos are low despite dosing Reef Energy continuously. But my dose is a bit low, so I'll increase it.

Generally pretty happy with the test. Likely not something I'll run all the time, but maybe twice a year unless there are specific issues to diagnose.

Probably run a second one in a month or so just to confirm I've corrected the issues in this one.

 

[Randy Holmes-Farley Verified Community Expert]

Thanks for posting that. :)

I’m not sure the amino guidelines mean very much, and I would not dose amino acids unless there’s a conscious reason to aside from the values.

 

[static416]

I’m not sure the amino guidelines mean very much, and I would not dose amino acids unless there’s a conscious reason to aside from the values.

Thank you. I've seen some improvement in polyp extension from going from 0 amino dosing to where I am now (about 50% of what Red Sea Reef Energy recommends).

I took this as positive because for some mysterious reason, I cannot seem to get much polyp extension on my tenuis and millipora ever, despite otherwise being heathy (no pests, stable chemistry).

But I'll keep it current levels then, if for no other reason than your advice, and it's expensive.

 

[Randy Holmes-Farley Verified Community Expert]

Thank you. I've seen some improvement in polyp extension from going from 0 amino dosing to where I am now (about 50% of what Red Sea Reef Energy recommends).

I took this as positive because for some mysterious reason, I cannot seem to get much polyp extension on my tenuis and millipora ever, despite otherwise being heathy (no pests, stable chemistry).

But I'll keep it current levels then, if for no other reason than your advice, and it's expensive.

What is the level of nitrate currently? Amino acids supply N. :)

 

[static416]

What is the level of nitrate currently? Amino acids supply N. :)

Tested with Hanna checkers:
Nitrate: 7ppm
Phos: 0.08ppm

Tested with Oceamo MS-ICP:
Nitrate: 7ppm
Phos: 0.24ppm

Whatever the emergent results of my reef-keeping technique are, Nitrate has never been a significant issue. I used to actually supplement it to keep it near the Redfield ratio, before I researched it more and realized that was not a good idea.

Now that you mention it, Nitrate has come up slightly since I started dosing aminos again. But only like 5 to 7ppm.

I'm more concerned about my phosphate, although people tell me not to be at 0.08ppm free Phos.

My understanding is that the photometric phosphate test in the ICP accounts for Inorganic + Organic, which might drive that discrepency, but it seems like a large one.

That said, the levels are very stable at this point. I can bring down the phosphate measured by Hanna Checker fairly quickly by just cutting food in half for a few weeks, though my Copperband then gets skinny.

 

[Randy Holmes-Farley Verified Community Expert]

I would not try to bring phosphate down.

Aside from polyp extension, did you notice any other effects of the dosed amino acids?

 

[static416]

My Gorgorians look better IMO, but hard to specifically tie that to aminos.

Two of them are now doing well in ways that they hadn't before, but I also started dosing live phyto sometime about a month or two before I started dosing aminos. So it's hard to directly attribute the impact.

Part of my interest in aminos comes from having dosed them consistently for 1.5yrs on my prior, smaller tank, and having more success with SPS then.

I stopped dosing aminos in the new tank around and not long after I started losing occasional frags and generally having medicore results.

Since I've started dosing aminos again, things look happier, no loses, and slightly better PE.

--

But completely acknowledge that it's circumstantial and could easily be independant developments. There was also heavy Alk instability, and generally less attention to the tank during the time that my SPS was doing a bit worse.

--

Is your thinking that aminos are essentiall just expensive ways to dose nitrate?

 

[Randy Holmes-Farley Verified Community Expert]

I don’t have a strong opinion on their benefit to corals, but they are both a source of energy and N, and can sometimes spur cyano. :)

 

[static416]

Ah I see. I have had pretty good record with avoiding Cyano overall.

 

[static416]

Currently issues, although minor, continue to be:
- getting rid of some persistent turf algae
- and some specific SPS not doing great.

A blue tort sort of dissolved, and one other simple pink one I don't recall the name of.

And a combination of the two, turf algae slowly growing inside my Hawkins Enchinata.

Rest of the tank is pretty good.

 

[static416]

I actually have another curiosity with Zinc, but I'll start a separate thread for that.

 

[Dan_P]

Figured I'd share the results of the new Oceamo Organo-MS test on my tanks.

It's a 350gal SPS tank, no major issues at the moment.

• Detected the Fluconazole from June, despite carbon and water changes.
• Detected Oxybenzone (sunscreen) despite very minor and brief contact two weeks ago.
• My aminos are low despite dosing Reef Energy continuously. But my dose is a bit low, so I'll increase it.

Generally pretty happy with the test. Likely not something I'll run all the time, but maybe twice a year unless there are specific issues to diagnose.

Probably run a second one in a month or so just to confirm I've corrected the issues in this one.

Thanks for sharing. I consider amino acid dosing to be comparable to carbon dosing and don’t expect amino concentration to ever become very high.

When you dose amino acids, what concentration do expect to achieve? How often do you dose this amount? How long have you been dosing? I would expect higher doses to drive bacteria growth but at some point the growth might flatline, at which point the consumption rate might slow and coral exposed to higher concentration of amino acids. The amino acid dose is still expected to bottom out very low. I have to wonder if the desired levels are achievable in an aquarium for more than a couple hours.

 

[static416]

When you dose amino acids, what concentration do expect to achieve? How often do you dose this amount? How long have you been dosing?

At least at the moment I dose 60ml of Red Sea Reef Energy per day, spread out over 24 hrs, on the hour. From a refridgerated and stirred source.

I used to have it at 90ml, and Red Sea recommends higher, but it gets expensive pretty quickly for a 350gal tank like mine.

Given that I view it mostly as "nice-to-have", I've gone to dosing 60ml per day and things generally seem fine with it.

The source:

 

[Dan_P]

At least at the moment I dose 60ml of Red Sea Reef Energy per day, spread out over 24 hrs, on the hour. From a refridgerated and stirred source.

I used to have it at 90ml, and Red Sea recommends higher, but it gets expensive pretty quickly for a 350gal tank like mine.

Given that I view it mostly as "nice-to-have", I've gone to dosing 60ml per day and things generally seem fine with it.

The source:

Thanks for this.

 

[Dan_P]

At least at the moment I dose 60ml of Red Sea Reef Energy per day, spread out over 24 hrs, on the hour. From a refridgerated and stirred source.

I used to have it at 90ml, and Red Sea recommends higher, but it gets expensive pretty quickly for a 350gal tank like mine.

Given that I view it mostly as "nice-to-have", I've gone to dosing 60ml per day and things generally seem fine with it.

The source:

Upon further reading, Red Sea is not very transparent about what their product contains. It would be interesting to obtain an MS on this product to determine how much amino acid is in the product and whether you could ever reac an ideal level with it, even for a minute.