Sea lab No.,28...any good?

[Randy Holmes-Farley]

Hi Randy. I respect your opinions, you know a great deal more than I. What exactly are they saying that is misleading? I have had good success with this product and see no problems with my corals. Like you know, all tanks are different and some may get different results.

I agree that it maintains calcium a little high, don't see much of magnesium as I still have to dose that at times. Like I said, I have used it for several years and it does help me out with less manual dosing.

What is wrong with someone experimenting with their tank and giving it a try? I would suggest that if some do try it to stop all dosing and check water parameters daily again. Thanks for all the information you have shared with us all and do look forward to your future comments.

There’s nothing wrong with experimenting, or thinking or finding it is useful. But it is EXACTLY the same as dosing some fixed volume (say 10 mL) of a two part to any size of any type of tank and thinking that is a suitable way to maintain calcium, maybe alkalinity, and all trace elements.

As they say on late night Tv commercials, but wait there’s more. Metal binding, ammonia reduction, phosphate reduction, pH buffering…

I doubt anyone believes that, so why would someone think it is true with this product?

in not saying it isn’t potentially useful. Almost any small amount of any supplement is more useful than doing nothing.

it is the cynical, misleading claims that suck unknowing reefers into buying it that blows my gasket and makes me annoyingly aggressive in fighting against it (as well as a few other products).

this sort of claim, for example, that I mentioned above;

“Formula 28 senses the concentration of 28 individual elements, including calcium, strontium, and all trace elements, then automatically adjusts each one to the same concentration found in the sea. The blocks or nuggets dissolve only to replace depleted elements in solution.”

That is beyond acceptable to me. I hope that not many REEF2REEF readers believe it to be true, and if it isn’t true, are you comfortable buying things from a company making untrue statements?

Sorry, this is a really hot button product to me. lol

 

[anthonygf]

There’s nothing wrong with experimenting, or thinking or finding it is useful. But it is EXACTLY the same as dosing some fixed volume (say 10 mL) of a two part to any size of any type of tank and thinking that is a suitable way to maintain calcium, maybe alkalinity, and all trace elements.

As they say on late night Tv commercials, but wait there’s more. Metal binding, ammonia reduction, phosphate reduction, pH buffering…

I doubt anyone believes that, so why would someone think it is true with this product?

in not saying it isn’t potentially useful. Almost any small amount of any supplement is more useful than doing nothing.

it is the cynical, misleading claims that suck unknowing reefers into buying it that blows my gasket and makes me annoyingly aggressive in fighting against it (as well as a few other products).

this sort of claim, for example, that I mentioned above;

“Formula 28 senses the concentration of 28 individual elements, including calcium, strontium, and all trace elements, then automatically adjusts each one to the same concentration found in the sea. The blocks or nuggets dissolve only to replace depleted elements in solution.”

That is beyond acceptable to me. I hope that not many REEF2REEF readers believe it to be true, and if it isn’t true, are you comfortable buying things from a company making untrue statements?

Sorry, this is a really hot button product to me. lol

Have you done any ICP tests before and after to check the claims made? I have and will share the results with you if you are interested. I think the trace elements have increased a little after but I need to go over the results again to be sure. I know it maintains calcium at a decently high level, or maybe a little too high at times.

I am going to try and go without water changes for a little while while using this product and closely monitor water parameters also more ICP tests. If I find their claims are false I will definitely let you know. I understand your skepticism and it would be foolish to try this product on a reef tank with $thousands$ in corals.

 

[john92708]

Have you done any ICP tests before and after to check the claims made? I have and will share the results with you if you are interested. I think the trace elements have increased a little after but I need to go over the results again to be sure. I know it maintains calcium at a decently high level, or maybe a little too high at times.

I am going to try and go without water changes for a little while while using this product and closely monitor water parameters also more ICP tests. If I find their claims are false I will definitely let you know. I understand your skepticism and it would be foolish to try this product on a reef tank with $thousands$ in corals.

interested to know the result. I used them for awhile but since stop

 

[Randy Holmes-Farley]

Have you done any ICP tests before and after to check the claims made? I have and will share the results with you if you are interested. I think the trace elements have increased a little after but I need to go over the results again to be sure. I know it maintains calcium at a decently high level, or maybe a little too high at times.

I am going to try and go without water changes for a little while while using this product and closely monitor water parameters also more ICP tests. If I find their claims are false I will definitely let you know. I understand your skepticism and it would be foolish to try this product on a reef tank with $thousands$ in corals.

I would not spend the time and money to verify that utterly ridiculous claim any more than I would spend the money to get to the moon to find out if it is hard to breathe there.

I’m sorry and sad that it does not seem obviously nutso to you to claim it senses all those elements and dissolves exactly enough to attain NSW levels in all aquaria. Chemistry dies not work that way.

 

[anthonygf]

I didn't claim that it senses these elements and attain NSW levels, but I do believe there may be small amounts of trace elements. I am not as nutso as some of our scientists are today. And what is so NUTSO about using a product that helps me??? I spend the money to do ICP test anyway, the results show some increase in trace elements but not to NSW and shows no unwanted elements. Bottom line is I am pleased with this product and didn't think it would replicate NSW exactly. Close enough is good for me. lol

 

[Nano sapiens]

Hmm, first time I've heard of this product. The claim that it senses exactly what needs to be released to maintain natural sea water element levels reminds me of the marketing we had for some of the old school products from way back in the day.

What I can see as much more likely is that the product slowly dissolves and releases its various elements at a set rate irregardless of the levels already in the reef aquarium...and will continue to do so as long as it is present. If a reef aquarium were to be low in some/many of these elements to begin with, there could indeed be some improvement noted.

Personally, I prefer the much more precise method of test and then add (or not) for the major elements. But I can see the appeal of 'just drop this little brick in' with the expectation that one would not need to test/add elements as often. The principle danger I can see is a reef keeper becoming too reliant/complacent that the product is 'taking care of it all for me' and then not noticing the water chemistry getting out of whack over time.

 

[Randy Holmes-Farley]

I didn't claim that it senses these elements and attain NSW levels, but I do believe there may be small amounts of trace elements. I am not as nutso as some of our scientists are today. And what is so NUTSO about using a product that helps me??? I spend the money to do ICP test anyway, the results show some increase in trace elements but not to NSW and shows no unwanted elements. Bottom line is I am pleased with this product and didn't think it would replicate NSW exactly. Close enough is good for me. lol

You didn’t claim it, but the manufacturer does. That’s a problem. I don’t support this sort of falsehood.

i have no doubt it adds trace elements, whether you need them or not.

 

[anthonygf]

Hmm, first time I've heard of this product. The claim that it senses exactly what needs to be released to maintain natural sea water element levels reminds me of the marketing we had for some of the old school products from way back in the day.

What I can see as much more likely is that the product slowly dissolves and releases its various elements at a set rate irregardless of the levels already in the reef aquarium...and will continue to do so as long as it is present. If a reef aquarium were to be low in some/many of these elements to begin with, there could indeed be some improvement noted.

Personally, I prefer the much more precise method of test and then add (or not) for the major elements. But I can see the appeal of 'just drop this little brick in' with the expectation that one would not need to test/add elements as often. The principle danger I can see is a reef keeper becoming too reliant/complacent that the product is 'taking care of it all for me' and then not noticing the water chemistry getting out of whack over time.

That is why it is important to do frequent water testing. I test several times a week, daily for alk. Occasionally ICP testing around every 6 months. With all the testing I perform the only element that is higher than normal is calcium, I think my highest reading was 560. I don't have to dose magnesium as much using this stuff.

I don't believe it senses what the water is lacking, depending on where you place the block may cause it to dissolve fast or slow with water flow. All I can say is it helps me in my situation, I have no auto dosers so I need to dose everything by hand and test frequently. I don't mind testing, I am retired and have plenty of time.

 

[Randy Holmes-Farley]

That is why it is important to do frequent water testing. I test several times a week, daily for alk. Occasionally ICP testing around every 6 months. With all the testing I perform the only element that is higher than normal is calcium, I think my highest reading was 560. I don't have to dose magnesium as much using this stuff.

I don't believe it senses what the water is lacking, depending on where you place the block may cause it to dissolve fast or slow with water flow. All I can say is it helps me in my situation, I have no auto dosers so I need to dose everything by hand and test frequently. I don't mind testing, I am retired and have plenty of time.

ok, I don’t disagree with any of that.

 

[AcanSkywalker]

Yes, the calcium runs higher, the mag runs lower than natural ocean concentrations but it seemed to help my reef. Maybe it was something else, but I am going to try this stuff again. It didn't seem to hurt last time, I will know if it has a positive effect. I will see.

Just make sure you remove any chemical filtration like Purigen or Chemipure from your tank before using Sea Lab #28 as it can cause chemical filtration to unbind and release ammonia and other bad stuff back into your tank!

 

[Randy Holmes-Farley]

Just make sure you remove any chemical filtration like Purigen or Chemipure from your tank before using Sea Lab #28 as it can cause chemical filtration to unbind and release ammonia and other bad stuff back into your tank!

What is the basis for that claim?

It seems pretty wild to me. I doubt either of those products binds appreciable ammonia from seawater, and all of the things that Sealab 28 claims to add are already in seawater so I don’t see any way that what you are suggesting will happen.

It’s like claiming a water change would knock problem chemicals off of those polymers.