sps something’s not right

[Cell]

live sand activator, and Coraline algae booster disk

These sound like snake oil to me. How is the activator applied to the sand? What is in the coralline booster disk? I think the only proven way to transfer coralline is actual pieces of live coralline in water.

 

[galactic_coral]

These sound like snake oil to me. How is the activator applied to the sand? What is in the coralline booster disk? I think the only proven way to transfer coralline is actual pieces of live coralline in water.

That's exactly what it is " LIVE CORALINE " , or a plastic disc covered in pink, green, purple, and orange Coraline algae. The instructions are to add it to a high flow dark area in your sump near the return and spores will release as a survival mechanism. Literally every tank I've used this in has grown and covered in Coraline algae in a couple of months. Also the live sand activator is actual sand that is from his culture that is fed by ocean water. You deposit it into your sand bed and colonization begins. I found out about this when I read one of Dr. Ron Shimacs papers on deep sand beds around 15 years ago. He bought this live sand activator and examined all of the different strains of bacteria and called it the richest bacteria sample available to the industry. I tried it and habe used it ever since. We have a service company with some world class aquariums that have been visited by Tony Vargas as well as Mike Palleta and Mark Levinson. I make no money by sharing this knowledge so why would you assume I'm some kind of snake oil salesman?

 

[Charlie’s Frags]

That's exactly what it is " LIVE CORALINE " , or a plastic disc covered in pink, green, purple, and orange Coraline algae. The instructions are to add it to a high flow dark area in your sump near the return and spores will release as a survival mechanism. Literally every tank I've used this in has grown and covered in Coraline algae in a couple of months. Also the live sand activator is actual sand that is from his culture that is fed by ocean water. You deposit it into your sand bed and colonization begins. I found out about this when I read one of Dr. Ron Shimacs papers on deep sand beds around 15 years ago. He bought this live sand activator and examined all of the different strains of bacteria and called it the richest bacteria sample available to the industry. I tried it and habe used it ever since. We have a service company with some world class aquariums that have been visited by Tony Vargas as well as Mike Palleta and Mark Levinson. I make no money by sharing this knowledge so why would you assume I'm some kind of snake oil salesman?

Hey…. I was in your store this afternoon. I bought that striata/Tenuis mini colony. Great stuff.

 

[Charlie’s Frags]

What are your export methods OP? Any gfo, nopox, vibrant etc?

 

[blasterman]

SPS look fine to me. Not sure what the issue is.

I tested an AI 32 hydra a few months ago and cranked up to max produced less par than my BB. Primes aren't that impressive and there is no way you have too much light.

 

[Cell]

That's exactly what it is " LIVE CORALINE " , or a plastic disc covered in pink, green, purple, and orange Coraline algae. The instructions are to add it to a high flow dark area in your sump near the return and spores will release as a survival mechanism. Literally every tank I've used this in has grown and covered in Coraline algae in a couple of months. Also the live sand activator is actual sand that is from his culture that is fed by ocean water. You deposit it into your sand bed and colonization begins. I found out about this when I read one of Dr. Ron Shimacs papers on deep sand beds around 15 years ago. He bought this live sand activator and examined all of the different strains of bacteria and called it the richest bacteria sample available to the industry. I tried it and habe used it ever since. We have a service company with some world class aquariums that have been visited by Tony Vargas as well as Mike Palleta and Mark Levinson. I make no money by sharing this knowledge so why would you assume I'm some kind of snake oil salesman?

I'm questioning the products and I dont think you are the vendor so no reason to take it personally. That's great if the disks actually work, but this is the first I've ever heard mention of them and plenty of other coralline starter products do not work.

As for the live sand activator, I just dont see the need or benefit. Is it for cycling or biodiversity? @brandon429 ever heard of this product?

 

[brandon429]

no I had not heard of that but its not harmful to try in my opinion. let me know if this thought process is possible though: to use that means one ascribes to the hands off deep sandbed method, set it and do not touch it as long as possible.

because why would we add an activator for cost, biodiversity, and then impart cleaning rituals that re homogenize the sand diversity

if someone wants to have a hands off sandbed, perhaps that activator will make it not poison the tank with cyano or kill the tank if an accidental disturbance happens (reasons folks have selected away from hands off sandbedding)

animals from the activation kit might indeed seed live rock. they dont always have to remain in the sand. what holes up in live rock easily survives sand cleaning work, that's a potential as well. no harm to try. I'd probably add some to see if it helps as coral feed only bc years of rip cleans have certainly reduced my sandbed and rock diversity.

 

[Charlie’s Frags]

I'm questioning the products and I dont think you are the vendor so no reason to take it personally. That's great if the disks actually work, but this is the first I've ever heard mention of them and plenty of other coralline starter products do not work.

As for the live sand activator, I just dont see the need or benefit. Is it for cycling or biodiversity? @brandon429 ever heard of this product?

What are your nutrient export methods?

 

[Cell]

What are your nutrient export methods?

Primarily skimmer, fuge, and weekly water changes, nothing out of the ordinary. Why?

 

[schuby]

You might consider checking your Potassium level, too. Recommended level is 380-420ppm.

Do you have an ATO on your tank? Small tanks can have large fluctuations in salinity which can make tank inhabitants unhappy and irritable.

As I think was already mentioned, very low nutrient levels combined with light feeding (due to few fish) doesn't usually bode well for SPS.

Finally, what is in your fuge?

 

[Charlie’s Frags]

Primarily skimmer, fuge, and weekly water changes, nothing out of the ordinary. Why?

That’s good.
I asked bc of the countless sps struggle threads involving gfo, nopox and/or vibrant along with a low bio load. . Their parameters are “perfect” but their tanks are not. Never mind. Doesn’t apply to you.

Double never mind. Just realized you’re not the OP. Sorry

 

[Cell]

Oh yeah sorry, I'm not the OP lol. I just joined when I saw the terms "live sand activator" and "coralline booster disks", which I still think sound like snake oil, though they are actual live sand and live coralline products. After visiting the website and researching the products, I dont believe the name does them justice.

 

[galactic_coral]

I just only advertise and sell products that work for us on a day in and day out basis. It has helped us build successful reefs over the years. I've tried every product imaginable and I keep going back to ipsf.com. nothing compares to the biodiversity you get with his packs. I love the micro brittle stars and mamma Mia worms and add them in as well. We don't have to clean the sand beds as a result of this. If we do it will be areas where detritus is building and we just siphon a tiny bit of the sand while removing it. We set up 4 inch deep sand beds typically. Not considered deep but it's deep enough for both anaerobic and aerobic bacteria to thrive. The diversity of the worms as well as other micro inverts keep it pretty healthy. We also get the sanded clams and they reproduce in the tanks as well.

 

[galactic_coral]

Didn't take it personally just didn't like the term snake oil because I really believe it's a great product. I enjoy productive and insightful conversations like the one we are having.

I'm questioning the products and I dont think you are the vendor so no reason to take it personally. That's great if the disks actually work, but this is the first I've ever heard mention of them and plenty of other coralline starter products do not work.

As for the live sand activator, I just dont see the need or benefit. Is it for cycling or biodiversity? @brandon429 ever heard of this product?

 

[Cell]

It seems they were more popular a few years ago. The lack of a social media presence probably isnt helping them. What's weird is the amount of threads on forums with people looking for a legit coralline algae starter and increased biodiversity and I've never seen IPSF products recommended once until now. The answer given is always Arcreef's Helix products and live rock.

 

[galactic_coral]

Man I've been doing this for 22 years and learn new things just about daily in this hobby. There is so much we are just scratching the surface on. It's what keeps me hooked.

 

[ScottB]

It seems they were more popular a few years ago. The lack of a social media presence probably isnt helping them. What's weird is the amount of threads on forums with people looking for a legit coralline algae starter and increased biodiversity and I've never seen IPSF products recommended once until now. The answer given is always Arcreef's Helix products and live rock.

The coralline starter pack was new to me too and I appreciate the application instruction @galactic_coral . I reuse reef and sump rock so much that I haven't the need anymore but sumping a coralline "colony" is brilliant.

I often recommend ipsf.com stuff for those staggering through the more resilient dinoflagellate blooms, or those with "perfect" parameters and dead acropora to go along with their equally dead rock. There are plenty of those folks around now days.