Understanding Vibrant: Algaefix, Polixetonium Chloride / Busan 77

[jda]

There was no expiration, best-by or use-by date on the bottle that I purchased to be taken for NMR.

 

[redfishbluefish]

I also wonder about Canada......I believe they outright ban this pesticide. Is it still for sale in Canada?

 

[Randy Holmes-Farley]

There was no expiration, best-by or use-by date on the bottle that I purchased to be taken for NMR.

lol, nice. Guess those bacteria are immortal.

Perhaps interestingly, I checked a few sites where vibrant is sold (such as Amazon) and did not see any claim about bacteria in it or mechanism of action. Not sure if that was ever different or not.

About this item​

• Vibrant is safe with all fish, corals and invertebrates.
• For Fish Only Saltwater Aquariums Vibrant is a new revolutionary liquid aquarium cleaner.
• Included components: Bottle
• Age range description: All Life Stages

Product Description​

Vibrant is a new revolutionary liquid aquarium cleaner. You can say goodbye to algae, cloudy water and that grungy, dirty aquarium and say hello to that sparkling, crystal clear, algae free, vibrant aquarium you have always wanted! 8 oz. bottle will treat 2,400 total gallons.

 

[jda]

What is even more unbelievable is that I told them on this board in the 2015/2016 timeframe that if they wanted to lie about having a bacterial culture that they should at least put a fake expiration date on the bottle and maybe even refrigerate it. Tarchia found some of these old posts and linked them on one of these threads, IIRC. I guess that dumbness is not too immortal.

 

[Randy Holmes-Farley]

I also wonder about Canada......I believe they outright ban this pesticide. Is it still for sale in Canada?

I didn't know that, but it is still listed as available on amazon canada and it lists the ingredients that amazon USA does not:

About this item​

• Combats cloudy water and algae including GHA
• Can utilize all current filtration
• Safe with fish, coral, and invertebrates
• 95% Cultured Bacteria Blend 1% Amino Acids (Aspartic Acid) 0.5% Vinegar 3.5% RO/DI Water
• For Saltwater Aquariums

 

[jda]

If anybody feels so inclined, follow the red arrow:

 

[Dennis Cartier]

I also wonder about Canada......I believe they outright ban this pesticide. Is it still for sale in Canada?

Still for sale in local LFS's here.

Yes, the pesticide it includes is not allowed to be sold in Canada. For that reason, you can't buy Algafix here.

 

[sixty_reefer]

I also wonder about Canada......I believe they outright ban this pesticide. Is it still for sale in Canada?

Folks should reed the international product variation and warranty policy if ordering through Amazon to any country outside the US.

 

[A Young Reefer]

True, I expect equally good outcomes for it and Algaefix, the matching product that presumably also sells to some extent.

Does anyone know if vibrant lists a use by date on it? One certainly ought to for live bacteria. Would be interesting to see if product currently being sold has a current date.

Nope nothing. Keeping the bottle as a souvenir.

 

[A Young Reefer]

Can’t believe I payed 55 bucks for this (I don’t live in the US).

 

[biom]

Nope nothing. Keeping the bottle as a souvenir.

LoL 95% bacteria- how they’re achieving that- compressing in form of bricks with drop of vinegar for taste LOL. I thought it is a liquid

 

[elysics]

LoL 95% bacteria- how they’re achieving that- compressing in form of bricks with drop of vinegar for taste LOL. I thought it is a liquid

I mean it's probably a lie either way, but this one is actually proper wording. It's the same way on food labels. It doesn't say 95% bacteria it says 95% blend. "bacteria" is just the particular type/flavor of blend. Could be a blend of 99.9999% water and a bit of bacteria, and that combined is then 95% of the bottle. If the label weren't a lie altogether.

 

[workhz]

I mean it's probably a lie either way, but this one is actually proper wording. It's the same way on food labels. It doesn't say 95% bacteria it says 95% blend. "bacteria" is just the particular type/flavor of blend. Could be a blend of 99.9999% water and a bit of bacteria, and that combined is then 95% of the bottle. If the label weren't a lie altogether.

I'd be more likely to take that to mean the blend was 100% of different bacteria that then accounted for 95% of the total contents, otherwise what's the point of the 'other' category but yeah I don't think that's actually the case and your interpretation is likely the correct one.

 

[elysics]

I'd be more likely to take that to mean the blend was 100% of different bacteria that then accounted for 95% of the total contents, otherwise what's the point of the 'other' category but yeah I don't think that's actually the case and your interpretation is likely the correct one.

That's just how labeling is worded. If you take a bottle of premixed blend, and add other ingredients, that shows up like that on the ingredients. They are ingredients, not categories. Just like how on some plastic food, sugar can show up 5 times in the list of ingredients.

 

[biom]

Thanks for the explanation. English is not my mother tongue obviously. I thought blend means mixture of different strains / species of bacteria not mixture of bacteria and water, especially when is given in percentages from total ingredients and there were 3,5% of water listed.
But anyway it still sounds funny for me especially in combination with 0.5 % vinegar, sounds like salad dressing- not acetic acid but vinegar.

 

[Randy Holmes-Farley]

I thought blend means mixture of different strains / species of bacteria not mixture of bacteria and water, especially when is given in percentages from total ingredients and there were 3,5% of water listed.

Maybe it means a blead of algaefix and water and one bacterium. lol

 

[a.t.t.r]

Maybe it means a blead of algaefix and water and one bacterium. lol

Maybe he forgot to wash his hands while opening the algaefix

 

[Garf]

So 5 percent is not in the blend? How's that work then?

 

[Randy Holmes-Farley]

So 5 percent is not in the blend? How's that work then?

What are you asking?

It adds up to 100%, with some unknown amount of water comprising both the bacteria blend and the vinegar.

It’s, of course, a wholly bogus ingredient list. Aspartic acid is easily detected by NMR, is not removed by drying, and was not seen.

 

[Koleswrath]

Man, this thread was amazing! Over the last three days I’ve been reading this like a mystery novel. There were clear good guys, bad guys, annoying antagonists….I could barely put it down!
The only problem is the ending. 82 pages with no satisfactory ending in site. I really thought UWC would have posted in the last year like they promised. Big let down.
Thanks for resurrecting this @Randy Holmes-Farley. I wouldn’t have seen it otherwise. Thanks @taricha for all the hard work.
If anyone has any other great reads, let me know.
Greg