What is an Alternative to Reef AB+? (non Refrigerated)

[jphilip813]

Hi fellow Reefers on this last day of NOV, @vetteguy53081 and others, what is a recommended alternative to Red Sea Reef AB+ that I can use in a doser long term? I honestly just read a reply from BRS to myself that RedSea is only good for 7 days unrefrigerated...well I know I have mine in my doser for about 3 weeks now...which means it (Reef AB+) more than likely is no good. What are your recommendations? Corals look fine, however, my phosphates are around .13ppm, and Nitrates has been steady at 40 ppm (API test) for 2 months now.

 

[Joe31415]

Maybe CoralAmino or Reef Snow? But those require shaking. I don't know how much they actually separate between uses, but if it's a lot, you'd have to look into getting something to stir them for a few minutes before the doser kicks on.

 

[jphilip813]

Maybe CoralAmino or Reef Snow? But those require shaking. I don't know how much they actually separate between uses, but if it's a lot, you'd have to look into getting something to stir them for a few minutes before the doser kicks on.

Oh they cant just be added to a doser and used that way?

 

[Illini_Drew33]

I've just started benepets and really like it. I was getting algae from AB+ but this feeding actually reduces phos and does a real nice job. Highly recommend it.

 

[shakacuz]

I've just started benepets and really like it.

may start using benepets myself...

i heard acropower is a good substitute to AB+

 

[Pkunk35]

Interesting question. I googled the ingredients list for it and found this:

looks like it’s yeast, glucose, ribose, some sort of thickener (carboxymethylcellulose), vitamins, amino acids, water and acriflavine (fluorescence)

from wiki:
Acriflavine is used in biochemistry for fluorescently labeling high molecular weight RNA.[1]

It is used as treatment for external fungal infections of aquarium fish.[3]

 

[Joe31415]

looks like it’s yeast, glucose,

Looks like maybe part of the big reason you can't leave it out is because it's going to ferment.

Also, I know it's just a rounding error, but the line "up to 100% distilled water" is kinda funny. I'm surprised they didn't say "up to 99.08%" or "98.24% - 99.08%".
Also, I'm surprised at how diluted it is. In a 1 liter bottle, about a half a cup is active ingredients, the rest is water.

 

[Pkunk35]

Looks like maybe part of the big reason you can't leave it out is because it's going to ferment.

Also, I know it's just a rounding error, but the line "up to 100% distilled water" is kinda funny. I'm surprised they didn't say "up to 99.08%" or "98.24% - 99.08%".
Also, I'm surprised at how diluted it is. In a 1 liter bottle, about a half a cup is active ingredients, the rest is water.

Right, makes me think THEY think that yeast makes a difference. I’ve heard of reefers adding yeast to their tank and swearing by it. who knows…

in terms of complete substitute, it’s gonna be hard for sure to replace completely, almost impossible via a single doser and really trying to recreate this strange mix.
If me, I might try something like easysps or easyreefs, even tho it’s completely different concept, it is a complete food or so they say and can be dosed via doser and won’t go bad. I might add aminos to that also. As always, watch those parameters if switching things up…

 

[reefluvrr]

I too did not like having to worry about storage with Reef AB+. I was lucky enough to have read an article about amino acids, vitamins from Reefs.com. Here is the link.

I have used Easy Reef SPS EVO and Easy Reef Easy Booster for about 1 year. Great product, but I did not get as much polyp extension from my LPS from using these products.

After reading the amino acid article, I decided to use Bio-Enhance from Quantum USA as an amino acid plus vitamin supplement because they stated that it does not need to be stored and I can dose it daily from a doser.

After a few days of using Quantum Bio-Enhance, I saw my hammer, frogspawn, torch corals have longer tentacle extensions.

 

[shakacuz]

I too did not like having to worry about storage with Reef AB+. I was lucky enough to have read an article about amino acids, vitamins from Reefs.com. Here is the link.

I have used Easy Reef SPS EVO and Easy Reef Easy Booster for about 1 year. Great product, but I did not get as much polyp extension from my LPS from using these products.

After reading the amino acid article, I decided to use Bio-Enhance from Quantum USA as an amino acid plus vitamin supplement because they stated that it does not need to be stored and I can dose it daily from a doser.

After a few days of using Quantum Bio-Enhance, I saw my hammer, frogspawn, torch corals have longer tentacle extensions.

may have the give these products a shot! would you recommend quantum bio-enhance over easy reef sps evo/easy booster? or rather a combination of them?

 

[chipchipbro]

what about Coral Dust from Fauna Marin?
I personally dont use it, but it reads good

 

[reefluvrr]

may have the give these products a shot! would you recommend quantum bio-enhance over easy reef sps evo/easy booster? or rather a combination of them?

If you have not used both, I would play it safe and try one or the other and not both.

Introducing too much nutrients at once can cause unwanted nuisance algae.

Giving the reaction I have seen with my LPS, I would try Quantum Bio-Enhance 1st to see if you see similar results.
I am getting to a stage in life where simplicity may be easier to juggle than having to remember what to keep on dosing....

 

[jphilip813]

may start using benepets myself...

i heard acropower is a good substitute to AB+

Are either one of those liquid forms and can be placed in a doser for an extended period of time?

 

[elysics]

Interesting question. I googled the ingredients list for it and found this:

looks like it’s yeast, glucose, ribose, some sort of thickener (carboxymethylcellulose), vitamins, amino acids, water and acriflavine (fluorescence)

from wiki:
Acriflavine is used in biochemistry for fluorescently labeling high molecular weight RNA.[1]

It is used as treatment for external fungal infections of aquarium fish.[3]

Interesting, wasn't there a recent thread here where they told someone it contained no dyes? Acriflavine is a dye

But the other ingredients look quite reasonable was looking into dosing yeast extract myself if getting the powdered kind wasn't so expensive, normal yeast can be used too but only dosed manually which I do now and then

 

[shakacuz]

Are either one of those liquid forms and can be placed in a doser for an extended period of time?

benepets is powder. acropower is liquid