Amino Acids

Mark C · #1 08/14/2007, 10:42 PM

Does anyone dose Amino Acids and find that it has increased their sps color? If so, what brand do you use?

reefnetworth · #2 08/14/2007, 11:24 PM

Seachem has minerals, vitamins and amino.
i also soak my fish food in it for about 10 minutes before feeding.

Iodide will help with the color. but i would not dose without buying a test to go with it. i keep mine about .048-.050, with Seachem test kit.

Laakmann · #3 08/15/2007, 12:30 AM

I dose a powder amino acid suppliment meant for human consumption in my tank. I really cant tell you if it has improved anything since I have always been doing it since I switched to BB but I can say that it doesnt hurt anything considering I get good color and growth.

Flint&Eric · #4 08/15/2007, 09:35 AM

google.com search "site:reefcentral.com amino acids"

be careful with powder....i've tried all kinds of concoctions and not all of them mix well together or with sw.

Greg Hiller · #5 08/15/2007, 12:04 PM

If you are going to use powdered amino acids it might be better first to mix them into some fresh water. Certain amino acids will not go into solution well at the high pH of tank water. When added to fresh, un-buffered water they will decrease the pH and may go into solution better. Some amino acids are easier to solubulize under acidic conditions, some under basic.

carpus · #6 08/15/2007, 12:15 PM

I'm trying the seachem amino/vitamins. I make a batch of food and put 1ml into it and let it soak in the frig a couple days before using it... effects? i dunno

250G · #7 08/15/2007, 12:34 PM

Greg - in your opinion do you feel dosing amino acids improves the colour of SPS? You seem to be a little familar with the topic. All other variables being ideal and stable of course.

I am reluctant to dose anything, perhaps because as I have never added a supplement to my current tank and have generally enjoyed success and good colour. Interested in your thoughts however. Thanks

Quote:

Originally posted by Greg Hiller
If you are going to use powdered amino acids it might be better first to mix them into some fresh water. Certain amino acids will not go into solution well at the high pH of tank water. When added to fresh, un-buffered water they will decrease the pH and may go into solution better. Some amino acids are easier to solubulize under acidic conditions, some under basic.

Mark C · #8 08/15/2007, 02:52 PM

Quote:

Originally posted by 250G
Greg - in your opinion do you feel dosing amino acids improves the colour of SPS? You seem to be a little familar with the topic. All other variables being ideal and stable of course.

I am reluctant to dose anything, perhaps because as I have never added a supplement to my current tank and have generally enjoyed success and good colour. Interested in your thoughts however. Thanks

Yes, I would be interested in a response as well. My sps have very light coloration despite testing 0.00 for phosphates (using a Martini phosphate colorimeter) and all other conditions in normal range. I was just trying to get an opinion on whether dosing amino acids would be a waste of money, or might possibly help.

CSS Reef · #9 08/15/2007, 04:27 PM

There is new amino acid made by Warner Marine for those of you wondering, Reefpure Ultimate Aminos in case some were looking to try an alternative to whats out there.

250G · #10 08/15/2007, 08:10 PM

Now that is a good title for a product!!!

Should almost be illegal...

I am interested in learning what other experienced hobbiests think. I know most supplements do result in visible improvements, well pretty much nothing more than you would expect than a placebo.

Quote:

Originally posted by CSS Reef
There is new amino acid made by Warner Marine for those of you wondering, Reefpure Ultimate Aminos in case some were looking to try an alternative to whats out there.

gcarroll · #11 08/16/2007, 01:21 AM

I have been using the Ultimate Aminos and I love them, I was a beta tester for the product. My colors are nearing the best they have ever been.

CSS Reef · #12 08/16/2007, 10:48 AM

gcarroll, how often/how much are you dosing of the Ultimate Aminos? I am a third of a bottle right now and have noticed a color improvement. I have a ways to go but the colors are a bit deeper since dosing the reefpure ultimate aminos.

gcarroll · #13 08/16/2007, 11:41 AM

I'm dosing 10-15 ml per day

lazaro torres · #14 08/16/2007, 11:46 AM

I got to say that I use amino acids in my system's and my corals show signs of them loving it, marc wiess, and seliferts , thats it , were do you get the Ultimate Aminos, I would like to know if a lfs has it around here.

gcarroll · #15 08/16/2007, 01:22 PM

You need to find one that carries Warner Marine products. Many online stores like Marine Depot, Premium Aquatics, & Champion Lighting might be good online sources.

Greg Hiller · #16 08/16/2007, 03:29 PM

>Greg - in your opinion do you feel dosing amino acids improves the colour of SPS? You seem to be a little familar with the topic. All other variables being ideal and stable of course.<

I've never dosed them. I really don't like not knowing what I'm adding. If I do add them I'd like to know the concentrations of each amino acid I'm adding before hand.

Up till now, long term I've never added anything to my tank but calcium, magnesium, and alkalinity (by calcium reactor predominanatly). Also, I feed my fish of course, BUT, I don't have eye popping color from every coral. Sometimes I think we are never satisfied, but perhaps should be.

einsteins · #17 08/16/2007, 03:41 PM

I use the Zeovit Amino acids called AAHC I dont run the Zeo system but their additives are awsome....if you want a great combo use their Coral vital and amino acids...coral response is great!

einsteins

Denadai · #18 08/16/2007, 03:45 PM

In my opinion amino is just waste of time and money

Just another placebo in the market

gcarroll · #19 08/16/2007, 05:18 PM

Greg Hiller, I cannot say that dosing amino's alone was the difference. This is because 4 months ago, I also started dosing their potassium at the same time. 2 months ago I changed ballasts from HQI to electronic & also changed from running all Phoenix 14K bulbs to running a combination of Phoenix and Radium 20K bulbs. Colors did noticeably begin to gain richer colors within 2 weeks of dosing. There was a slight decline when I changed the lighting but the colors are better now than I have ever had.

Denadai - There have been people that have taken placebos and been cured of cancer! Bottom line is wheter or not it works for everyone, ??????? I just know I feel better using it. I have no plans to stop.

As for being a waste of time and money? Answer me this...

How much more time and money would you have if you didn't have a tank?

Flint&Eric · #20 08/16/2007, 05:26 PM

Quote:

How much more time and money would you have if you didn't have a tank?

trueblackpercula · #21 08/16/2007, 09:32 PM

Ok i have a question about the sytems using AA. the ones that have claimed to have better color on thre Sps do you have sand beds and if so how deep? or are they BB tanks? Lets keep this civil please no DSb Vs. BB the reason I am asking is becuase I have been think about adding sand and was wondering if this would be a bad thing for a DSb tank. The reefers out there dosing AA do you see a growht of algea or increase in protein skimming? I was adding AA by zeo and stopped becuase corals did not get better in color but were dieing becuase i used zoe with the blue coral methid that contains suger. this cuased the tank to crash hard witha bacterial infection the killed all my wild caught colonies.
Thanks
Michael

kysard1 · #22 08/16/2007, 10:27 PM

What do you think bacteria break AA's down to? Ammonia. I find it a stretch to think that a coral will consume an AA before it is broken down to ammonia by bacteria. In fact if the AA makes it into the coral it is probably converted straight to ammonia.

gcarroll · #23 08/16/2007, 11:00 PM

I have a 2" sandbed. Kind of a semi shallow deep sand bed!

Mark C · #24 08/16/2007, 11:31 PM

Quote:

Originally posted by kysard1
What do you think bacteria break AA's down to? Ammonia. I find it a stretch to think that a coral will consume an AA before it is broken down to ammonia by bacteria. In fact if the AA makes it into the coral it is probably converted straight to ammonia.

So you are basically saying that the main benefit to dosing Amino Acids is that it's just another source of nitrogen in the tank? I guess there are much cheaper ways to add nitrogen to the tank, however I have read that Amino Acids strengthen the protection of the coral against UV rays, which is essentially the "enhanced" color we see.

Flint&Eric · #25 08/17/2007, 08:57 AM

bacteria use them....corals can also uptake them. we dont know which is happening first, but some very low nutrient tanks do show improvements from aa's.

so which bacterias are utilizing the aa's and how/who is turning it into ammonia? the tiny amount of ammonia that could be produced from them is really of no concern to a properly set up reef.

aa's are a "clean" organic nitrogen source...one that does not break down into po4.