Aminos? Which one?

marke · Dec 20, 2015

I have been reading up on amino acids and corals. Which ones do you guys like? What are the pros and the cons?

Randy Holmes-Farley · Dec 20, 2015

I assume you mean brands and not specific amino acids. Unfortunately, most brands won't say what is in them, so we have to rely on trial and error. Since I've not compared them, I don't have a brand preference.

FWIW, I have a preference for aspartic acid and possibly glutamic acid. I presume most brands add these, but I do not know.

klesel · Dec 20, 2015

I been using two little fishes acropower my Sps look better haven't concluded if it's a real need and any negative effects

JMLewis · Dec 20, 2015

Acropower. Only other amino I would use would be the zeovit one but personally never tried it.

Pros: better pe, better color

Cons: if overdosed can cause a bit of a cyano outbreak.

marke · Dec 20, 2015

I was asking about brands because it seems many are not pure amino products, they seem to contain many other things. Some have vitamins and trace metals, others have carbohydrates, some say nothing? Someone mentioned cyano outbreak? Is that from the aminos or the other additives like carbohydrates? I agree from what I have read that aspartic may be the one used most in calcification, and glutamic seems to produce polyp extension, as well as getting incorporated into the coral. If we see good polyp extension and we get better coloration and growth, then when do we reach a point when we added to much? What would we be looking for if we overdose? What type of bad should we look for? Higher nitrates? Bacterial growth maybe including cyano?

Randy Holmes-Farley · Dec 20, 2015

IMO, these are most useful in ultra low nutrient tanks where corals are near starving, and cyano is not likely a concern.

Yes, the aminos themselves might spur cyano.

Some companies add all kinds of stuff , IMO, in an effort to make their products not easy to copy exactly, whether all the ingredients are needed or not.

biom · Dec 22, 2015

I've tried KZ Aminoacids, Salifert Coralline Aminoacids, Red sea Reef Energy B, and find all of them doing almost the same things with my corals, currently I'm using Red Sea's Reef energy and it is fine.