Biopolymers

eagle · Jun 14, 2015

Hey Randy I figured I'd ask you this question. I run biopellets, which is a biopolymer, and corals can feed on the effluent. I have been trying a product by Fauna Marine called Reef Vitality. BRS states this for it.

Contains marine organic and inorganic materials found to be highly similar to compounds found in a reef environment
Biopolymers for better growth, coloration and nutrition

I'm a big fan of FM products and from all I've read about Vitality it's supposed to make it easier for corals to uptake nutrients. They say to decrease your color elements and amino's by half when using vitality. The question in my head was is the effluent from my biopellets the same thing as adding this. It just seems like a biopolymer type food for corals. It's in a powdered form in a capsule. Just wondered if this biopolymer is the same as the biopellets effluent I aggressively skim out. Thanks

redfishbluefish · Jun 14, 2015

Your effluent from your biopellet reactor is sloughed off bacteria that just had a tasty meal of biopellets. Biopellets are bacteria food that, in the process of eating and growing/multiplying, they are consuming phosphates and nitrates. As they slough off, ideally you skimmer is "exporting" them by sucking them up and becoming part of you skimmate. If they end up in your tank, the phosphates and nitrates haven't been successfully exported.

eagle · Jun 14, 2015

Ok red. That sounds good. I've always thought there was some of the biopolymer film that would get into the water. Feed cyanobacteria etc... and with too much in the water you would have bacterial blooms. Which I've had in the past. I don't doubt the product and success people are having with it really. Was just curious.

eagle · Jun 14, 2015

Randy I know you aren't a big fan of adding elements but we use the same salt (IO) and from looking at your triton test I've been adding FM Color elements that have the particular elements your test was deficient. Molybdenum and Vanadium. I haven't done my own triton yet.

Randy Holmes-Farley · Jun 14, 2015

In addition to bacteria coming off the biopellets, there will be monomers of hydroxybutyrate released, and those are likely what causes cyano and other remote effects. The polymers themselves are not water soluble.

I do not know what "biopolymers" are in the Fauna Marin product, but it may well contain proteins (amino acid polymers) since they say:

" Strongly recommended to drastically reduce the dosage of additional amino acid and trace element mixes if applied along with reef vitality"

Biopolymers could also include carbohydrates (like starch), DNA, RNA, and a few other things, in addition to proteins.

Randy Holmes-Farley · Jun 14, 2015

eagle said:
Randy I know you aren't a big fan of adding elements but we use the same salt (IO) and from looking at your triton test I've been adding FM Color elements that have the particular elements your test was deficient. Molybdenum and Vanadium. I haven't done my own triton yet.

Interesting. How high were they? Anything too high that wasn't elevated in my test?

eagle · Jun 14, 2015

The FM Color elements are what I'm using. I decided to stick with IO and adjust the calcium. When looking at your triton test that you put online yours showed lower nembers in Molybdenum and Vanadium. So I decided to use the FM Color elements because they state on the bottle which elements they have in them. I'm away from home atm so I can't remember which bottle has the Molybdenum and vanadium. I bought the set of 3 bottles. I may just get that particular color in the future. I'm changing 40% water a month. I have just been adding FM recommended dose. I'll get a triton test done and see how my levels are doing.

eagle · Jun 14, 2015

The vitality doesn't mix well with water. Wants to clump. I put it in a reef chili feeder bottle and shake the mess out of it. You can see it in the aquarium water when added. My sps are really coloring up so I'm gonna stick with this combo. Thanks for your thoughts Randy.