Coffee in the Reef Tank

[Squirrel_reefer]

my rationalization on this one is that caffeine might help feed the corals that use photosynthesis. thinking that a caffeine compound is probably pretty close to natural glucose that feeds photosynthetic plants (aka plants). Now I know its not the same in corals when it comes to photosynthesis and I wont pretend I understand what a coral's version of photosynthesis actually yields, but I figured it could be close, and that it could convert the caffeine to energy

if that makes sense

 

[AcroNem]

I mean no offense by this, but that isn't the way it works, and wouldn't work that way.

 

[Squirrel_reefer]

I mean no offense by this, but that isn't the way it works, and wouldn't work that way.

none taken, as previously stated, I dont know how it works

 

[Orcus Varuna]

my rationalization on this one is that caffeine might help feed the corals that use photosynthesis. thinking that a caffeine compound is probably pretty close to natural glucose that feeds photosynthetic plants (aka plants). Now I know its not the same in corals when it comes to photosynthesis and I wont pretend I understand what a coral's version of photosynthesis actually yields, but I figured it could be close, and that it could convert the caffeine to energy

if that makes sense

Caffeine's effect on metabolic rates has to do with its ability to bind to adenosine receptors not with similarities to glucose...

 

[Squirrel_reefer]

Caffeine's effect on metabolic rates has to do with its ability to bind to adenosine receptors not with similarities to glucose...

This is why I ask questions!

 

[Orcus Varuna]

This is why I ask questions!

This laymens outline on livestrong explains how caffine works on humans in an easily digestible format. You can take the general mechanisms described there and extrapolate them to build a potential hypothesis for effects in Cnidarians. I am unsure as to the role adenosine receptors play in Cnidarians though and what inhibiting them with caffein would mean. All I know is that they do have these receptors and caffein will bind to them just like it does in humans [emoji846].
http://www.livestrong.com/article/481979-the-effects-of-caffeine-on-adenosine/

 

[Orcus Varuna]

If I had to venture a guess though I would say inhibiting these receptors wouldn't be good in Cnidarians. I vaguely remember reading an article back in college about anemone nematocysts excreting some form of adenosine based inhibitor when they sting. But I can't remember for sure...

 

[ImGood]

Why stop with caffeine ?why not jaeger & red bull ??

 

[Orcus Varuna]

Why stop with caffeine ?why not jaeger & red bull ??

Comments like this are why I was a passive observer in these forums for years. I was just trying to take the posters question at face value and give him the best fact based answer I could...

 

[Sistawolf]

Comments like this are why I was a passive observer in these forums for years. I was just trying to take the posters question at face value and give him the best fact based answer I could...

I don't think @ImGood comment was meant towards your comment

 

[melev]

I'd recommend the original poster drink more coffee regularly, to have the energy to keep the aquarium cleaner and the water changes happening. #nobrainer

 

[kennedpa]

I'm a caffeine junkie so it would be great to share a addiction with my corals. I also don't see a likely benefit from a biochemical standpoint; however, one must do the science. Setup a tank and go for it.

For reference these compounds are clearly different and both are apart of different chemical classes. Simple alterations (like one hydrogen atom) can totally change the effect. So you can see how this wouldn't be a great comparison to an energy source. Caffeine is also not in the pathway for that, and like someone else said it primarily is a stimulant. With that said, corals would likely need more energy than normal and without it they would probably RTN/STN. I think that was mentioned previously as well.

If no one tries it....I will, in a few months.

 

[kennedpa]

Haha. I obviously screwed up. Here's our life force L-glucose. No it's not El-glucose padre.

 

[Orcus Varuna]

Ha I think your onto something, he needs more and I need less. Maybe reducing consumption will reduce my agitation [emoji848]

 

[kennedpa]

No....you need more. Caffeine has a high therapeutic level

 

[Sistawolf]

I agree.. sharing my addiction with my addiction would be awesome lol

 

[JSemour]

Going back to the OP's op, The reason your friends roses love the used coffee grounds is due to the high nitrogen content coffee grounds have. They have so much in fact, some plants are burnt by the elevated levels. The pH of coffee grounds is typically in the high 6's. Definitely don't recommend coffee grounds.

Now on to actual coffee, the liquid. With all the compounds found in a 'typical' cup of coffee, none of them strike me as something beneficial to cnidarians directly, and with each pot of coffee testing out differently(drip vs press vs espresso, age of the coffee, temp brewed at, locale grown at, is the pot clean), it would be really hard to say what benefits or drawbacks coffee would have. In my very humble opinion, it would be nothing but a carbon source for bacteria and shorten the lifespan of activated carbon.

Keep the coffee in your cup, the grounds in the garden, and use that extra energy to do a water change.

 

[Orcus Varuna]

Imagine the tank I could afford if my Starbucks bill decreased by $150 a month... O well I need another iced hazelnut latte haha

 

[Orcus Varuna]

Going back to the OP's op, The reason your friends roses love the used coffee grounds is due to the high nitrogen content coffee grounds have. They have so much in fact, some plants are burnt by the elevated levels. The pH of coffee grounds is typically in the high 6's. Definitely don't recommend coffee grounds.

Now on to actual coffee, the liquid. With all the compounds found in a 'typical' cup of coffee, none of them strike me as something beneficial to cnidarians directly, and with each pot of coffee testing out differently(drip vs press vs espresso, age of the coffee, temp brewed at, locale grown at, is the pot clean), it would be really hard to say what benefits or drawbacks coffee would have. In my very humble opinion, it would be nothing but a carbon source for bacteria and shorten the lifespan of activated carbon.

Keep the coffee in your cup, the grounds in the garden, and use that extra energy to do a water change.

My thoughts exactly, I'll shoot an email off to one of the old college professors to see if any undergrads may want to do an independent study on this. What's not to like you get class credit and get to dump coffee (well caffeine at least) in a fish tank!

 

[Aliyanna]

I can tell you it works on roses and Rhododendron without caffeine. I am drinking 2 liters a day, so I have to drink coffee without caffeine. It is only about the acid what makes roses and all forestplants hungry for coffee
But it is an interesting idea. When I can live 3 days only with coffee ( I am self-employed and forget to eat sometimes), why not other creatures too? (Joke)
I will try it with red algae. I have so much of them, it doesn't matter when they don't survive.