Dosing Reef Actif Questions

[arking_mark]

@Lou Ekus

Dosing Reef Actif questions:
1. Instructions are for 500l. How do you estimate for something smaller, say 410l? 4/5th of the provided measuring spoon?
2. Can this be mixed with tank water and dosed over a week instead of all at once?
3. Should one start with a 1/2 dose for a couple weeks then double to full dose?

Mark

 

[DaveC]

Hi Mark, I am figuring out these things myself and wanted to share an invaluable resource.

Tropic Marin Reef Actif Diary

 

[arking_mark]

Hi Mark, I am figuring out these things myself and wanted to share an invaluable resource.

Tropic Marin Reef Actif Diary

Great info. I didn't see any definitive answers though. Here's what I think based on info:

1. Estimate dose
2. Its better to dose all at once, once a week
3. Not sure what the recommendation is here...

 

[DaveC]

From Tropic Maran

Add one measuring spoon of Tropic Marin® Reef Actif to 500 litres of aquarium water each week. Stir the preparation into a beaker of aquarium water and then add it to the aquarium to distribute it as finely as possible.

Maximum dosage: One measuring spoon per 500 litres of aquarium water three times a week.

Tropic Marin® Reef Actif can be used with all other products of the Tropic Marin® Bio-Actif System. At the same time, there is no overdosing of organic substances.

Personally I would start 1/4 dose once a week

 

[Lou Ekus]

Here are some suggestions:
1. Instructions are for 500l. How do you estimate for something smaller, say 410l? 4/5th of the provided measuring spoon?
The maximum recommended dose is one measuring spoon per 500l of aquarium system volume given three times a week. It is our suggestion to start with a smaller amount, maybe that dose once a week. And you can certainly "estimate" a slightly smaller amount. The amount of the Reef Actif is not that critical. If your system is 410l, then one scoop once a week wouldn't be a bad starting place.

2. Can this be mixed with tank water and dosed over a week instead of all at once?
It is best to mix it with tank water. But if you try to hold it for too long, it will grow stuff. That might be bacteria, are algae. So I would not hold it for too long. Is a week too long? I'm not sure about this, as we always recommend just mixing and dosing.

3. Should one start with a 1/2 dose for a couple weeks then double to full dose?
I think I answered this above. But yes, start with some smaller dose than the recommended maximum. In a 410l system, you could certainly start with one scoop per week and increase later.

 

[arking_mark]

Here are some suggestions:
1. Instructions are for 500l. How do you estimate for something smaller, say 410l? 4/5th of the provided measuring spoon?
The maximum recommended dose is one measuring spoon per 500l of aquarium system volume given three times a week. It is our suggestion to start with a smaller amount, maybe that dose once a week. And you can certainly "estimate" a slightly smaller amount. The amount of the Reef Actif is not that critical. If your system is 410l, then one scoop once a week wouldn't be a bad starting place.

2. Can this be mixed with tank water and dosed over a week instead of all at once?
It is best to mix it with tank water. But if you try to hold it for too long, it will grow stuff. That might be bacteria, are algae. So I would not hold it for too long. Is a week too long? I'm not sure about this, as we always recommend just mixing and dosing.

3. Should one start with a 1/2 dose for a couple weeks then double to full dose?
I think I answered this above. But yes, start with some smaller dose than the recommended maximum. In a 410l system, you could certainly start with one scoop per week and increase later.

Thanks!

 

[1stNoel]

Here are some suggestions:
1. Instructions are for 500l. How do you estimate for something smaller, say 410l? 4/5th of the provided measuring spoon?
The maximum recommended dose is one measuring spoon per 500l of aquarium system volume given three times a week. It is our suggestion to start with a smaller amount, maybe that dose once a week. And you can certainly "estimate" a slightly smaller amount. The amount of the Reef Actif is not that critical. If your system is 410l, then one scoop once a week wouldn't be a bad starting place.

2. Can this be mixed with tank water and dosed over a week instead of all at once?
It is best to mix it with tank water. But if you try to hold it for too long, it will grow stuff. That might be bacteria, are algae. So I would not hold it for too long. Is a week too long? I'm not sure about this, as we always recommend just mixing and dosing.

3. Should one start with a 1/2 dose for a couple weeks then double to full dose?
I think I answered this above. But yes, start with some smaller dose than the recommended maximum. In a 410l system, you could certainly start with one scoop per week and increase later.

Hi Lou,

I appreciate that you take time to answer questions on this forum.

I recently found a few of your interviews online and decided to try your products. I currently dose Reef Actif, and also have NP Bacto-Balance (but not yet dosing). I recently plumbed in 3 new frag tanks to an established 300-gallon display tank (5+ years). My frag tanks have exploded with green hair algae, while my display tank remains clean (other than film on the glass). The algae is damaging my coral, so I'm in a rush (within reason) to get this under control.

Question: In an interview, you stated that Reef Actif and Elimi-NP are basically the same product. However, I just found some product literature that says Elimi-NP is an "accelerated" version. I use Reef Actif, but with my Nitrates being sky-high (over 64...which is the highest number the Red Sea test kit observes), should I be using Elimi-NP instead (my PO4 hovers between .1 and .15)?

Question: If Reef Actif promotes the growth of beneficial bacteria, should I also be adding the bacteria source to grow? If so, which of your products would that be?

Question: When I previously carbon dosed other products (like NOPOX), I noticed a thicker sludge-like skimmate as opposed to the more liquid (tea-colored) skimmate I normally get. I've been dosing Reef Actif for a week (I take the recommended weekly dosage and split it over 7 days...so I dose daily), but I haven't noticed a thicker sludge yet. Is this a sign that I should be dosing more? In an interview, you mentioned that one customer was purposely overdosing with no ill effect...so I was curious if I should increase the dosage.

Question(s): I realize that you may not know every detail of the following products, but I'm assuming you have some understanding as to what they are and how they work (since they are competing products). Do you have an equivalent or alternative to Vibrant, MicroBacter7, and Dr. Tim's Wasteaway? Can Reef Actif be used in combination with these products?

Thanks for taking time to read this. Any guidance you can offer is much appreciated.

Cheers,
Noel

 

[Lou Ekus]

Hi Lou,

I appreciate that you take time to answer questions on this forum.

I recently found a few of your interviews online and decided to try your products. I currently dose Reef Actif, and also have NP Bacto-Balance (but not yet dosing). I recently plumbed in 3 new frag tanks to an established 300-gallon display tank (5+ years). My frag tanks have exploded with green hair algae, while my display tank remains clean (other than film on the glass). The algae is damaging my coral, so I'm in a rush (within reason) to get this under control.

Question: In an interview, you stated that Reef Actif and Elimi-NP are basically the same product. However, I just found some product literature that says Elimi-NP is an "accelerated" version. I use Reef Actif, but with my Nitrates being sky-high (over 64...which is the highest number the Red Sea test kit observes), should I be using Elimi-NP instead (my PO4 hovers between .1 and .15)?

Question: If Reef Actif promotes the growth of beneficial bacteria, should I also be adding the bacteria source to grow? If so, which of your products would that be?

Question: When I previously carbon dosed other products (like NOPOX), I noticed a thicker sludge-like skimmate as opposed to the more liquid (tea-colored) skimmate I normally get. I've been dosing Reef Actif for a week (I take the recommended weekly dosage and split it over 7 days...so I dose daily), but I haven't noticed a thicker sludge yet. Is this a sign that I should be dosing more? In an interview, you mentioned that one customer was purposely overdosing with no ill effect...so I was curious if I should increase the dosage.

Question(s): I realize that you may not know every detail of the following products, but I'm assuming you have some understanding as to what they are and how they work (since they are competing products). Do you have an equivalent or alternative to Vibrant, MicroBacter7, and Dr. Tim's Wasteaway? Can Reef Actif be used in combination with these products?

Thanks for taking time to read this. Any guidance you can offer is much appreciated.

Cheers,
Noel

Hi Noel, I will do my best to try to answer some of your questions, and make some additional comments here. As I often say, though, these things are always a little more complex than what can be just written on a message board. So if you would like more detailed explanation or information, please feel free to call me in the office, during East Coast business hours, at 413-367-0101. OK, here goes...:

I recently found a few of your interviews online and decided to try your products. I currently dose Reef Actif, and also have NP Bacto-Balance (but not yet dosing). I recently plumbed in 3 new frag tanks to an established 300-gallon display tank (5+ years). My frag tanks have exploded with green hair algae, while my display tank remains clean (other than film on the glass). The algae is damaging my coral, so I'm in a rush (within reason) to get this under control.
I just want to point out that you say your algae issue is much worse in the new frag tanks, than in the established display. This is pretty much to be expected. Those tanks, even though they are tied directly into the display, are going through their own little "maturation". Some of this algae, or even cyano, growth is to be expected. In the end, you just have to tough it out, fight with it, clean it constantly, and eventually, when the tanks mature a little, it will subside. I'm not saying there is nothing you can do to help. Just that what you are seeing is pretty much a stage to be expected and dealt with like a new tank.

Question: In an interview, you stated that Reef Actif and Elimi-NP are basically the same product. However, I just found some product literature that says Elimi-NP is an "accelerated" version. I use Reef Actif, but with my Nitrates being sky-high (over 64...which is the highest number the Red Sea test kit observes), should I be using Elimi-NP instead (my PO4 hovers between .1 and .15)?
I think that I may have said something slightly different than the interpretation. Although I don't remember exactly, and it depends on which interview we are talking about, I probably meant that both products are basically a form of carbon dosing. However, Reef Actif is VERY different from ELIMI-NP. Although ELIMI-NP is very different than most of the acid, alcohol or sugar based carbon dosing products, it still falls squarely into that family. That is what makes it a more aggressive or "accelerated" version of carbon dosing. Reef Actif, on the other hand, is NOT part of that family. The carbon compounds in Ref Actif are naturally occurring long chain marine polymers from sea weed. This makes their effect as carbon dosers very different. It is a very "gentle, slow, mild" form of carbon dosing. If your alagae growth is being boosted by your elevated NO3 and PO4 levels, then I would definitely use the ELIMI-NP rather than the Reef Actif to get those levels down. That being said, you can use the Reef Actif along with the ELIMI-NP very effectively.

Question: If Reef Actif promotes the growth of beneficial bacteria, should I also be adding the bacteria source to grow? If so, which of your products would that be?
The beneficial bacteria that we talk about already exists in great numbers in your tank. Promoting their growth is a great thing. But in my opinion, adding more, into an established tank system, is not necessary and does little to boost the process. Given the right conditions, those little guys can reproduce so rapidly that it makes the addition of a small number irrelevant.

Question: When I previously carbon dosed other products (like NOPOX), I noticed a thicker sludge-like skimmate as opposed to the more liquid (tea-colored) skimmate I normally get. I've been dosing Reef Actif for a week (I take the recommended weekly dosage and split it over 7 days...so I dose daily), but I haven't noticed a thicker sludge yet. Is this a sign that I should be dosing more? In an interview, you mentioned that one customer was purposely overdosing with no ill effect...so I was curious if I should increase the dosage.
Absolutely not. In fact, we would much rather to have all those good nutrients go to your corals rather than your skimmer. I don't believe the physical qualities of the skimmate say anything about the effectiveness of the product. If you want to know if you should be using more or less, the PO4 and NO3 concentrations are much better indicators.

Question(s): I realize that you may not know every detail of the following products, but I'm assuming you have some understanding as to what they are and how they work (since they are competing products). Do you have an equivalent or alternative to Vibrant, MicroBacter7, and Dr. Tim's Wasteaway? Can Reef Actif be used in combination with these products?
You are 100/% correct that I do not know much about those products, even thought they may compete in some cases with products that we make. I think that in general, all of the products you mentioned try to do the same thing but in slightly different ways. If I go back to a statement I made before that "The beneficial bacteria that we talk about already exists in great numbers in your tank. Promoting their growth is a great thing. But in my opinion, adding more, into an established tank system, is not necessary and does little to boost the process." Then I am basically saying that products that focus on adding additional bacteria to the system do not do the job, in my opinion. You will find many very positive reviews of the products you have mentioned. But it is my opinion that most of the positive effects that hobbyists have experienced with products like that, actually come from the bacterial nutrients contained in the product and not the additional bacteria added. But there is no way to confirm any of that. It is just my opinion. Those kinds of products certainly have some good successes to their credit!

I hope some of this is helpful. I'm always available in the office for additional questions. Good luck and let me know how you make out!