How to raise my nutrients?

[Randy Holmes-Farley Verified Community Expert]

I'm like a sponge and I soak up advice be it good or bad. This Tropic Marin stuff is using a different strategy/chemistry then other companies out there and Lou has given great advice over the phone and I've been seeing positive results. But then again he only specializes in one brand and that's the brand I use and yourself being a chemist have the understanding of chemistry which makes you another valuable asset.

On most any factual question, Lou and I rarely disagree, but I'm not generally inclined to accept assertions made by companies without supporting data or a good rationale.

For example, I believe that Tropic Marin targets the salt mix composition Lou says without much supporting data because it is a perfectly plausible suggestion. WIthout evidence to the contrary, i give them the benefit of any uncertainty.

But claims that are much more complicated, like which bacteria consume which organics (formate and bioactif polymers, for example) and where they live in a reef tank are something that I wouldn't accept since it is almost certainly an opinion of theirs, which would be hard to gat data on, and which they certainly have never provided. Does that matter? Maybe not. Most reefers don't care. But as a rule I find marketing claims to be a concern if they are unusual and do not have credible evidence.

Examples of TM claims which I am skeptical of. These are all for Reef Actif:

"The biopolymers in Tropic Marin® Reef Actif bind excess nutrients and other pollutants and cause them to be degraded by specialized marine microorganisms. "

"By activating the microflora, numerous vitamins and other vital substances are added to the water in a completely natural way. Corals and bivalves open better and reveal all their rich coloring. The fish also benefit from the stable bacterial flora and the prebiotic effect – they develop robustly and show their vitality through flawless coloring and natural behavior."

"Ensures constant water conditions between water changes"

"Increases the vitality and coloring of corals and reef clams"

 

[Salty_Northerner]

On most any factual question, Lou and I rarely disagree, but I'm not generally inclined to accept assertions made by companies without supporting data or a good rationale.

For example, I believe that Tropic Marin targets the salt mix composition Lou says without much supporting data because it is a perfectly plausible suggestion. WIthout evidence to the contrary, i give them the benefit of any uncertainty.

But claims that are much more complicated, like which bacteria consume which organics (formate and bioactif polymers, for example) and where they live in a reef tank are something that I wouldn't accept since it is almost certainly an opinion of theirs, which would be hard to gat data on, and which they certainly have never provided. Does that matter? Maybe not. Most reefers don't care. But as a rule I find marketing claims to be a concern if they are unusual and do not have credible evidence.

Examples of TM claims which I am skeptical of. These are all for Reef Actif:

"The biopolymers in Tropic Marin® Reef Actif bind excess nutrients and other pollutants and cause them to be degraded by specialized marine microorganisms. "

"By activating the microflora, numerous vitamins and other vital substances are added to the water in a completely natural way. Corals and bivalves open better and reveal all their rich coloring. The fish also benefit from the stable bacterial flora and the prebiotic effect – they develop robustly and show their vitality through flawless coloring and natural behavior."

"Ensures constant water conditions between water changes"

"Increases the vitality and coloring of corals and reef clams"

You certainly do have some valuable points here. Besides your skepticism do you as a chemist think it's possible on how the biopolymers work?

All I know is that what I'm going through happened after the huge water change to the actif salt mix.

-to huge of a single water change?
-a sudden drop in dkh with the water change cause the corals to look real sad?
-I do take blame for rushing the big single WC and lesson learned.
-maybe once the tank matures, actif salt may be a good viable plan in how it's claiming to carbon dose and then to slowly start adding it's salt mix to the WC routine?

I very much so value your opinion on this

 

[Randy Holmes-Farley Verified Community Expert]

Besides your skepticism do you as a chemist think it's possible on how the biopolymers work?

Certainly there will be some organisms that can metabolize nearly anything properly called a biopolymer. According to Hans-Werner alginate is one of the biopolymers used, but not the primary one, which he did not reveal:

" In fact alginate is one of the marine biopolymers included in Reef Actif but only to a small proportion. "

Alginate is reported to be metabolizable by bacteria, fungi, algae, and some mollusks. Probably other organisms too.

Without knowing what the main biopolymer(s) are, it is not possible to say what metabolizes it.

 

[Salty_Northerner]

Certainly there will be some organisms that can metabolize nearly anything properly called a biopolymer. According to Hans-Werner alginate is one of the biopolymers used, but not the primary one, which he did not reveal:

" In fact alginate is one of the marine biopolymers included in Reef Actif but only to a small proportion. "

Alginate is reported to be metabolizable by bacteria, fungi, algae, and some mollusks. Probably other organisms too.

Without knowing what the main biopolymer(s) are, it is not possible to say what metabolizes it.

Thank you, it must be a secret sauce the chef didn't want to reveal. BTW while I'm here nitrate 0 and phosphate 0 using plus NP. So setting it on the back burner and dosing calcium nitrate and Neophos till it runs out.