Nopox vs Vibrant

ahiggins · Dec 20, 2016

What do you guys think?
I have just started dosing Vibrant but I wanted to see everyones opinion on the differences and how each works.
From what Ive gathered:
nopox is an additive to encourage the growth of good bacteria while vibrant IS the actual bacteria.
My LFS swears by nopox but theres been a lot of positive hype lately about vibrant.
Thoughts?

cromag27 · Dec 20, 2016

I've tried nopox to reduce no3 and po4, but without an algae problem. it is great at reducing no3, but not so good with po4.

I've just started using vibrant for algae issues and it's worked great on bryopsis (short term). I haven't bothered testing no3 or po4 during this process.

I know these aren't side by side comparisons but I've really like vibrant so far.

Brew12 · Dec 20, 2016

I liked Vibrant up until it led to a major cyano bloom. Not such a fan now.

cromag27 · Dec 20, 2016

Nopox is notorious for doing the same thing. both are probably creating that unbalanced no3/po4.

Brew12 said:
I liked Vibrant up until it led to a major cyano bloom. Not such a fan now.

Brew12 · Dec 20, 2016

cromag08 said:
Nopox is notorious for doing the same thing. both are probably creating that unbalanced no3/po4.

Agreed. There is something wrong with the balance in my tank that makes Vibrant not work for me. Or at least only up to a point. It was really amazing at taking out my hair algae. I wouldn't hesitate to recommend it to someone else for them to try. I would only caution that they should discontinue use if they see cyano that lasts for a week or 2.

scardall · Dec 20, 2016

I have had good results Nitrate 5 ppm and Phosphate .07 ppm No Cyno--Diatoms yes (brown film on glass) I also dose Amino's (ME)

twilliard · Dec 20, 2016

In the end both do the same thing is what I am finding. Just using different compounds.

Griff · Dec 20, 2016

I ordered some this past weekend. It hasn't come in yet. I'm getting test results of 0 on PO4 and NO3. I'm a little concerned what this will do to my corals if there is already ultra low nutrients. I also ordered their nitrate stabilizer which looks like it's just no3 you can add to the tank.

ahiggins · Dec 20, 2016

is the consensus that both take out nitrate and phosphates? yes it kills the algae but has anyone had issues of starving corals-softies/lps?

Brew12 · Dec 20, 2016

ahiggins said:
is the consensus that both take out nitrate and phosphates? yes it kills the algae but has anyone had issues of starving corals-softies/lps?

Oddly enough, it seems to be starving my SPS while my zoas are doing great. If I had to guess the Vibrant is converting the nutrients to a form that the zoas can use as food yet the SPS's can't. Really interesting.

ahiggins · Dec 20, 2016

very interesting

saltyfilmfolks · Dec 20, 2016

the jury is still out on vibrant. Im still kinda new to algaecide but Ive never seen anything kill algae like that. No pox is carbon dosing, some element in vibrant appear that it is too to some extent. thats just nutrint reduction
but the algae killing power is NUTS w the Vibe.

scardall · Dec 20, 2016

saltyfilmfolks said:
the jury is still out on vibrant. Im still kinda new to algaecide but Ive never seen anything kill algae like that. No pox is carbon dosing, some element in vibrant appear that it is too to some extent. thats just nutrint reduction
but the algae killing power is NUTS w the Vibe.

Would the zooxanthellae in corals be at risk from an algacide?

saltyfilmfolks · Dec 20, 2016

scardall said:
Would the zooxanthellae in corals be at risk from an algacide?

this is what is being looked at in several threads. there is some coral loss, some snails, etc. hard to say exactly why. with most of the true algaecides no I dont believe so. API fauna marin and others has dosing strategies. IMO some of the losses could be from unintended kills and toxins added due to die offs.

twilliard · Dec 20, 2016

Look up what eucalyptus is used for.
Doesn't it smell like it? The consensus here at home is that it does (some voted antiseptic smell however).

ahiggins · Dec 20, 2016

twilliard said:
Look up what eucalyptus is used for.
Doesn't it smell like it? The consensus here at home is that it does (some voted antiseptic smell however).

Oh jeeze...now I HAVE to go smell it.

ahiggins · Dec 20, 2016

That's what's killing my brain! If it's almost the same...why reinvent the wheel?
At first I didn't equate-
More bacteria=less nutrients=no algae.
I don't want to kill off all the nutrients and starve the corals.
On the plus side, and I have to update my vib thread, I haven't had any diatoms form on the new egg crate and what's on the bare bottom has reduced ~50%
That's with one dose- less than a week in.

cromag27 · Dec 20, 2016

They taste different.

Js.Aqua.Project · Dec 20, 2016

From my understanding here is the difference:

cromag08 said:
They taste different.

NO3-PO4-X is a carbon food source for the denitrifying bacteria to consume in your tank. It feeds the bacteria creating a small bacterial bloom which then consume the NO3 and PO4 in your tank. From personal experience with it, it is very good at lowering NO3 but not so much PO4.

Vibrant is an actual collection of specified strains of bacteria that consume the NO3 and PO4 and adhere to and "eat" the algaes living in your tank. My experience here from using it is that it will create an imbalance of nutrients leading to a cyano bloom between appearing between doses 4-4 and exploding between doses 8-9 (due to some bryopsis in my tank I am following the twice weekly dosing schedule).

Hope this helps.