Marc Weiss Coral Vital

[bprewit]

I am leary of snake oil miracle additives and such for my tank as most seem to be money spent on really un-needed things that dont really do anything for the tank other than polute the water. I add iodine on occasion in small amounts, calcium and buffer, magnesium, and do a monthly water change and thats it. I bought some of the coral vital stuff and man its pretty pricey at about $13 for a 6oz bottle! I honestly didnt think much of it but holy crap the purple coralline algae in my tank went from little 1/4" spots to completly covering the back on my 55g tank in less than one month. I dont know if it was the coral vital, or the tank just finally became stable (been running this time for about 6 months I think) but either way my tank looks really good again finally. Anyone else use this and have good results? I havent used it in a few weeks as I ran out and didnt buy any more, but thinking of ordering more and will continue using it.

[StephenA]

I've used other products of his and they were great! However; I don't feen my tank anything but fish food and cyclopeeze. You'll find others like me and you will find others who have success using products like that. Very good success! See what others have to say and figure it out from the replies.

[Instar]

I use Reef DNA Professional all the time and have used the sand bed boosters when I had a tank with a pair of GSM clowns get sick. It worked well (the combination), completely cured a really deep infected, ulcerted sore. I keep a bottle of the DNA Pro on hand for newly acquired fish, corals and in the off chance I get a fish that comes down with ick. Its fantastic stuff and does what it claims. Let people who don't use it call it snake oil - shoot, I've come to call it that myself so people recognize it. I really don't care at all what people who know little to nothing on RC call it, its good stuff. BTW, I never use garlic, don't own a sterilzer and never have ick troubles and it does make the coraline grow. I have something you won't see again either - a trio of CBB in my reef that I've had for years now. One of the trio I've had for 3 years at least now. Try to find another member on here who has had any of them for that long. Probably doesn't have anything to do with not using garlic and using the Reef Vital DNA, but, I get an attitude on about giving out info when people so bluntly point out that its "snake oil". Forget about them, they get their info from the LFS! BTW, I don't use it much after things get stablized.

Oh, one more thing... I recently got a very sick, dying red flower pot. What little of it that was left was all bleached out white. I've only had it a week and you should see it! All colored up and growing back nicely. I used the Reef Vital DNA Pro when I put it in the tank and then for several days after. Its really gorgeous and still coming back more each day. Now don't go run and buy one cause they are very demanding when it comes to trace elements and nutrition, but, the point is this is one "snake oil" that really works. I don't know if I'll be able to keep this flower pot long term or not, but the bleached rotting tissue is all colored up and the polyps are growing back and way extended now. Thats a good sign to me.

And I recently got a beat to crap little GSM clown that looked like it would surely die. Threw it in the tank due to a call to work (no acclimation) and it of course got ick. I came home to find my gorgeous little clown alive and well. In a couple days, using the Reef Vital DNA Pro, it was all better and eating - ick 100% gone. Its now eating like a pig, fins grown back, all in a brand newly setup mini-reef without meds! He'll be a nice male for a female I have. Point again, I always keep this Weiss product on hand inspite of the ney-sayers. When I look at my fish and coral I could care less about what they say in some post.

[don-n-sa]

Wow Larry...where do you get this stuff? I don't recall seeing it at a LFS.

[GaryP]

I'm pretty sure CB Pets carries it. Give them a call to confirm. I may have seen it at Fintique as well.

[Richard]

I'm pretty sure CB Pets carries it


Nope, no marc weiss products here. I have never tried any of his products. As instar said, many call his products useless snake oil and that is why I've never tried them. Maybe I should try some and form my own opinion.

So Coral Vital, Reef DNA so far. Any of his other products that anyone has experience with (good or bad).

[GaryP]

I stand corrected.

[StephenA]

Bacter Vital (Larry got me hooked on it) It worked great when I changed tanks.

[Richard]

On his website he answers a question of "Do your products contain vinegar as others claim". His answer is "No but they do contain organic acids such as acetates". Hmmm...now I'm interested.

[theedprado]

i used it once and didn't really see any results other than a cyano outbreak. don't know if it was related, and the bottle was old and given to me.

[GaryP]

Sodium Acetate is a common buffering agent and is a plentiful in sea water.

Bacteria produce acetic acid (and other common low molecular organic acids) in the aquarium and it is neutralized by buffer to form sodium acetate. Sodium Acetate (and other sodium/acid salts) becomes part of the water's buffer and that's also why pH has a tendency to fall with time.

Its the same thing as adding vinegar to Kalk to increase solubility.

[Instar]

Richard, I've also used Spectra Vital and Black Powder for years. I will pay you to take the Amino Vital off my hands though. That one (Amino Vital) I tried several times and each time clumps of it fell on my corals it burned them. Maybe if it was homogenized it would do something, but, its too chucky and they sink. In regard to the Spectra Vital, Black Powder and SeaChem Vitamins, people who got frags from me while I was using that combo bragged that they were the most vibrant colored frags they ever saw. I have no way to compare that as I didn't get anything from anyone else so I can't say if it was true or not.

The cyano outbreak can happen when adding any product that makes nutrients more bio available, if all the players are there. To find out more about Cyano, et al, be sure to attend this months meeting and alga talk.

[Richard]

Adding vinegar to kalk produces calcium acetate.

Forms of acetate are used in waste water treatment to favor denitrifying and phosphate removing bacteria over other types of bacteria. Another method that seems to have gained some popularity in europe is dosing small amounts of vodka to reef tanks. I don't know the chemistry behind using vodka but I think the theory again is that it increases the bacterial population and results in a reduction of ntrates and phosphates.

[GaryP]

The acetate serves as a carbon source for bacterial and other nutrient absorbing critters. In the case of vodka, the ethanol and sugars in vodka serve as a carbon source for the critters. Its about like using molasses which is what some waste water systems do.

You are correct about calcium acetate in Kalk (of course). In that case the viengar is neutralized by the Kalk (CaOH2). In the case of seawater the acetic acid (vinegar) is neutralized by the carbonate buffer and it becomes part of the buffer.

[Richard]

So from looking at the Marc Weiss website it seems...

Reef DNA - supposed to help provide overall tank health. Replaces Coral Vital so no need for that one.
Black Powder & Spectra Vital - essentially food for various inverts
Bacter Vital - bacteria culture for new tanks. I'll probably just stick with bio-spira for that.

Larry - So are you using these "per instructions" or just occasionally or something different? Also which one would you say would be most likely to help with polyp extension on acros? I have 2 brownish/pinkish w/purple tip acros that refuse to show much polyp extension. This is getting on my nerves as they have brilliant lime green polyps and would look very cool if they would cooperate. If I try any of this stuff and they start doing as they're told then I'll be sold on the stuff.

[Richard]

OK. I've been trying Reef Vital DNA and Black Powder for a couple of days.

Reef Vital DNA - doesn't seem to hurt anything. I don't have any water quality issues so I'm not sure if I'll be able to tell if it does anything or not.

Black Powder - This stuff is interesting. I add a teaspoon per the directions and within a minute or two most all of my acropora will extend what I think are their mesenterial filaments to feed. These are the whitish threads that they extend from the middle of the polyps, usually only at night for feeding. I'll have to keep using this stuff and see if I notice more growth or color. Larry, have you ever noticed this when using Black Powder?

[Instar]

No didn't see ant mesenterial threads. I did see good color and my pipe organ grew like crazy. It was so electric green the florescence would blind you. I made several daughter colonies of that piece.

I was using the products per instructions. I quit because my tank is quite mature and I believe is producing its own plankton. I should use it from time to time, just been using other foods since they were available. In regard to the Reef DNA, I use it at first as with the bacter vital, and then just now and then if I make changes ot add something thats a little stressed. I've seen great polyp extension with it. I haven't fed the Black Powder to anything for a long time since I have my own cultures now, but, I may go back to feeding that and see what happens and if there is any contrast that develops from the different feeding.

[don-n-sa]

Ok...I never found any of these products here in SA...Richard, are you carrying any of them yet?

[Richard]

Not yet. I'm ordering some to stock this week.

[GaryP]

Richard you are the man. CB has definitely become the one stop shop for reefers in this area.

[Richard]

Richard you are the man. CB has definitely become the one stop shop for reefers in this area.


Thanks, We're trying. Also getting in TDS Meters and TDS calibration solution this week.

[GaryP]

Richard,

When are you planning on having the new and improved marine dept. up and running and ready for a "grand opening?"

[Richard]

LOL...I have NO IDEA! February was supposed to be a slow month but we've been busier than ever. So I don't want to make any predictions.

I'm just finishing the last freshwater rack today so all I have left is...
Do the lighting and rockwork on the coral tanks
Get a 240 and plumb that up
Order a couple custom clams/anemone tanks, build the rack, plumb it up and install the lighting
Order a 135 and plumb that up
Order 12 - 58 gallon tanks, build racks and plumb them up

I think that's all. :wacko

[GaryP]

So you'll have it done by tomorrow, right?

[NaCl_H2O]

So you'll have it done by tomorrow, right?

That long? I was going to head up after work today ;)

Richard, I have only been out to your place once, long ago ... sounds like I need to plan a trip soon!

[GaryP]

Order a couple custom clams/anemone tanks, build the rack, plumb it up and install the lighting

That sounds very cool. Are you going to get one of those view from the top clam tanks?

[Richard]

Thinking about it but may just go with a cut down 3' or 4' tank.

[don-n-sa]

got the products in yet Richard?

[CD]

Don - we were there two weeks ago, and they had some Marc Weiss products on the shelf. Is that what you were referring to?

Wendy

[Thunderkat]

Most of the stuff needed in our tanks is what the human body needs, what about just putting multi-vitamin tablets into the tank?

[GaryP]

The human body doesn't have a protein skimmer or a carbon filter built into it. Some corals will absorb dissolved organics from the water, like leathers and other softies, but others will not. The obtain additional nutrients from zoo and phytoplankton that they eat.

[CD]

OK. I've been trying Reef Vital DNA and Black Powder for a couple of days.


Richard - any updates on the use of these products? I am very interested in getting the Reef Vital DNA, the Black Powder, and the Bacter Vital for the 210G set up, but want to be sure as Weiss products aren't exactly "cheap". Please LMK? :)

Wendy

Wendy