CB's Coral "Stimulator" Rockz!!!

[Blondegirl]

I've been adding the coral stimulator to both my tanks and I absolutely love it. In my 20 gal. puffer tank I have had a cyno problem since I set it up. Well, I've been running phosguard and it hasn't really helped much. After only two weeks of dosing the fish and liverock only tank, the cyno is dying off!!!
Here, take a look for yourself.
Sorry that the pics are not that great; I can't find the really good ones I have of the cyno from before the dosing. But if you look close you can see the difference. Enjoy!!!

[Reef69]

Id move that puffer, it needs a bigger tank..

I didnt know the coral food had an impact on cyano..very interesting.

[Ross]

Did you dose chemi-clean?

[Blondegirl]

I'm actually getting rid of him for that reason. I'm transforming the tank into a little reef. Louis is taking him for me. And he even promised to keep his name, LOL!!!

[Blondegirl]

Oh, and no I didn't use Chem clean.

[Richard]

Megan, don't call it coral food anymore LOL. It's not exactly a food so we are now just supposed to call it by it's name, coral stimulator. I'm gonna get the inventor of this stuff to come and explain it. I am struggling with a good way to explain it, unless Mark can explain how it works well???

[GaryP]

Richard, can you line up the inventor so that we can get him to talk at one of our meetings?

[Richard]

Richard, can you line up the inventor so that we can get him to talk at one of our meetings?


I doubt it. He's in california.



I didnt know the coral food had an impact on cyano..very interesting.


It doesn't kill cyano directly like chemiclean. As it makes organics more available for corals/liverock critters to eat then you end up with cleaner water (lower phosphate, nitrate) so the less algae problems.

[cpreefguy]

man, ive got to get me some of that!

[Reef69]

..Seriously..I want some!

[hammondegge]

it cant legally be sold in texas as a "stimulator" thanks to the sodomy laws. you must refer to it as and "educational tool". hehehe :o :D :D :D :D :D :innocent

[jc]

Is this stuff for sale yet?

[Ram_Puppy]

yes. it's a white bottle with a red lable JC. You can only get it through CB Pets I think.

[Blondegirl]

Actually the smaller bottle has the red label. We carry two sizes; an 8 oz and a 16 oz bottle. The bigger bottle has an orange label.

[Richard]

Gallons too! In the back ;)



it cant legally be sold in texas as a "stimulator" thanks to the sodomy laws. you must refer to it as and "educational tool". hehehe


Coral & Liverock Massager! LOL!

[hammondegge]

Exactly! :w00t It does pleasure my corals :o

[Blondegirl]

TMI!!!! LOL!

[hobogato]

most dramatic effect i have seen...
green plate on days that i dont add the stimulator
http://i30.photobucket.com/albums/c329/hobogato/grplateb.jpg
same green plate on days i do add the stimulator
http://i30.photobucket.com/albums/c329/hobogato/fullplate.jpg

i know - different lighting in the two pics, but it stays puffy for about 24hrs after adding the stuff - regardless of the light cycle.

[alton]

My two Wesophylia do the exact same thing.

[Sherri]

I gotta have some too! You haven't run out of stock have you Richard? Very interesting...

[Richard]

Yep, ran out this weekend. Dang repeat buyers!!!LOL

Our order shipped wednesday or thurs last week so should be here soon.

[Sherri]

Just PM me Richard when it comes in.....Shhhhhhh**** ;) j/k or maybe not....

[jc]

Dang, I was gonna go to your store tomorrow to get some. Let us know when you get it back in stock.

[TheOtherGuy]

Ace - Wow! Very big in the second pic. Great pic -BTW. Very large for sure.

I think we do have some 1 Gallon sizes still.

Richard or I will post when order comes in.

[alton]

The one gallon jugs are for us return buyer's so we can get free refills? LOL

[Ram_Puppy]

I can just imagine my wife's face when she comes home to see a 1 gallon jug of coral massage juice in the fridge.

<--- would be running and hiding. :)

I don't have any coral in the new system yet but I did decide to give this stuff a try. My rocks are producing quite a bit more detrius in the last week, I can't say it's due to this stuff or not since I shut my closed loop down to fix the oceans motions, but my gut instinct tells me that this stuff has caused increased biological activity in the tank as I simply have not seen this much detrius come out of rocks this fast before.

(keep in mind this rock is cycled, but it has only been in my tank for a couple weeks, weeks 1 and 2, little to no detrius, week three (after adding this coral stimulator) rock starts pooping detrius like no ones business...

coincidence? maybe... maybe... who knows... I think my new OM drum came in today... I'll get it installed tomorrow and we'll know... if the increased current kicks it up so it gets pulled through the overflow, then that pretty much settles it.

[Richard]

Ok, we are restocked again now. Will try to keep from running out again.

[SLAYCHILD]

How much is it running for?

[Bill S]

I'm thinking that after 4 days use on my tank, and after seeing Ace's tank, does it really MATTER how much it is?

[Snake]

Hello there,

I hope I am not intruding. If you have any questions regarding any of our products, please ask. I shall not give any confidential information, and I know you will understand.

Respectfully submitted,

Snake

[Ram_Puppy]

I don't think he will share ingredients josh.

I am curious as well as It smells like it has vinegar in it to me.

Snake, I accidentally left my bottle out for about 6 hours after being opened, any issue with that?

[Richard]

I'm not talking specifically about this product, just saying to think about anything you put in your tank


Like vodka? :lol

I totally agree with you actually. Everyone has to decide what they do or don't want to use. Most products do not list ingredients. What exactly is in the salt mix I prefer? I have no idea, just tried different ones until I found one I liked.

[NaCl_H2O]

That sounds just like a carbon source (sugar, vodka, etc...).
Richard, I'll come get some too. I like mine chilled to 28 DegF, shaken, not stirred, and with three olives ;)

Seriously, this is an interesting thread, as is the new filtraton method ... watching them both closely! Thanks for the opportunity to debate!

[GaryP]

Double Post.

[GaryP]

I am not at all comparing products here but I am reminded on one of the former "great" coral foods called Coral Bouquet. Everyone was happy with how their tank reacted to it when they fed this stuff.

One of our members took this stuff to a lab and had it analyzed. It turned out to be loaded with ammonia and phosphate. A microscopic examination suggested it was made from chopped up live rock liver. That is the dead stuff from live rock when its shipped. It turns out the coral that were being fed this stuff weren't happy, they were in shock from ammonia and all the nutrients contained in this stuff. Lesson learned.

I don't have anything against this product and I have no information that would lead me to believe its not a great product. Howver, there is already a lot of "off the shelf" or "grocery store" products out there, being sold at specialty store prices, simply because hobbyists will spend it in the hope of getting the newest and best for their tanks. I've jumped on a few of those band wagons in the past myself. Ever wonder why these companies never tell you what is in their products? Often, its because they don't want you going down to HEB or Home Depot and buying the exact same product.

If these products are so "special" then why don't they file for a patent? It can't be because they are trying to protect their proprietary secrets from their competition. Any half decent analytical lab could have these products analyzed in one day if a competitor really wanted to know what was in it. The simple reality is that they don't want YOU knowing what is in it and realizing what you are really paying for.

I'm just waiting for one of these suppliers to say that they can't tell us what was in their product because they were sworn to secrecy by an ancient Indian chief who told him the mystical secrets of this product on his death bed.

[beareef19]

I bought some seems to be working as stated some polyp extention. I tasted it tastes alittle like vinager and apple juice ;) snake oil I dont know but after tasting it I had good polyp extention :lol :roll

[cpreefguy]

Maybe we should go to HEB and get some vinegar and apple juice and dose it in a "control" tank. ;) Pop some vodka in there too.

Then bring it to my house and we'll have a cocktail party :lol

[hammondegge]

I just dosed with apple cider vinegar and sugar. did see some reaction, not as dramatic as the stimulator though.

[GaryP]

I would think the main reaction to adding simple organics to water would be as food for bacteria not corals. In theory, the corals get all the sugars they need from zoanthellae. What they need in the form of "food" is protein. That's why we feed zoo and phytoplankton. On the other hand bacteria may prefer simple organics like vinegar, alcohol, and sugars because they are more easily digestible. The question then becomes if they are feeding on sugars, who is feeding on the more complex organic wastes being generated in the tank? Isn't that what we want the bacteria chewing on in the first place?

On the flip side, if the bacteria are eating sugars and are metabolizing faster as a result, they are also going to be using other nutrients faster too, such as nitrogen compounds and phosphates. This may be why some people are seeing better water quality and a reduction in algae growth. A similar situation applies to us. We are more active after eating a candy bar then we are after eating a big steak dinner. Make sense?

Don't you just hate it when I try to figure this stuff out?

[hammondegge]

it is apple cider vinegar colored :P but tastes sweeter
i will try it with vodka a bit later and file a report

[GaryP]

Gary, the way I understand it is the simple sugars cause a huge bacterial bloom and they quickly consume all the sugars/vodka/whatever in ithe tank, then when that's all gone they'll consume anything left over and then die.
That sorta makes sense.

Keep an eye on your skimmer and see if you notice any difference. That would be interesting to know.

[duc]

Keep an eye on your skimmer and see if you notice any difference. That would be interesting to know.
Not sure what you are looking for skimmer wise but mine freaks out when I add it. I would say within a minute of adding it my skimmer starts shooting water out of the top to the point where I have to open my vale all the way to keep from filling my cup and 1 gal overflow jug. It usually goes to sleep (barely makes bubbles) when I feed but when I add this it goes crazy.
Clif

[Sherri]

Noticed it says on label: Must be used with other foods at the same time. ?????? Can anyone splain to me & why????

[Jynxgirl]

Got a coral stimulator from a LFS in Temple (calling it a fish store is pushing it) who was sold sold sold on what it would do. It seems to make everything not want to open and I notice the same thing with my skimmer, I get tons of water and not thick goo stuff. Probably different stuff but seems to do about the same thing.

I am not adding it anymore. I would rather it take a few months to color up then not enjoying seeing my stuff open up. My roommate on the other hand is dosing his every few days. It has about eliminated his hair algae problem that he couldnt get a handle on. Its a small 18 gallon tank though. I have been watchign this thread with interest as it started a few days after my roommate bought this stuff and began dosing. I am a skeptic.

Jill

[Ram_Puppy]

Jill, I would be interested to know what your parameters are that your reporting such a different result from others. also, what types of coral are affected neagtively.

[TheOtherGuy]

Jill - We and our customers are seeing great results with this product. So perhaps I can help figure out why you are not.

Let's make sure we are talking about and using the same product.

Step 1. Can you give me the name of the product you are using and the manufacturer?




Thanks.

[Jynxgirl]

Its not the same stuff as you guys are using I am guessing. It came from a the LFS in Temple. I will ask my roommate the name tommorrow. He calls it a coraline algae accelerator. I should mention that I asked my roommate not to put this in my tank as I add other chemicals. He did it anyways. I want to say the name is like coral up? I pretty much thought it was similiar to what I was already adding into my tank but this was all in one bottle.

The effects usually last the entire day when its added. My xenia's will not wave their little hands in the air, my clam doesnt extend its mantle out like it normally does, anthelia kind of stays in a clinched state, and other stuff just doesnt open up like it normally does. My skimmer pulls tons of nasty water when it is put in my tank for the first few hours.

My roommate doesnt seem to be in the same boat. His tank on the other hand has had a massive hair algae problem, green stuff growing all over his glass even though he cleans it off everyday, and other issues. The hair algae has about went away since using this. I just look at his tank and shake my head but I was looking at his rock tonight, and it does have alot of coraline that grew on it over the last two weeks.

In my tank, I still am battling keeping my nitrates down. I have to say I am a little too happy to feed my fish :( I only feed what they can eat and nothing usually goes on the ground, poor brittle stars... But, I do feed like three or four times a day. I have the Aipstasia eating shrimp that ate all the aipstasia's. A coral baded shrimp that cleaned up a few ich specks that showed up on sailfin last week. My nudibranch disappeared... I did have a blue damsel disappear about 3 weeks ago when I had to go hunting in my tank for a yellow tang. It may have gotten trapped under a rock or ?? but rest his soul.. he is no longer in there badgering the other fish. I have a few sps corals, brain, xenia's, anthelia's, and some other stuff.. I can usually tell if the tank is ok by the xenia's. If they are not waving at me, I investigate.

I used the real test kit :D which I don't use often to get these. Its a marine lab test kit. I normally just use the quick strips.

pH between 8.2 and 8.4 - so call it 8.3
Ammonia 0
Nitrites between 0 and .05 (quick test reads zero but the color is so similar with this test kit between these two)
Nitrates 20 :(
Alkalinity tests normal

I am following the thread because it seems to be similar. I just keep thinking that saying everyone says, that everything happens slowly with saltwater tanks. How can this speed it up so quickly?

Jill

[TheOtherGuy]

Jill - Thanks for quick response.

There are several products on the market that I know of that are "Coral Algae Accelerators". So I am curious as to the actual product you are using. Still, I will try to help you figure out your problem and situation.

Just judging from your reported values
Ph seems fine.
Ammonioa good!

Nitrites are fine I think - they should be 0 in an established tank- And I am guessing they are 0 - Lowest level on your test kit - pretty much 0.

Nitrates - 20 ppm - Getting up there. Could be a problem and lower would be better. Also could be an indication of problem algaes to come. Less than 10 ppm would be better.

Alkalinity - Not sure? Do u have a number? Or perhaps you are using a RedSea TestKit. I know one of their kits has 3 readings or something like that. Low, Normal, High. I do not like that kit! Suggest getting an Alk kit that will give you an actual number rather than a generic - "Good, Bad, Normal" reading.

Do you know what your Calcium and Phosphate are at?

I believe both of the Coraline Algae products that I am thinking about are both mainly Calcium Chloride (and perhaps a few more things) additives. That is fine but very very different than our Coral Stimulator Product.

[Ed]

There is an alleged 'coraline algae accelerator' sold under the name Purple Up. However, it is a totally different product than the 'Coral & Live Rock Feeding Stimulator'that Richard and Mark are selling.

If it is Purple Up or something similar, my guess is that adding the extra calcium is driving your alkalinity down causing an imbalance as shown by the Xenia stopping their pulsing action. Just a thought.

[NaCl_H2O]

I just keep thinking that saying everyone says, that everything happens slowly with saltwater tanks. How can this speed it up so quickly?

I think the saying is that good things happen slowly in tanks, bad things happen quickly >_< That has definately been my experience :(

[TheOtherGuy]

LOL.

[GaryP]

I think the coralline algae products are a combination of Calcium Chloride and finely ground aragonite "dust." By adding the calcium its allowing the coralline to out compete the hair algae for nutrients such as phosphate.

[TexasTodd]

If you want to "purple up" just add Strontium. And buy a big scraper. LOL

TT

[GaryP]

Todd,

Funny you should mention that. I was digging through some jars of chemicals I had "salvaged" from a chemistry lab and came across a jar of strontium chloride. I was going to whip up a bottle of it today. Are you testing for strontium, and if so, what level is your target?

[TexasTodd]

Nope, the two things I don't test for, but should are Strontium and Iodine. I just dose per label directions but a little less than std.

From what I've heard Strontium will help coraline algae grow tons, but not really help corals much. I know there are huge debates out there on this.

I just use some.

T

[GaryP]

I think I have a strontium kit. I think the SW level is 9 ppm. I will report back what I find out.

[Marlin]

Richard:
I plan on coming up to SA for the weekend and attending the meeting. I wanted to pick up some Coral Stimulator. Are you open on Sat. and do you have it in stock?

Rick

[Sherri]

I dosed my first Saturday and got no cloudiness at all and my protein skimmer didn't go crazy....did notice some more polyp extension than the usual... :)

[GaryP]

Richard:
I plan on coming up to SA for the weekend and attending the meeting. I wanted to pick up some Coral Stimulator. Are you open on Sat. and do you have it in stock?
They open at 10 on Sat. & Sun.

[hammondegge]

since i started dosing regularly with the 'stimulator' and adding a phosphate reactor my parameters are now nitrate 0, phosphate 0 in a well stocked 50g that i could not previously keep lower than 15ppm NO3.