My fellow newbies...here is what I learned about additives so far...

[Vincerama]

Hi Guys, I thought I'd share some recent observations with you!

 

(disclaimer - my tank has only been set up for 2 months, so the effects I've seen MIGHT be due to tank cycling/age/nature)

 

1) I started adding kalkwasser a few weeks ago, I stopped when I got all obsessed about a building a sump, but...when I started dosing nightly with kalkwasser I DID notice more corraline algae! It started growing on more things (glass, pumps, HOB output, inside skimmer siphon tube)

 

2) I had a bit of algae and I asked my LFS guy about it, he told me Marc Weiss' Coral-Vital was da bomb...it was a bomb all right...and algae bomb! I added it for a few days and the algae took over the whole tank. THICK mats of fuzzy algae and weird branchy algae as well. PLUS the stupid crap costs $20 for a 16 ounce bottle! What a complete waste of money and a massive step backwards. Well, in my experience anyway.

 

While trying to scrape away the huge amounts of algae I had, I had to scrape the glass and powerheads, etc and alot of my coralline was scraped away

 

So...in conclusion....

 

Kalkwasser = very good, but dose it properly!

Coral Vital = the Devil's own bile, sold at a premium. Reading anything from Marc Weiss makes me cringe as well. He mentions that there are no "Medicaments" in CV. In a letter to a fellow aquarists, he says that "this new science will affect aquaristics".

 

Uhm, "Medicaments?" "Aquaristics" ? I wish I'd done more research before purchasificating his productuments. That crap is worse than useless, I think it's harmful. Maybe he should have gone to school to learn how to speakicate better, though I must say, he really knows how to sell that snake oil!

 

BUT again, maybe this would have happened without the CV I was dosing. I am pretty sure the kalkwasser helps though.

 

Bottom, bottom line. Do research, it's what the internet was invented for. If EVERYONE praises something, then it's probably good (kalkwasser). If a product is contrersial (sp?), then it's probably a money sink. Oh, and your LFS employees don't always know what they are talking about.

 

V

 

PS. Marc, don't bother suing me, I have nothing of value, unless algae is worth something. (I'm referring to the stupid petswarehouse.com fiasco). But it ain't libel if it's true!

[MrKrispy]

"purchasificating his productuments" LMAO!!!!!

[belallanon]

You sure he wasn't talking about Kent Marine's Coral-Vite which is pretty good in my experience.

[Vincerama]

No, it was Coral-Vital, he handed me the bottle and it costs $20 for 16 ounces...I don't think coral-vite is that much.

 

V

[T?@7]

too bad my friend. How were dosing yere kalk?

[Vincerama]

I made a doser out of a peanut butter jar, some airline tubing and a plastic airline valve. Dripped in at 1 drop / second into a HOB with no filter.

 

Kalk strength was about one teaspoon for 2 litres.

 

V

[onthefly]

LMAO!

 

I've heard alot of people say his stuff is snake oil......I have a couple of biochemistry degrees and when I see him (or anyone) sell a product without labeling the contents and talk about "proprietary" info. I cringe!!!!!! Especially when someone tells me that their "enzymes" in a bottle are "da bomb". Enzymes! This guy's lab is probably working outta his parents garage.

 

All that being said, I have had good success seeding plenums and dsb's with his coral vital-LSB "live sand booster".

[DarkDevil]

Vincerama: which LFS said it's da bomb? don't tell me it's the one on clement and 6th... hehe....

[Vincerama]

It's one in Sunnyvale. The guy actually knows a lot about stuff, so I still trust him abount other things. I just think that with CV, it's a matter of luck. In my case, it coincided with a large algae bloom. Is it the timing and age of the tank, or is it CV?

 

I had to scrub the rocks down, then I added a small crew to try and mitigate the growth.

 

I think I'm going to wait until the algae goes away (hopefully) then add some CV to see if anything happens (like more algae!)

 

I went to 6th Ave on Sunday (actually, went to Burma Super Star for dinner) and bought some salt there (best price on salt!) and man, their corals are not very happy looking. I'd almost buy some just to rescue it, but then I might just be tossing money away if the rescue ends up more of a burial!

 

V

 

V

[DarkDevil]

Ahh..... everybody seems to eat at the Burma place, then go take a walk to the fish store, anyways, I am pretty sure their coral don't look any near happy at all, and actually their stuffs are pretty strange, I don't know maybe it's their water or anything, I haven't figure out yet, I have bought some corals there before, even the most hardiest mushroom died in my tanks in couple days, but it have been blooming for weeks in the store, I don't know, my luck? apprently not, coz I have heard bad things about them also, actually one of the mushroom survived out of the 4 I bought, I don't know, oh and the rock which the shroom reside have couple big fat bristleworms on it..... like it or not, they come wiht it... there are couple plate coral there which they are all brown in color, I was joking with my gf saying we should buy one and bring it home and make it live, let's bet what color the plate coral suppose to be..... anyways... good luck to your algae bloom, as I am fighting it now also.....

[onthefly]

Dark Devil - you at UCD?...go Ags!