AB+ Coral Food

[geekreef_05]

Anyone have experience with this? 

Using it regularly? 

 

I

[Crawford_T]

Funny, literally was just watching a video on this stuff. Interested to hear other peoples opinions. 
 

Link if you’re interested

 

 

[mitten_reef]

I love the stuff - pretty much the only food supplement I used for a long time.  however, I also started using the brightwell aquatics Restor regularly.   Now, just like the guy in the video, I dont know how much it helps, but both sure aren't hurting my tank 😂

 

My tank is known to be perpetually "low nutrient", not via testing but via algae-on-glass observation.  I can go weeks without losing visibility, needing to scrape the glass.  If your tank always has algae issue, i'd be cautious on how, rather how much, you use it.  

 

 

[Airedale.Reef]

I’ve been using ab+ weekly for roughly two years. I’ll add it after each water change, and apart from feeding the coral, It was always satisfying watching that neon green juice flow through the tank. 

Only real downside for me was that it had to be refrigerated. Not a deal breaker by any means but just some added steps. 
 

I also supplement with reef roids and have had good success with growth.  I’ll continue to use both on the 30g. 

[mitten_reef]

6 hours ago, Airedale.Reef said:

I’ve been using ab+ weekly for roughly two years. I’ll add it after each water change, and apart from feeding the coral, It was always satisfying watching that neon green juice flow through the tank. 

Only real downside for me was that it had to be refrigerated. Not a deal breaker by any means but just some added steps. 
 

I also supplement with reef roids and have had good success with growth.  I’ll continue to use both on the 30g. 

This is where I said I’m perpetually low nutrient. I use about 20ml per day. maybe more, go through a 1L bottle in 2-3 months.  And I have zero filtration other than floss, no skimmer or reactor of any kind.  I don’t keep mine refrigerated, but Michigan is pretty cool year round in the basement. And the rate I go through them, I don’t have too much concern. 

Reefroid was great, but I had major sponge outbreak and had to stop using it, essentially, stopped any small size particulates altogether for a while. But overall I had great experience with that food as well. 

[geekreef_05]

Interesting. I appreciate the info.

 

Im definitely considering alternatives to reef roids and LPS pellets which ive used in the past.

 

Id like to broadcast feed at night, rather than target feed as ive done in the past. I want more consistency, less hands and syringes in the tank, and avoid big dumps of food. I think my previous weekly feeding routine can be replaced with small automated daily dosing. I think this results in much less waste. 

 

In my previous system, I think reef roids where really up'ing my phosphates as well.

 

This time im live phyto dosing at night, through a connected mini fridge. Thats been ongoing for awhile now. Last night i increased dosing from 5ml to 7ml, hoping to help feed coral. 

 

Im gonna start with 5ml/day AB+ sometime soon. Gotta purchase another dosing pump, lines and drill another hole into the mini fridge. 

 

I'll monitor my nutirents as i dose. Should be interesting.

[geekreef_05]

My second related question is... 

 

Has anyone tried mixing amino acid drops into their auto dosing coral food? I used to do this when i target fed, but it was in solution for less than 20 mins. So what if the mixture is sitting or lightly mixing for 2-6 months?

 

Like ideally i could add ammino acid drops to either the brine, phyto or AB+ dosing..

 

 

...what if it binds to the brine and the corals dont get it..

 

..what if it sits on top of the AB liquid, cause its an oil...

 

 

..what if the live phyto just consumes it or it makes it go bad? 

 

Hm.

[Crawford_T]

Love the input from others on this. I think I’m going to give it a go, slowly. Being that I’m starting with small frags I’d like to assist with growth where I can. 

[Airedale.Reef]

6 hours ago, geekreef_05 said:

In my previous system, I think reef roids where really up'ing my phosphates as well.

 

This time im live phyto dosing at night, through a connected mini fridge. Thats been ongoing for awhile now. Last night i increased dosing from 5ml to 7ml, hoping to help feed coral

Same experience as well. Definitely an increase in phosphates which I managed with Phosphate E by Brightwell aquatics. Not the biggest fan of chemicals but it helped as needed. 
 

It’s nice that you have a mini fridge available for dosing. 👌🏽 I may look into some

dosing equipment when the time comes. Like you, I’m all for smart automation, and consistency. 

[mcarroll]

On 5/17/2024 at 7:11 PM, geekreef_05 said:

Anyone have experience with this? 

Using it regularly? 

 

I

I've used similar amino acid concoctions, including DIY.  None currently though.

 

On 5/18/2024 at 1:18 PM, geekreef_05 said:

Interesting. I appreciate the info.

 

Im definitely considering alternatives to reef roids and LPS pellets which ive used in the past.

 

Id like to broadcast feed at night, rather than target feed as ive done in the past. I want more consistency, less hands and syringes in the tank, and avoid big dumps of food. I think my previous weekly feeding routine can be replaced with small automated daily dosing. I think this results in much less waste. 

 

In my previous system, I think reef roids where really up'ing my phosphates as well.

 

This time im live phyto dosing at night, through a connected mini fridge. Thats been ongoing for awhile now. Last night i increased dosing from 5ml to 7ml, hoping to help feed coral. 

 

Im gonna start with 5ml/day AB+ sometime soon. Gotta purchase another dosing pump, lines and drill another hole into the mini fridge. 

 

I'll monitor my nutirents as i dose. Should be interesting.

 

Consider specifically what you're targeting with these doses and dumps of food.  Corals that are frag sized and in a system with nothing but other frags have VERY different needs from larger colonies or from frags in a display with fish that are being fed quality foods.  Flow rates are important to consider as well....those requirements differ between types of system as well.

 

I don't know your overall intentions, but judging just from this thread it seems like you're feeding a frag growout system that may also be very low in dissolved nutrients.  

 

If that assessment is incorrect and instead these corals are well placed (in good flow and light) and/or older than frags AND they are in with fish, then feedings targeted specifically at corals are probably not necessary at all.  

 

I agree that all of those coral feeding methods tend to be very wasteful, but that's partly why frag systems are designed differently than display tanks too.  👍

 

This is a worthy read for anyone feeding corals....put that DOI into Google Scholar or just follow the link:

Hindawi Publishing Corporation Journal of Marine BiologyVolume 2012, Article ID 854849, 7 pages doi:10.1155/2012/854849

 

On 5/18/2024 at 1:24 PM, geekreef_05 said:

My second related question is... 

 

Has anyone tried mixing amino acid drops into their auto dosing coral food? I used to do this when i target fed, but it was in solution for less than 20 mins. So what if the mixture is sitting or lightly mixing for 2-6 months?

 

Like ideally i could add ammino acid drops to either the brine, phyto or AB+ dosing..

 

 

...what if it binds to the brine and the corals dont get it..

 

..what if it sits on top of the AB liquid, cause its an oil...

 

 

..what if the live phyto just consumes it or it makes it go bad? 

 

Hm.

If you're using it for "gut loading" live phyto or while growing out live brine shrimp, then yes it can be helpful.  

 

IMO in a complex display tank, many organisms make use of raw aminos before corals get access (maybe in part because the corals don't need them)...cyano blooms are fairly common with amino dosing, for example.

 

Using it as a "spray on tan" for non-live foods, I dunno.  Probably better than just dosing it into the display water, but that's not saying much.

 

In a reef, just make sure your fish are well-fed, and they will do "what is needed" for your corals automatically.  🙂 

 

Target feeding anemones might still be of benefit.

[mitten_reef]

On 5/18/2024 at 1:24 PM, geekreef_05 said:

Like ideally i could add ammino acid drops to either the brine, phyto or AB+ dosing..

if I read this right, you're interested in mixing amino acids with AB+?  If so, I don't think that's necessary.  I believe AB+ label indicates that there are amino acids already in their blend.  so trying to including pure amino acid supplement seems redundant.  

Ultimately, I'd personally start the supplemental liquids one by one, and see how things fare, rather than building a full concoction.  That way, should you run into any issues down the road, you know which one to dial back.   

[geekreef_05]

Thanks Mitten, that's super useful to know. Makes my life way easier. Lol.