Link to YouTube video: https://youtu.be/zdQ1-oWv788
Link to Instagram: http://www.instagram.com/reef_therapy
The information in this post is strictly my opinion and not based or loosely based on any scientific observation or testing unless otherwise specifically stated.
Hey everyone, thank you for stopping by for my 2nd ever blog post. I hope you’re all doing well and able to enjoy your reef tanks during this uncertain time. As a follow up to my most recent YouTube videos and Instagram posts I figured this would be a great place to share a bit more information in a more collected and organized thought.
The questions on my mind and the possible results which justify the general or specific use or non-use of these products:
- Is the use of Reef Roids, a small particulate coral food, beneficial to a reef system with continued daily use?
- Does AcroPower amino acid supplement actually benefit Small Polyp Stony Corals and aid in skeletal growth, coloration, overall health and polyp extension?
These questions may be far beyond my ability to answer without months of scientific study and research and of course the means to do so. I’ve heard from various sources (one being BRSTV) that particulate foods such as Reef Roids have actually been studied on captive coral specimen on multiple occasions. One such study was published as early as 2018, (https://doi.org/10.1371/journal.pone.0207956) “Comparing the capacity of five different dietary treatments to optimise growth and nutritional composition in two scleractinian corals
Jessica A. Conlan ,Line K. Bay,Andrea Severati,Craig Humphrey,David S. Francis” (sorry for the improper citation)
This peer reviewed article is rather lengthy and may be above many of our pay grades, but if you give it a close read it provides some valuable insight that even the basic reef keeper can appreciate. I’ll admit that I haven’t taken the time to really dive into the article and skimmed for bits of information which could support my observations (I did say this may be loosely based on scientific evidence…sigh), but what I was able to pick out I think should be obvious information. Corals can and do benefit from small particulate foods being available in the water column which they can capture and consume.
The experiment contained four different potential food sources:
- Artemia nauplii (ART)
- Artificial (ATF): a sodium alginate-bound formulated diet
- Unfiltered Seawater (RAW)
- Reef Roids (RR)
- and of course the Control (CTL): flow-through ultra-filtered seawater with no additives sourced from Cleveland Bay
The details are something you’re going to have to read yourself as I wont try to interpret them entirely and explain them. The results from what I picked through (cough), do show positive results for Reef Roids in testing, but definitely not an optimal feeding option for all corals. The article even suggests that corals with their simplistic digestive systems can be negatively affected by the highly nutrient dense artificial foods such as Reef Roids. This point is especially eye opening for me as I’ve recently noticed unexplainable coral recession or even complete death.
In my completely unscientific personal observation, the Large Polyp Stony Corals such as Scolymia, Pectinia, Acanthastrea, and Blastomussa which I kept in my tank have been dying or showing extreme signs of stress. Understandably, many elements of the home aquarium can cause tissue recession and ultimately death of any coral, but I’ve lost two out of the four corals mentioned above, and the common factor between all of them is that I began feeding Reef Roids directly to each sometimes twice per week. The overall experience seemed positive and admittedly until this point, and scanning the article above, I made no real assumption of the negative affects of these feedings, nor was I attributing the feedings to their overall decline or deaths. Now, i’m absolutely not blaming Reef Roids here, but this newly discovered information is interesting to say the least and given the time-frame of when I began directly feeding and the coral’s decline, the article supports that thought.
Reef Roids yes or no?
So given what I just said, why would I continue using Reef Roids in my reef or suggest it to others? If you’ve seen my YouTube videos or Instagram posts then you’ve undoubtedly heard and watched me both spot feed and broadcast feeding my corals using this product. Actually, I’ve said it on more than one occasion that I mix my pellet foods with Reef Roids in my Automatic Feeding System which I’ve programmed to dose the tank with twice daily. I DO absolutely believe in its benefits as a broadcast fed food option for corals. It seems obvious that given the endless nutrient supply in natural seawater that corals kept in a home aquarium would appreciate capturing available nutrient dense foods within the water column. Understanding that corals have simple digestive systems, I believe i’ll avoid spot feeding Reef Roids altogether solely as a precaution made on my interpretation of the article referenced above. This and personal experience leads me to this decision so as to not overload the coral with nutrients.
AcroPower
AcroPower is marketed as an amino acid supplement that helps corals produce energy, assists in the development of the coral skeleton, and improves coloration. Amino acids are important for biological functions whether your human or animal (coral). Admittedly i’m struggling to find much information on the internet about AcroPower and all I can seem to find is the same repeating information. This information as supplied by the Two Little Fishies website states “AcroPower supplies amino acids that corals need to build their skeletal architecture. Like other cnidaria, corals have a special ability to uptake dissolved amino acids across their entire surface. Closed system aquariums with protein skimming and other ULN (ultra-low nutrient) filtration methods deplete amino acids that are vitally important for coral health. Corals become more colorful within days due to the extension of the growing margins when AcroPower is used.” I’m going to look around for some peer-reviewed articles that would support this statement, or maybe even reach out directly to TLF to see if they can provide supporting documents.
Acropower yes or no?
Since I began using AcroPower I’ve only felt confident with the product. I’ve legitimately noticed incredible growth over a short period of time, increased coloration or maintained coloration, and incredible polyp extension on a daily basis. (see photos below). At this point in time I can’t see or think of a reason NOT to use AcroPower if you’re interested in keeping acropora.
Check out the photos below, but also be aware that the positive results are most likely not solely based on the use of AcroPower alone, but most definitely the result of stability and balance within the reef tank.
Automatic Feeding
The final point i’m going to make here is consistency and stability. One element of that which relates to this blog post and my recent videos is feeding. Automatic feeding (and the subsequent filtration of nutrients, another time another topic) I believe is essential to our reef systems. This topic, just like any other, is hugely debated and all I can do is offer my opinion on the subject. Feed your corals and fish. The frequency and amount that I feed is based on observations that I make around the tank. For example, algae, red slime, skim-mate production, and fish and coral health. Also be aware of Nitrate and Phosphate levels within your system. I’ll admit I haven’t tested Nitrates or Phosphates in my system once, and I actually don’t even own the test kits. I’m not suggesting you follow that at all, but i’ll be hypocritical for a moment and just say that you should absolutely test. Automation I believe helps keep balance. During normal times I hardly get the chance to observe and tweak things on the system. Automation allows me the piece of mind to keep things running regularly all the time, or the ability to know when something is off. The way I run my system now relies on my thought process of having 1. AcroPower dosed at 10ml once per day. And 2. Feeding the fish and corals twice per day with pellet food and Reef Roids. I want to ensure the system has nutrients consistently available to be consumed and in my opinion it just makes sense. Now obviously “automation” doesn’t need to happen if you’re disciplined enough to ensure the tank is fed everyday, but it absolutely helps. We all have things that happen in our life which draws us away from the hobby. If one thing is for sure though, stability is the key to a long lasting thriving reef tank.
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Reef Therapy 