Moonshiners method feedback

[Reefahholic]

Reef Moonshiners definitely has the evidence that it does in fact work well at getting corals to grow and color up. However, these results can be replicated with any major brands PRO version of salt, plus an Ionically-Balanced complete 2-pt balling system. I've used the Red Sea Pro /ATI essentials pro 2pt combo for years, and haven't looked back.

Can you post some pics of your corals?

 

[thatmanMIKEson]

I subbed. Following. Don’t disappoint!

coming soon....

 

[Reefahholic]

I hate the "pro" version of salts with their super elevated elements. Gimme a flat, nsw level salt mix any day. I'll take care of managing levels myself.

Yep same here. I’d rather not have a huge 60 ug/L spike of Iron, Manganese, etc…if my parameters are already saturated.

 

[rtparty]

I hate the "pro" version of salts with their super elevated elements. Gimme a flat, nsw level salt mix any day. I'll take care of managing levels myself.

Red Sea Coral Pro is elevated. Tropic Marin Pro is not elevated. Salts use “Pro” in their name because Apple did.

 

[rtparty]

Yep same here. I’d rather not have a huge 60 ug/L spike of Iron, Manganese, etc…if my parameters are already saturated.

I haven’t seen one salt that isn’t elevated in those two. I’m pretty sure it’s an “impurity” that comes with other raw materials.

Good news is that both are rapidly depleted in our systems

 

[Reefahholic]

coming soon....

I’ve seen Mr. Roberto around. I’m familiar with his ability and his squeaky clean white starboard systems. They look great. He’s got a green thumb for sure.

However, most of these guys always start with mini colonies and LR. If they start with 1-2” frags in a dry rock system it will still take them 3 yrs to get from A to B. He’s already got established rock in his system. I’ll be completely shocked if he’d be willing to start with 1-2” frags so we can observe how long it will take him to grow them out. I’m pretty sure he’ll pull already established and growing “mini colonies” from his previous system and transplant them in the new one. When you start with your own healthy growing corals that are already adapted to your system and style of reefing, there’s a major advantage.

 

[DarthChaos]

I have no idea what "moonshiners" is - I simply call it - the natural way. Simple and easy.

2 years - no waterchanges. High end LPS & SPS, all thriving!

 

[Reefahholic]

Red Sea Coral Pro is elevated. Tropic Marin Pro is not elevated. Salts use “Pro” in their name because Apple did.

I still haven’t found a great salt. I’m still with Red Sea Blue Bucket, but only use it for topoff after bagging a bunch for frags. I haven’t seen or had any problems with it so far. When I did do a larger water change about 7 months ago, I didn’t notice anything elevated too much. So maybe it’s decent salt.

 

[Randy Holmes-Farley]

Yep same here. I’d rather not have a huge 60 ug/L spike of Iron, Manganese, etc…if my parameters are already saturated.

Of course, semi continuous water changes eliminates any spikes, regardless of whether the mix matches the tank or not.

 

[Reefahholic]

I haven’t seen one salt that isn’t elevated in those two. I’m pretty sure it’s an “impurity” that comes with other raw materials.

Good news is that both are rapidly depleted in our systems

Yeah, they get consumed very quickly, but I’m still not trying to elevate them out of target range. I think it was Triton that made that pure zero salt.

 

[Reefahholic]

Of course, semi continuous water changes eliminates any spikes, regardless of whether the mix matches the tank or not.

Yes, that would be much more helpful and beneficial I believe.

 

[areefer01]

I have no idea what "moonshiners" is - I simply call it - the natural way. Simple and easy.

2 years - no waterchanges. High end LPS & SPS, all thriving!

DSR is even simpler. Check out any of Glenn Fong's displays.

 

[d2mini]

Red Sea Coral Pro is elevated. Tropic Marin Pro is not elevated. Salts use “Pro” in their name because Apple did.

True, but you get the gist. I currently use the regular Red Sea because the Red Sea Pro is so elevated.

 

[d2mini]

Of course, semi continuous water changes eliminates any spikes, regardless of whether the mix matches the tank or not.

I've always had this setup, but not on my current tank. I miss it but nothing I can really do about it. At least not without a ton of work. Maybe some day.

 

[Max93]

I dose kalk and components 1,2,3 from Aquaforest as well.

The reef moonshiners method is great for not doing water changes as well.

I like to compare my tank to others that run calcium reactors, because that media itself puts trace elements back into the water. I have been in this hobby for 18 years going to 19, and I’ve killed sooooo many acropora and always had stable parameters.

I think having trace elements available in your water allows acropora to handle stress better. For example, alk swings a bit, no problem… for what it is worth, I think moonshiners does a great job at targeting depleted trace elements that DO have biological benefits to our corals. I love when people say they don’t dose anything yet have a huge calcium reactor. The media itself is releasing trace elements into the water.

Moonshiners is a method, and it works. It’s saved me hours and hours and thousands of dollars because I don’t do water changes anymore in my 200g tank, and I don’t have to make as much water so RODI filter savings .

In fact, my tank pays the electric bill, food for the tank, AND for more coral on a good month. What I mean by that is that my corals are growing so dang fast I have to sell mini colonies (10+ heads colonies of all kinds) to make sure my tank isn’t taken over by zoanthids.

Idk, for me it works and I’m going to continue reefing this way.

 

[Roberto Denadai]

I’ve seen Mr. Roberto around. I’m familiar with his ability and his squeaky clean white starboard systems. They look great. He’s got a green thumb for sure.

However, most of these guys always start with mini colonies and LR. If they start with 1-2” frags in a dry rock system it will still take them 3 yrs to get from A to B. He’s already got established rock in his system. I’ll be completely shocked if he’d be willing to start with 1-2” frags so we can observe how long it will take him to grow them out. I’m pretty sure he’ll pull already established and growing “mini colonies” from his previous system and transplant them in the new one. When you start with your own healthy growing corals that are already adapted to your system and style of reefing, there’s a major advantage.

My last tank I started with dry rocks and frags. Mini colonies are very expensive here. The rocks in my new tank are the same rocks that were in the last one. I just bleached them all and started again.

I´m going to start with new frags, I already bought 20 frags.

But I want to enjoy the journey , this is not a competition

Cheers

 

[Reefahholic]

DSR is even simpler. Check out any of Glenn Fong's displays.

Glenn is another green thumb reefer. I’m in his group as well. He has a unique style of reefing. Definitely a seasoned pro.

 

[Reefahholic]

My last tank I started with dry rocks and frags. Mini colonies are very expensive here. The rocks in my new tank are the same rocks that were in the last one. I just bleached them all and started again.

I´m going to start with new frags, I already bought 20 frags.

But I want to enjoy the journey , this is not a competition

Cheers

I’m following your journey. I’ll be happy to see 20 small frags. The rocks look pretty dark for being bleached. Did you cook them a while, or have they been in there a few months already? How old is the tank?

 

[Randy Holmes-Farley]

I like to compare my tank to others that run calcium reactors, because that media itself puts trace elements back into the water. I have been in this hobby for 18 years going to 19, and I’ve killed sooooo many acropora and always had stable parameters.

I would caution against that widespread belief being taken too literally.

A CaCO3/CO2 reactor ONLY adds elements that are both in the skeleton and actually dissolve.

It does nothing for trace elements that go into the tissues of organisms, including both hard and soft corals, micro and macroalgae, etc.

IMO, for many tanks with CaCO3/CO2 reactors, foods are going to be a bigger source of many trace elements (e.g., iron) than is a CaCO3/CO2 reactor.

 

[Max93]

I would caution against that widespread belief being taken too literally.

A CaCO3/CO2 reactor ONLY adds elements that are both in the skeleton and actually dissolve.

It does nothing for trace elements that go into the tissues of organisms, including both hard and soft corals, micro and macroalgae, etc.

IMO, for many tanks with CaCO3/CO2 reactors, foods are going to be a bigger source of many trace elements (e.g., iron) than is a CaCO3/CO2 reactor.

So you’re saying in your opinion the food we feed to our tanks has enough of all the trace elements necessary for the health of coral?

I guess in the future I can run an experiment with two tanks. Same lighting, same corals, etc. just no trace element dosing to see if I really notice a difference.