Opinion on Red Sea reef energy A and B?

[bubbaque]

What is your opinion on Red Sea reef energy A and B? I have been thinking about picking it up along with the coral colors that they sell. Do they actually do anything or would I waste my money?

 

[adritank]

What is your opinion on Red Sea reef energy A and B? I have been thinking about picking it up along with the coral colors that they sell. Do they actually do anything or would I waste my money?

I use energy. both a and b.
I feel it does make a difference, although i dont do it daily. Maybe twice-thrice a week.

as far as the colors, its hard to say because i feel like the colors test kit is so difficult! sometimes not getting any readings at all.
Have you tried using the red sea colors test?

I have used red sea colors program as well.. dont know if it makes a difference or not. right now i'm using a couple of the kz products

 

[Randy Holmes-Farley]

I don't have a particular opinion on this product vs other similar products, but I do think that such products in general are useful in tanks where nitrate and phosphate are kept especially low.

 

[Randy Holmes-Farley]

I don't have a particular opinion on this product vs other similar products, but I do think that such products in general are useful in tanks where nitrate and phosphate are kept especially low.

 

[Kungpaoshizi]

I've tried just about everything, srsly.. And finally settled on the reef care stuff. I avoided it for a few years but wish I hadn't. If you don't use nopox, you'll still see a benefit from RE and depending upon your tank maaaybe the RColors... I dose RE every hours 24x7, provides the excess nitrate to avoid a problem while carbon dosing. Though it's pretty easy to cause yourself an algae bloom if you don't carbon dose. Even with everything setup, dosing 24x7, I think their dosages for RC is pretty aggressive. Still only use a drop or 2 per week.
I highly suggest RE+nopox, but even just RE is worth it. Feeding only that, corals do "thrive".

 

[jsker]

I've tried just about everything, srsly.. And finally settled on the reef care stuff. I avoided it for a few years but wish I hadn't. If you don't use nopox, you'll still see a benefit from RE and depending upon your tank maaaybe the RColors... I dose RE every hours 24x7, provides the excess nitrate to avoid a problem while carbon dosing. Though it's pretty easy to cause yourself an algae bloom if you don't carbon dose. Even with everything setup, dosing 24x7, I think their dosages for RC is pretty aggressive. Still only use a drop or 2 per week.
I highly suggest RE+nopox, but even just RE is worth it. Feeding only that, corals do "thrive".

+1

 

[bubbaque]

How low randy? My Phos reads 0 on Hanna ulr phosphors and somewhere between 2.5 and 5 on salifert nitrate test. Was also considering vinegar dosing to get nitrates down lower, worth doing?

 

[Randy Holmes-Farley]

How low randy? My Phos reads 0 on Hanna ulr phosphors and somewhere between 2.5 and 5 on salifert nitrate test. Was also considering vinegar dosing to get nitrates down lower, worth doing?

It may help more on the nitrate side than phosphate, since it contains amino acids and proteins which necessarily have a lot of N in them, but the proteins may also contain some phosphate. So it may be helpful for you.

Whether amino acids and such are useful in higher nutrient situations is a little less clear, but at least some specific amino acids may be useful.

 

[bubbaque]

Just want to confirm. I am going to start vinegar dosing to get my nitrates close to 0. Then I will use reef energy for the amino acids. Sounds right?

 

[Randy Holmes-Farley]

Just want to confirm. I am going to start vinegar dosing to get my nitrates close to 0. Then I will use reef energy for the amino acids. Sounds right?

Seems like a fine plan to me.

 

[bubbaque]

Thanks so much for your help!

 

[MikeyAl]

I used it and went off and now back. I have seen better growth and coloration for my Zoas (which is mostly what I have). I also, to Mr. Holmes-Farley's point, have a low nutrient system. This stuff works.

 

[Kungpaoshizi]

I've often wondered too if RE contains whey because I can add so much to supplement the nopox to drive phosphates down from other food I feed. (whey proteins do not contain phosphorous)

 

[fernalfer]

what time of the day are you guys dosing reef energy a and b?

 

[Randy Holmes-Farley]

I've often wondered too if RE contains whey because I can add so much to supplement the nopox to drive phosphates down from other food I feed. (whey proteins do not contain phosphorous)

It may well be true that whey can be used to drive down phosphate in a reef tank, but while it is lower in phosphate than some proteins, such as soy protein, it isn't none. A special low phosphorus whey protein might be on the order of 0.21 grams phosphorus per 100 g.

100 grams is a lot, but added over time to a 100 gallon aquarium, it will add about 650 mg/379 L = 1.7 mg/L.

 

[GoVols]

but I do think that such products in general are useful in tanks where nitrate and phosphate are kept especially low.

+1...

 

[GoVols]

what time of the day are you guys dosing reef energy a and b?

I dose it almost everyday about an hour before lights out, with skimmer off but leave all other pumps on.

 

[fernalfer]

Is their a benefit to dosing it at night? Or is it just personal preference?

 

[GoVols]

Is their a benefit to dosing it at night? Or is it just personal preference?

It's just my preference but if you start the RE and see a gray funk on your live rock then cut your dose back.
It took awhile to build up to my final dose.

 

[fernalfer]

Is their a benefit to dosing it at night? Or is it just personal preference?

OK I only started at 6ml of each on a 120 gallon tank with a 40 gallon sump. So I'm pretty much underdosing for now.