Nualgi aquarium??

[alliecat]

I saw a post about this on clay-boa but not so many reviews. I guess it's a new biological form of algae control on the market... The concept seems good but has anyone used nualgi aquarium and what are your thoughts? They are doing free trials I just got mine yesterday.

[Uncle Salty 05]

I tried to sign up for one and some has used my information?

[alliecat]

That's weird

[dkeller_nc]

Nualgi is a mineral supplement. So no, the idea behind it isn't sound. But it may do wonders for financial bottom-line of the owners of the company.

[alliecat]

Well I got the free trial for my 20 since I upgraded the lights I've had a wicked cyano bloom. Can't beat free.

[kidkams]

its a diatom based supplement that out competes other algae for nutrients. I got the free trial a while ago and have been using it on my tank for a few weeks and I can attest to it actually working.
I have stopped dosing a week ago (preparing to transfer tanks) and I have actually seen a small amount a cyano start to cover some parts.

This is just my experience, but I do urge you to try for yourself, it is free after all.

But I do understand the reservation of putting something unknown into your tank

[dkeller_nc]

At least to some extent, the company does tell you what's in it:

It contains a special formulation of Fe, Mn, Zn, Co, Cu, Mo, B, S, Ca, Mg, P, K & Si

This is an excerpt from the nualgiaquarium.com website. Amusingly enough, the company has another website - nualgi.com that suggest the use of Nualgi to grow phytoplankton in the ocean and "thereby solving global warming problem" (sic).

Personally, I don't want to be dosing zinc, copper, or cobalt into my tank unless I was very, very sure that the concentrations were so low that it wouldn't present a problem.

[alliecat]

That's the part I was worried about but I guess they're in a different form? As a particulate? And so it's a different effect I guess... Idk from the few reviews I've seen in general people are happy with it. I started it in Wednesday and haven't noticed any changes yet

[dkeller_nc]

Originally Posted by alliecat

That's the part I was worried about but I guess they're in a different form? As a particulate? And so it's a different effect I guess... Idk from the few reviews I've seen in general people are happy with it. I started it in Wednesday and haven't noticed any changes yet

From the standpoint of heavy metals like copper, it doesn't make any difference what form they're in when they're put into the tank, as they will rapidly convert to whatever form is stable at the particular conditions of pH and ionic composition of the tank they're in.

[NualgiAquarium]

Your post is in violation of the terms and conditions of use of this web site and has been edited. Further violations will result in revocation of your posting privileges.

[NualgiAquarium]

Your post is in violation of the terms and conditions of use of this web site and has been edited. Further violations will result in revocation of your posting privileges.

[NualgiAquarium]

Your post is in violation of the terms and conditions of use of this web site and has been edited. Further violations will result in revocation of your posting privileges.

[NualgiAquarium]

Your post is in violation of the terms and conditions of use of this web site and has been edited. Further violations will result in revocation of your posting privileges.

[billsreef]

Nualgi,

You've been warned that you cannot promote your product here. It is a clear violation of the User Agreement that you agreed to when signing up here, not once, but twice.

[NualgiAquarium]

Not sure how to respond to questions about Nualgi without contravening the rules of the forum. [That second sentence I removed would be an example of what you can't say ... billsreef]

[billsreef]

Your free to talk about general aquarium keeping, even algae culture. Just can't do it with any reference to, or in regards to your product.

[NualgiAquarium]

So when someone asks how much copper or zinc is contained in our product then it seems we cannot respond to that without breaking the rules

[Sugar Magnolia]

You are being asked not to promote your product. Simple as that.

[Randy Holmes-Farley]

There's a second thread here that discusses other (inexpensive) ways to drive diatom growth (if that is a goal):

http://www.reefcentral.com/forums/sh....php?t=2396691

[Randy Holmes-Farley]

I have a question for nualgi:

Do you have any evidence whether sponges can actually use your nanoparticle silica to form their skeletons? That's the primary reason I dose soluble silicate, since it is what sponges naturally take up from seawater.

[NualgiAquarium]

We have no specific evidence concerning sponges but in general nano formulations should lend to better absorption

[Randy Holmes-Farley]

We have no specific evidence concerning sponges

Thank you.

but in general nano formulations should lend to better absorption

Why would you say that? Organisms have specific transporters to take up specific individual molecules that they require. Nanoparticles can sometimes penetrate menbranes to a some extent, but almost never as well as a specifically transported molecule.

Here's an example of the transporters I mean, which would not transport the much larger and different looking nanoparticles that you supply:



Silica transport in the demosponge Suberites domuncula: fluorescence emission analysis using the PDMPO probe and cloning of a potential transporter.
Schröder HC1, Perović-Ottstadt S, Rothenberger M, Wiens M, Schwertner H, Batel R, Korzhev M, Müller IM, Müller WE.
Author information
Abstract
Silicon is, besides oxygen, the most abundant element on earth. Only two taxa use this element as a major constituent of their skeleton, namely sponges (phylum Porifera) and unicellular diatoms. Results from combined cytobiological and molecularbiological techniques suggest that, in the demosponge Suberites domuncula, silicic acid is taken up by a transporter. Incubation of cells with the fluorescent silica tracer PDMPO [2-(4-pyridyl)-5-[[4-(2-dimethylaminoethylaminocarbamoyl)methoxy]phenyl]-oxazole] showed a response to silicic acid by an increase in fluorescence; this process is temperature-dependent and can be blocked by DIDS (4,4-di-isothiocyanatostilbene-2,2-disulphonic acid). The putative NBC (Na+/HCO3-) transporter was identified, cloned and analysed. The deduced protein comprises all signatures characteristic of those molecules, and phylogenetic analysis also classifies it to the NBC transporter family. This cDNA was used to demonstrate that the expression of the gene is strongly up-regulated after treatment of cells with silicic acid. In situ hybridization demonstrated that the expression of the sponge transporter occurs in those cells that are located adjacent to the spicules (the skeletal element of the animal) or in areas in which spicule formation occurs. We conclude that this transporter is involved in silica uptake and have therefore termed it the NBCSA [Na+/HCO3-[Si(OH)4]] co-transporter.

[alliecat]

So far my tanks seem a little cleaner 2 weeks into treatment. My concern however is what about the copper in it? I have a maxima in one of my tanks and haven't noticed side effects yet... But I'm worried about what an accumulation of copper could do

[Randy Holmes-Farley]

But I'm worried about what an accumulation of copper could do

I hope they are aware of the special needs of reef aquarium when they designed a product that works in fresh, FO, and reef tanks. ???

[alliecat]

Honestly I think my tanks look worse now lol