That certainly makes sense in theory (ie if it is truly just amino acids). Have you seen that in practice? It might be an appealing, if less direct, alternative to dosing nitrate.
Dosing nitrate
- Thread starter nly04
- Start date
This would be a really interesting set of data to capture, put on the site, and share broadly. Grab various foods. Pour them into saltwater. Measure the levels at various times after with standard kits.
I'd donate funds to someone willing to do the leg work.
Yeah it probably wouldn't be that hard. I've heard so much anecdotal evidence over the years but figured that in my break from reading online that someone would have done it already! Chromis is right that common amino acids don't have phosphorus. Pretty much only comes from DNA's backbone and likely preservatives or whatever is in the gut of the animals that were ground up to feed. I guess in ATP/ADP too. I'll have to do some digging.
Ok I clearly need to just Google! RHF did an analysis 10 years ago. https://reefs.com/magazine/aquarium-chemistry-phosphate-and-math-yes-you-need-to-understand-both/
I love the title
RandyC
Supporting Member
It’s been a hotly debatable topic on how much or how easy it is for coral to uptake amino acids. There are also some studies that I read (that I can’t seem to find now) that indicate different coral uptake different amino acids. So debating what’s in acro power and what coral you have, the benefits will vary. Also, it is not something that’s measurable, so it’d be hard to gauge if you are adding too little or too much.
So if my goal was to increase nitrates in my tank, personally, amino acids would not be my preferred method. I personally dose sodium nitrate so I don’t bottom out on nitrates. Having phosphates is never a problem for me since I feed pellets.
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Yeah I know amino acid uptake by corals is hotly debated, and I’m personally skeptical (which is why I don’t have experience with Acropower).
But whether or not they are first taken up by corals, adding just amino acids to a tank will increase the nitrogen and eventually nitrate in your tank with minimal if any increase in phosphate. I say minimal P because if they derive their amino acids from proteins there will be small amounts of phosphorylation.
Chromis
Supporting Member
I’ve personally never been able to translate Randy’s “math” on phosphates in fish food to the reality of my reef tanks, I’m suspicious there is some other info we’re missing on how phosphate-containing foods break down or how phosphate gets used in our tanks. From my experience the main thing contributing to phosphate is detritus build up but I’m not sure why - maybe something to do with the type of bacteria that likes piles of detritus vs pelagic bacteria that likes tiny bits of detritus kept in suspension in a bare bottom tank with good circulation? Or maybe corals are just able to utilize detritus as long as it’s kept in suspension, before it can break down into phosphate?
All food that comes from a once living organism will have phosphate.
Amino acids have some nitrogen but no phosphorus. That’s a good food for SPS if you want to increase N but not P, but it’s usually dosed in such small amounts.
Might just be the difference between organic vs inorganic phosphate. Hobby tests will only detect the latter of course.
Organic phosphate can be consumed by bacteria and then the cells are removed by skimming. In short a pathway for phosphate to go from food to removal from your tank without ever being “detectable”.