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MR Teee
02-18-2007, 01:17 PM
Shamelesly ripped from Reef central.

Chris, I would love your views on it.




The Blu Coral Method

Many people have been stunned looking at the magnificent tanks managed with this method and many others have been interested to know it. The craftsman of the method was Maurizio Manili, in collaborations with others reefkeepers. Today the BC has been inherited by Valerio Pacetti, actual owner of the Blue Coral shop in Rome. He has brought some modifications to the old method.
In this article it we will try to explain how it works and how it can increase the corals’ growth.
We can manage our tanks in two ways: the first, with the simple ‘pappone’ without GH, and the full BC Method.
The basis of both systems are the same: Berliner classic; great attention for the water chemistry; “pappone”.

Berliner classic:

The Berliner classic is characterized by strong lighting system, great water movement , efficient skimmer and live rocks.

Water Chemistry:

A great attention must be put on this aspect, that has many positive implications in all of the BC method. The water parameters are kept in higher concentrations than in natural seawater. Typical and desired values are: Magnesium 1500 mg/l, Calcium 500 mg/l, Strontium 16-30 mg/l, Kh 12-14 mg/l, Iodine 0,06 mg/l, PO4 and NO3 near to zero. These values form a “reservoir” of chemical elements always available for coral calcification and growth.
“Pappone”:

The term “pappone” stands for a blending of fresh seafood mixed with a carbon source (fructose or simple sugar).
The recipe is this:
5 mussels, 5 shrimps, 5 oysters, 5 clams , (all of these must be fresh!!) 1 fructose or saccarose teaspoon, 250 ml of R.O. Water.
Blend energetically until it takes a creamy consistence. At this point, you can add the GH and achieve the full BC method, or leave it without hormone and have a ‘light’ BC method. You can use the 4 units (1,33 mg) vial. Then, blend again and put the pappone in a freezer container as ice cubes, then freeze it. Pay attention on the cold chain. It’s better use very cold RO water so that the temperature doesn’t become too warm when blending.

The GH, what is it?

The GH or somatotrope hormone, is a protein of small dimensions, with a structure considerably different varying the species. There is an high biological specificity, in the sense that the GH of one species is generally completely inactive in others; in that human, the only that is effective is the GH of the monkey. Viceversa, the human one acts only on the monkeys and on no others.

The sequence of the 191 amino acids are on linear chain, and fundamentally has two important actions in the human organism: the increase of the body mass and the regulation of the cellular metabolism, specially the proteic one.

After all, therefore, GH does not act on other mammals and obviously it does not act on invertebrates. This can simply be demonstrated by the need of specific receptors on the cellular membrane of the cell on wich the hormone acts. Obviously, the corals do not have receivers of this type.

The growth increases...

How can we explain the increased growth, the increase of the coral’s metabolism in relation with the increase of the calcification?

This is what it really happens. Many reefers that use this method, got a growth of A.formosa, cervicornis, nobilis, and various montiporas, of almost 40 cm per year. Also the foliose, the LPSs, and the softies increase their growth in impressive way.

I have made myself an idea on what can succeed in water. I state that that the short explanation that will follow is only fruit of my experiences and mine observations, but it does not mean that it’s the absolute truth!

The explanation must be searched in the typical characteristics, structural and molecular therefore, of the GH. Being a very small protein, it’s very probably, if not sure, that the GH put in the “pappone” is broken off. This is the fulcrum of the argument. It is not the integral GH that acts directly on corals, also because for the reasons said before it is very improbable, but it’s the broken GH that influences the growth and the increase of the metabolism.
When we feed our corals with the “pappone”, in reality we add in water many amino acids. In fact when the protein is broken off it comes exactly cracked in many pieces, everyone of which constituted by amino acids. It will be therefore the abundance of determined and very specific amino acids that involves the increased rate of growth.
This is the sole explanation to which I’ve comed after various observations. In this way it’s effectively possible to explain, from a biological point of view, how the GH can influence corals.

These amino acids that are supplied with the GH are added to the amino acids that we supply, generally, approximately 2 hours before the “pappone”, in order to favor the assimilation of this last one.

The remaining of the components of the “pappone” (mussels, clams and so on) will go to feeding bacterial cultivations, the sponges and all the benthic organisms, that in this way will go to feed corals. In this way we can have a situation of maximum saturation from the alimentary point of view of the coral, and therefore they have the possibility to calcify, given the abundance of the nutrients and chemical substances.

All this speech obviously does not regard the fishes that are not minimally influenced by the abundance of amino acids in water; in fact the fishes have absolutely normal rates of growth.
Generally one of aspects that characterize the Blue Method Coral is that after a short period of arrangement of the system, we can see a drastic reduction of nutrients, that remain stable generally towards the zero; it is for the phosphates as far as the nitrates. All the system benefits of the amino acid contribution.
Special attention must be given at the beginnig of the method, everyone must find the own doses of “pappone” to feed the tank. A fundamental aspect is in watching our animals and understanding how much food they need.

I hope I have cleared some aspects on this method, that I think one of the best methods of conduction of a reef tank, as if the GH is used, as if we take cue from the method also without the use of the hormone.

Thank you for attention, best regards and see you soon on Reefitalia Magazine!
Fabio Oggiano aka SiR



Neither the author of the article, the reefkeepers mentioned herein, nor reefitalia.net they are responsible of an improper use of the hormone; from the legislative point of view, it is from the use that everyone just makes of it. They are not moreover responsible of eventual damages to things or animals.


Copyright @ ReefItalia.net

Chris, Reef Ranch
02-18-2007, 02:19 PM
Like the sound of it. No experience with it. The protein content could cause pollution if fed to the aquarium wily-nilly or not heavily skimmed out. The sugar content is not likely to cause problems because depending on the type of saccharide, bacteria can't just utilise it. The previous debate on nitrate reduction with sugar was more pertinent to lactose (milk-sugar) not Silver Spoon. Adding Silver Spoon will probably have very little effect in an aquarium unless you throw bucket loads in. Then you might make coral jam? Bacterial breakdown of protein yields nitrogen (ammonia, nitrite and nitrate) as with all food. Always target feed corals sparingly.

Can't see any problems with using a SPECIFIC growth stimulator/hormone of invertebrates if that is what you wish to achieve. Interesting fact about strontium. There wasn't any found in coral skeletons pre nuclear age (Mark Wilson, New Era). It is taken in preference to calcium when available. We don't need it in our aquariums.

I know the Seachem products are conjugated to a polyglucan. This is meant to work in a very similar way. The coral cell expends energy to take in things and gets a package of sugar based food for its trouble. They do have an amino acid based product. However, you won't get the hormone.

It is likely that the hormone in time or is produced in bulk by genetically modified bacteria such as E. coli. Scientists do this by inserting the gene into the bacteria and the bacteria then go to work producing the gene product. This is how human insulin has been made for decades now.

Human insulin is bound to be of very high purity and relatively expensive to produce. It is important that what ever hormone is used, is purified out of all the other proteins ect that are produced by the bacterium at the same time. Not to mention the bacterium themselves. I would have thought that the price of the hormone would have been prohibitive? Any ideas of the source cost and purity- method of production.

Chris

MR Teee
02-18-2007, 02:28 PM
Not specifically. I know that it costs upward of 80 euros per pill in europe, and is banned in the US.

Some of the people are using amino acids used by Body builders, these are more readily available in health shops.

SiR
07-28-2007, 09:43 PM
Hi guys.
i'm Fabio, this is my first mex in your forum.
i'm a student of biology, and my passion is reef....and i'm writer of that article.
sorry for my english, i don't speak sò well....i speak italian, if you have a traslator....
i'm a moderator on www.reefitalia.net (http://www.reefitalia.net) and this is the post when you see my tank.

http://www.reefitalia.net/forums/showthread.php?t=10579 but to view the complete photos you must register....
i don't use hgh.
in the BC method isn't necessary to use this protein...but there are many factor that influence the increas of coral, like kalkwasser, bicarbonate and stability of tank.
if you have any questions i can reply with pleasure.
but anytime it's really difficoult write in english. if i can't, i will write in italian and you will traslate with online traslator.

this is a shot of my tank. "formosa"
the first is on 24/april/ 2007
the quarte is on 15/july/2007
last is from above.


bye Fabio.

MR Teee
07-28-2007, 09:48 PM
Hello Fabio, Welcome to the site.

Thankyou for posting up some pictures of your tank, it looks fantastic!!

I'm sure I, and many others will have some questions for you in the very near future.:D

SiR
07-28-2007, 09:54 PM
Hello Fabio, Welcome to the site.

Thankyou for posting up some pictures of your tank, it looks fantastic!!

I'm sure I, and many others will have some questions for you in the very near future.:D

thx :D

i'm here....the only ""problem"" is the different lenguage....you can learn italian???:D

johnl69
07-28-2007, 09:55 PM
Hello Fabio, Welcome to the site.

Thankyou for posting up some pictures of your tank, it looks fantastic!!

I'm sure I, and many others will have some questions for you in the very near future.:D

Ciao Fabio, benvenuto al luogo.
Grazie per l'invio su alcune immagini del vostro carro armato, sembra fantastico!!
Sono sicuro che la I e molti altre gli avranno alcune domande per molto prossimo nel futuro.:D

Arnt I kind:D:D(hope it translated correctly:confused:)

SiR
07-28-2007, 09:59 PM
mh that photo are orrible.
try this
the first and the last of "formosa" and another from above.

SiR
07-28-2007, 10:01 PM
Ciao Fabio, benvenuto al luogo.
Grazie per l'invio su alcune immagini del vostro carro armato, sembra fantastico!!
Sono sicuro che la I e molti altre gli avranno alcune domande per molto prossimo nel futuro.:D

Arnt I kind:D:D(hope it translated correctly:confused:)


ahahahah tnx :D

but carro armato is this :D :D :D

tank = vasca

johnl69
07-28-2007, 10:06 PM
Stupid online translators :D

Tank = Acquario

callum_parsons
07-28-2007, 10:11 PM
your english is a hell of a lot better then my italian

welcome your tank is amazing!!! great colours

SiR
07-28-2007, 10:15 PM
your english is a hell of a lot better then my italian

welcome your tank is amazing!!! great colours

thanks for the welcome!! :D
and think that my tank is most ugly on my forum :D :D :D

:rolleyes:

Tom2006
07-28-2007, 11:35 PM
Welcome!! Your tank looks great!

Tangman
07-29-2007, 06:34 AM
Hi Fabio welcome to RC hope you enjoy your time with us. Your tank look a stunner nice colours also. Twiggy:D

bisck
07-29-2007, 11:24 AM
a great hello for everyone! i'm one of the moderetor of www.reefitalia.net (http://www.reefitalia.net), i am another support of blu coral methods, i use this method from 2 years ago, every times i see spectacular grows and beautiful colors, you must to be
scrupulous on the chiemestry enviroments, and do not overload your sistem when you start. this is my tank, before it was with dsb, then a water change of 20 liters with a bed salt i turn in BB (bare bottom) and the tank was grow rated less, enjoy the pics;)

MR Teee
07-29-2007, 06:46 PM
Welcome Bisck, some of those acropora are HUGE!

Quick question for you guys, where do you get the somatotrope hormone from?

Can it be substituted with other amino acids, such as those used in the zeovit method?

SiR
07-29-2007, 09:49 PM
Welcome Bisck, some of those acropora are HUGE!

Quick question for you guys, where do you get the somatotrope hormone from?

Can it be substituted with other amino acids, such as those used in the zeovit method?

we don't use hormone.
every normal amino acids integrator is good for this scope.
if yuo want you can use also zeovit amino acids.