Making aqua concoctions: Have you ever tried the Reef Moonshiner Method?

[Peace River]

Making aqua concoctions: Have you ever tried the Reef Moonshiner Method?

The moonshiner method in reef keeping has focused on water quality and nutrient export. While not for everyone, the implementation of this method includes regular testing and dosing of a wide array of elements to achieve success in reef keeping. Some reef keepers have seen dramatic improvements in the health and growth of their reef ecosystem; however, some suggest the benefits of the moonshiner method is more a result of the excessive attention to detail that often comes with keeping up with the moonshiner method. What about you – have you ever tried the reef moonshiner method? If so, please tell us about your experience and share any tips that you may have.

Photo by @Panama Brown


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[randomfishdude]

Nope. I do the exact opposite. I've never even heard of that acually.

 

[exnisstech]

I've read about it but it is way too much for me to keep up with. I think it's more for folks that enjoy tinkering and tweaking. Nothing wrong with that It just not my thing. I like simple and nothing I've read about MS sounds simple.

 

[shakacuz]

i've been using it for the last 2 years with great success coming from not doing a single water change in my 40B. wouldn't do it any other way. too lazy for WC's, and can't be bothered to set up an auto mixing station as i don't have to room available for it. takes a few minutes to do my daily doses, and an ICP every 2-6(now that the tank has matured) months is a no brainer for me.

I've read about it but it is way too much for me to keep up with. I think it's more for folks that enjoy tinkering and tweaking. Nothing wrong with that It just not my think. I like simple and nothing I've read about MS sounds simple.

you're provided a calculator (literally tells you how much to dose and for how many days). all you do is send in a water sample, wait for the results, plug in your numbers, and dose. carx/kalk is much more complicated and equally - if not more expensive, imho, but once dialed in you're good to go.

up front costs are a big deterrent, for sure! but once you have the bottles, you're good to go for quite some time unless you have a monster sized tank(large water volume).

 

[Doctorgori]

I’ve been following it, but I don’t wanna become this:

 

[marcus aurelius]

I have never heard of that method. But I would have to say I'm doing exactly that.

 

[Chris Spaulding]

I have been doing the shine for a while now. It is not that hard and really only takes about 4 min to does. Some people send I. ICP every month but I myself now only send in every 2 months as I have a good understanding of what my tank is doing. Is it for everybody? No
I would at least recommends reading the handbook a time or two as it may give you some insight as to what may be going on in your tank.

 

[Fish Styx]

@Stang67

 

[billyocean]

It's a lot more simple than it reads really..lol. Send in an icp and then do the corrective dosing after it comes back. Wait a few weeks and send another icp in. Whatever the new corrective dosing is on the 2nd icp...just divide that by however many days it was since you sent your last one and it will give you a close idea on how many ml to dose per day. Bought some glass eye dropper vials and put the drops in in the morning. Takes less than a couple minutes a day for me. It's not for everyone though and starting is more intimidating than it actually is.

 

[GARRIGA]

Been looking at these various trace supplement methods and going to just try AFR plus A or K based on the major element in each and go from there. Individual adjustments off ICP-MS. Granted will be a while before that’s needed for me and things might change as I learn more about it. Dutch method another I’ve considered. Less elements to adjust.

 

[Rp8]

I voted other. Bc I am currently not doing it but plan on getting on the train once settled. I have heard many great things about it, and I feel that if your into reefing as your main hobby, meticulously balancing out the chemistry and seeing great results are rewarding

 

[bobnicaragua]

I’ve been using reef moonshiners for a couple of years. I like the method and so do my acros!

 

[Sleeping Giant]

it sounds very interesting

 

[dadnjesse]

I have a SPS only tank and my tank was doing awesome, except for a couple corals that were staying brown. I figured I would try the Reef Moonshiners and went all in. For me after almost a year I never saw any improvement on those few corals and acually saw some decline in the ones I had that had great color. I have since stopped. I was sending in ICP-MS tests every other week which is expensive.

 

[nano reef]

Way to costly for me and Cant believe that 21% are using it! thats 1/4 of the reefers in this forum unless mainly the ones using it answered the question! Has to be!

 

[bobnicaragua]

If anyone is looking to color up acros, the moonshiner method is good for trace elements.

The most beneficial thing I have found is increasing PH. I dose kalk, run an outside airline, to my skimmer, and have a CO2 monitor next to the tank. My windows are cracked when weather permits.

 

[Reefing_addiction]

Yes and no

I dose manganese like a crazy person

And when I do an ICP test I’ll dose the trace elements it says I need but I don’t dose daily (except that manganese….but I do have around 17 gonis and 2 alveoporas)

I’m not a fan of water changes
But I think I have a good understanding of what my tank needs soo I do them occasionally / randomly.

If it ain’t broke don’t try and fix it is my method of reefing.!

 

[Lasse]

I answered other because I run a modified Triton method for the last 6 years with my aquarium - dosing traces, no regular WC and ICP testing - however only tests 3 - 4 times a year and not always ICP-MS.

The triton method is basically the same method. One of the reasons this method is that I do not trust dry salt mixes. The concentration of many of the substances that make up a good salt mix is so small that it is largely impossible to get an even distribution in a dry mix. As an example - iodine natural concentration in sea water is around 60 µg/L. In most cases, about 39 g/L of artificial salt is needed to achieve about 35 PSU. This means that 39 g contains 60 µg iodine -> 100 g contains 153.8 µg -> 1000 g (1 Kg) contains 1538 µg = 1.538 mg and 1000 Kg (1 metric ton) contains 1538 mg = 1.538 g. This means that during manufacture 1.538 g of iodine (around 0.062 ounce) is added to each metric ton (2,204 lb) of the finished salt mixture. Good luck mixing this evenly.....

Sincerely Lasse

 

[Dorsetsteve]

I don’t use it but I have looked into it. I don’t really see how it varies from any other similar methodology, such as Triton, Fauna, Zlements, Aquaforest etc there’s some minor differences but the core is the same: dose traces based off ICP results.

There does appear to be a good margin of success for those participating but I would suspect that is due to the level of attention and diligence. Without them any method will fail.

 

[Stang67]

I do like it. Been using for 8m now. Definitely seeing a difference in all types of Coral, not just sps. I agree with a lot of statements here. It's not as hard as it looks on paper, the start up costs are a bit much but when taken over time are no more then most other options, and averages are key when testing and setting up dosing schedules.