Vital

Has anyone here used Natural Aquarium Vital by Marc Weiss Aquarium Products?
Has there been any difference in your plants when using it?

On one hand, I'm hopeful about this product. On the other, I'm naturally skeptical about pretty much every new thing to hit the market. ;D

 

I have no experience with this product, but I saw it mentioned that Tom Barr did not have much to say about it.

What I don't understand is this product claims to be a CO2 supplement. However, it also claims to have some vitamins and many trace elements that act as a "solvent buffer to rebalance" an aquarium. Further, it states that in the CO2 is released in this natural rebalancing when in the presence of high bicarbonates.

These statements make me think that it is attempting to break the bicarb bond to create CO2; however, if this is true then why would a properly balanced aquarium not already have enough CO2? And what would happen if the tank did not have high bicarbs for this product to work upon?

Are you considering testing it?

 

Yeah, I'm going to test it.

I can see how a properly balanced aquarium would not have a lot of CO2 (because CO2 levels will automatically balance with normal gas exchange). However, my concern is whether or not this product will produce CO2 in a tank which doesn't have an excess of bicarbonate.

 

I would imagine no. The product description specifically stated that an unbalanced aquarium naturally had high bicarbonates. Not sure I believe that statement. But, without an excess would this product do nothing or would it deplete the much needed carbonates?

 

AHA! I get the theory behind this. It makes a bit of sense now.

Plants produce bicarbonate during respiration. In the closed system of a planted tank, this can create a pretty strong imbalance. The majority of heavily planted tanks do likely have an excess of bicarbonate.

Whether or not this product is capable of releasing the carbon in the bicarbonate ions, I cannot say. However, I'm feeling a little better about it, given that it has a sound theory behind it, at least.

 

It will be interesting to see if it has any affect on a tank.