Polyp Lab didn't want to give me much information on this product but, as far as I'm concerned, Reef-Roids smells an awful lot like a mixture of Calanus (or generic copepod) and shrimp meal, says Nathan Hill.
The stated ingredients are simply 'marine planktons,' so I don’t think I’m too far off the mark. It’s safe to say those planktons are of the zoo kind rather than phyto kind.
Reef-Roids are getting something of a cult following as marine foods go, with lively discussions taking place between keepers in the Roids camp and the Cyclop-eeze camp.
Reef-Roids have been put through their paces and, unusually for an aquarium food, scientific data supports claims of this exact brand being good at what it does.
Research clearly illustrates that usage with Montipora and Pocillopora produced remarkable growth as compared to controls.
However, it was also noted that feeding also produced a greater abundance of algae outbreak in the study environment. Even a slight overfeeding of this rich product could easily lead to some increased maintenance.
The food is mixed by the teaspoon, though whether heaped or level isn’t clear as instructions are somewhat vague.
It’s then added to a little aquarium water to form a pungent solution, then either added directly to the water or target fed via pipette, or both.
I sent my sample to a marine keeper to play with and received positive reports that "there are no oily films, bad smells or cloudiness associated with Reef-Roids.
"Coral response — including freshly introduced Gorgonians – is excellent, with everything happy to feed on introduction."
Verdict
I don’t know what’s in it but it does what it should and it has scientific data from coral aquaculturists to support that claim.
Get some of these in and treat those Montipora...
Price: 60g tub £18.99; more info from Reef Eden International.
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