# Glutaraldehyde slow release block



## Graham clj (Nov 13, 2010)

Hello all,
I am a manufacturer in Australia and I am in the process of developing a slow release glutaraldehyde block. This I hope to some extent will replace the need for CO2, time will tell, it will also be sold in unison with a slow release macro, micro fertilizer block.
I would very much like some input with respect to this product and I can send samples all over the world for trial.
I have been a manufacturer in the industry for thirty two years and have extensive experience with this kind of slow release product. You can add comment here or at this forum in Australia, I would very much appreciate the international input.
http://www.aquariumlife.com.au/showthread.php/28117-Glutaraldehyde-blocks-slow-release

Regards Graham Lloyd-Jones
Www.gandklloydjones.com.au


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## Aquaticz (May 22, 2009)

sounds interesting


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## Natalia (Sep 15, 2008)

To all of you who are fans of glutaraldehyde and its derivative Excel: do you realize that this is a toxic chemical? If not, Google it. If you were to work with it in the lab, you would have to put on gloves, mask and work in a fume hood. This is the regulation. I always wondered why anybody in the right mind would dump it every day in the tank with living creatures in it? I know that there will be a bunch of people claming that they do it and nothing happens. Right, it does not kill overnight at the low concentrations. It kills slowly but surely over time. 
Do not be lazy, use CO2.


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## Graham clj (Nov 13, 2010)

Natalia said:


> To all of you who are fans of glutaraldehyde and its derivative Excel: do you realize that this is a toxic chemical? If not, Google it. If you were to work with it in the lab, you would have to put on gloves, mask and work in a fume hood. This is the regulation. I always wondered why anybody in the right mind would dump it every day in the tank with living creatures in it? I know that there will be a bunch of people claming that they do it and nothing happens. Right, it does not kill overnight at the low concentrations. It kills slowly but surely over time.
> Do not be lazy, use CO2.


Yes I do agree Natalia,
This is not a safe chemical to use for the people that work with it , the reason I looked at it about 8 years ago was to replace formaldehyde in my water conditioning products. Formaldehyde is a lot more dangerous to use as it is a carcinogen, it is also still in wide spread use in water conditioners that remove Ammonia.

That having been said, once it is produced in the product itself below 5 % it is safe to use and not considered a poison in Australia. Both Glut and Form. convert Ammonia into Hexamine in the aquarium 
and allow it to gas off, they are also carbon complexes and become carbon dioxide in the aquarium.

Not everybody can afford the expense of CO2 and this will be a much cheaper alternative. So if you are concerned about toxins your average water conditioner is far more toxic then this.

Graham


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## JustLikeAPill (Oct 9, 2006)

If he is a real manufacturer and not some guy in a basement with a bachelors degree in chemistry and a dream, I'm sure he is well aware of the dangers involved...

I wasn't even aware that Glut came in solid form? I thought it was more like a solvent... I thought it evaporates. In other words if you dumped out a bottle of Excel into a glass pan, let all the water evaporate, I'd imagine you'd have very little solid left and the glut would have evaporated along with it.... most of the solid being left over would be added preservatives to give Excel a long shelf life, I'd imagine? Maybe your product would be more like "oxy-clean" which is a solid then becomes h202 if I'm not mistaken when added to water.

I also thought it degrades in the presence of light? I asked Seachem if I could put it in a clear Brighty K bottle I had that was empty and dose it easily since one pump is one ml. They said it degrades in the presence of light but under normal household conditions, Excel in a clear bottle wouldn't degrade fast enough to matter... but a block of solid glut, if possible, would be right under an aquarium light.

I'd imagine it would be hard to make a time-release block that released glut at a steady rate because every tank has different water chemistry, light levels, plant needs, etc. 

But if you're a REAL manufacturer and not some guy in a basement with a gas mask on, I'll give your line products a shot if you send a sample and compare it to my E.I. dosing regime. 

I think the idea of a slow release micro and macro block is a great idea, for sure.... but again keeping it from being released at different rates for different aquariums would be hard to do.

You might want to look at how the pharmaceutical industry makes time release pills. I know Concerta, an ADD medicine, has a plastic capsule with a tiny little hole in each end. The capsule is coated with a standard pill coating but with Methylphenidate (ritalin) in the coating for an instant dose, then as water from your body enters one hole of the plastic capsule an absorbant absorbs the water, expands, and slowly pushes out methylphenidate the other hole over the coarse of 24 hours as it absorbs and expands inside the plastic capsule. The patient poops out the plastic capsule undigested, which is now empty of its medicine.

Another cool time-release mechanism is a pill I personally take. It's called Pristiq. It provides desvenlafaxine over the coarse of 24 hours and is a square pill. If you drop it in a glass of water it expands into a solid cube of a gelatinous but still firm gel-like substance. Does the same thing in your body. After 24 hours, all the desvenlafaxine is released and I poop out the cube of the semi-hard gel that is now empty of the active ingredient. 

Gross... but things you can consider.


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## Graham clj (Nov 13, 2010)

Thanks for this Clint, 
As you now realize I don't just work in a basement, or under the house as we call it here, as a result of our PM's. What I was looking for with these proposed products is input as I am not really geared to sell to the American market, these may be different because they can be easily posted.
I have addressed your well thought out questions with Pm's and have already considered the issues that you raise, this block will exclude light and keep glut stable by the very method of manufacture,
I will address your post in more detail where I am a site Sponsor and where you have already kindly agreed to post it again. Other wise I will be in breach of this sites rules, although I have asked if I can sponsor this site.
So if anyone has more questions or input could they please post here
http://www.aquariumlife.com.au/showthread.php/28117-Glutaraldehyde-blocks-slow-release

Regard Graham


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## goldier (Feb 13, 2010)

I wonder if anyone thought of ibuprofen – nearly x5 the amount of carbon in each molecule compared to glutaraldehyde, less reactive, also good for you when you need a little fix for your HA.


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## Graham clj (Nov 13, 2010)

goldier said:


> I wonder if anyone thought of ibuprofen - nearly x5 the amount of carbon in each molecule compared to glutaraldehyde, less reactive, also good for you when you need a little fix for your HA.


I would have thought this would be toxic like aspirin is.

Graham


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## CptanPanic (Oct 18, 2010)

I would be interested.


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## goldier (Feb 13, 2010)

Graham clj said:


> I would have thought this would be toxic like aspirin is.
> 
> Graham


Compared to ibuprofen, aspirin has 2 extra oxygen atoms and 1 extra double bond at the oxygen end (other than the common acid tail), making it much more reactive and potentially more toxic to aquatic life forms than ibuprofen. Although both are weak acid, I would render them inactive before adding the solution in the tank. Aspirin also has less carbon atoms than ibuprofen.


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## Graham clj (Nov 13, 2010)

goldier said:


> Compared to ibuprofen, aspirin has 2 extra oxygen atoms and 1 extra double bond at the oxygen end (other than the common acid tail), making it much more reactive and potentially more toxic to aquatic life forms than ibuprofen. Although both are weak acid, I would render them inactive before adding the solution in the tank. Aspirin also has less carbon atoms than ibuprofen.


This is very interesting information, how would you make them inactive? How much would you use? And how long would one tablet last?
Regards Graham


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## JustLikeAPill (Oct 9, 2006)

How do you know the carbon would even be bioavailable to the plants?


It just seems like that's too easy.... Then again reef keepers somehow figured out that dosing vodka fed the denitrifying bacteria and lowered their nitrates.


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## goldier (Feb 13, 2010)

Graham clj said:


> This is very interesting information, how would you make them inactive? How much would you use? And how long would one tablet last?
> Regards Graham


Currently I am using organic carbon sources in my experimental aquarium, so have no detailed answers for your questions. Few things I can think of - to make ibuprofen inactive, you can neutralize it with a weak base, or add bacteria in a diluted solution. Bacteria and plant tissues in the aquarium would further breakdown ibuprofen and make carbon available for plants. As for how much and how often, one can calculate how much carbon is used in a typical dosing of glutaraldehyde, and then use a similar amount of carbon in ibuprofen as a starting point. I wonder if you or anyone would like to experiment with ibuprofen and post the result. I may try it next spring on a different tank.


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## Graham clj (Nov 13, 2010)

goldier said:


> Currently I am using organic carbon sources in my experimental aquarium, so have no detailed answers for your questions. Few things I can think of - to make ibuprofen inactive, you can neutralize it with a weak base, or add bacteria in a diluted solution. Bacteria and plant tissues in the aquarium would further breakdown ibuprofen and make carbon available for plants. As for how much and how often, one can calculate how much carbon is used in a typical dosing of glutaraldehyde, and then use a similar amount of carbon in ibuprofen as a starting point. I wonder if you or anyone would like to experiment with ibuprofen and post the result. I may try it next spring on a different tank.


This is very interesting information and I appreciate you answers, but when my Glut arrives next week, I will be devoting my spare time to the production of this product. With Glut I understand its parameters and won't be risking any fishes health with respect to testing. Australian laws only allow me to make this product at a strength of 5%, so I have to work within those boundaries. Have you tried ibuprofen ?

The latest regulations here also means that all manufacturers of water conditioners that will remove ammonia with formaldehyde (and that is nearly all of them) may have to review their packaging or their formulations. For me that will mean either poisons standard bottles or, and I am hoping this will work, using Glut instead. This is infact why I first looked at Glutaraldehyde. I believe it will convert ammonia into hexamine like formaldehyde does, and it is schedule 6 not 5.

This regulation has been around for some time, as a result of regular checking I found out, and I have noticed that no one here complies (Australian or American), so maybe I am wrong, although the schedules seem pretty specific. So my water conditioner will soon have Glut in it, that having been said 
don't look for it anytime soon in America, it's to expensive to be competitive on the American market and I've got enough to do here. The glut block however may be different story, they are easier to freight.

Regards Graham


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## niko (Jan 28, 2004)

What I'd like to see is a comparison - a tank supplemented with Glutarate and the same tank "off the drug".

Right now I have a tank that has no CO2, light is 1 watt per gallon and I do not fertilize. I change 15% of the water once every 30-45 days. The plants grow pretty fast and are always healthy - mosses, Valisneria nana, Pellia, Najas "roraima". Val. nana has a new shoot every 2-3 weeks. Maybe the fish provide everythig needed. 
How is such a tank going to compare with one supplemented with minor dossages of C from Glutarate?

If you can find a ballance in your tank by playing with the feeding, the number of fish etc then what's the point of trying to achieve the same thing through chemistry?

Just asking. Not denying anything. Hope to see a definite answer soon - a picture comparison would be best. 

--Nikolay


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## goldier (Feb 13, 2010)

Graham clj said:


> This is very interesting information and I appreciate you answers, but when my Glut arrives next week, I will be devoting my spare time to the production of this product. With Glut I understand its parameters and won't be risking any fishes health with respect to testing. Australian laws only allow me to make this product at a strength of 5%, so I have to work within those boundaries. Have you tried ibuprofen ?


No, I have not tried ibuprofen yet, but make plan to try it in the near future. I think it could be used as a potent carbon source, especially in high light tanks without algaecidal effect, while the low-carbon glut would be used as an algaecide as needed, with some extra carbon benefit.

Good luck and I hope you will be successful in your endeavour.


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## Graham clj (Nov 13, 2010)

niko said:


> What I'd like to see is a comparison - a tank supplemented with Glutarate and the same tank "off the drug".
> 
> Right now I have a tank that has no CO2, light is 1 watt per gallon and I do not fertilize. I change 15% of the water once every 30-45 days. The plants grow pretty fast and are always healthy - mosses, Valisneria nana, Pellia, Najas "roraima". Val. nana has a new shoot every 2-3 weeks. Maybe the fish provide everythig needed.
> How is such a tank going to compare with one supplemented with minor dossages of C from Glutarate?
> ...


This is so true of so many things that have been marketed without exhaustive tests and controls, I have just set up a new plant tank with a macro micro fert block and the plants seem to be growing at an astonishing rate. To be self critical you would have to ask, "would this of happened without the fert blocks". At the stage I don't know, I am working on the premise that in theory as a result of terrestrial farming techniques these blocks do work, you add conventional fertilizer and things grow faster and bigger.
Glut blocks are a whole different story, and I will do a test and control to see if their is any difference In the growth rate. I wonder if anyone has done this with CO2 or other carbon source plant fertilizers.

There is also the hydrated lime factor in town water which strips your tank of carbonate hardness every time you do a water change, and then lime tests as general hardness. This coagulant is detrimental to fish and plant growth, is it that CO2 speeds the assimilation of this chemical and then allows fish and plant to grow unimpeded. Maybe CO2 has little effect as CO2, does anyone pump pure oxygen into tanks at night to complete the process of photosynthesis.
Well plenty to ponder there and a fair bit of work to do on the glut blocks I would suggest.

Regards Graham


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## Graham clj (Nov 13, 2010)

Here's a link to the progress of Glut blocks, this is an Australian plant forum.
http://www.aquariumlife.com.au/showthread.php/28773-Progress-of-Glut-Blocks

Regards Graham


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## wet (Nov 24, 2008)

I think the idea and goal -- slow controlled release of an algaecide (I think the real benefit of Glut.) and Carbon source -- is excellent. 

ideas/questions:
I assume the blocks would scale to tank size? What I mean is that I imagine it easier to hide small blocks, but if I have to hide 10 for a 50 gallon that would suck. 

Are you designing them to go into the filter? Surely the flow rate through the blocks is proportional to the release rate?

I agree and have experienced niko's points about a well balanced aquarium, and would add that I think there's a danger in folks depending on algaecides/magic cures in that they hide the symptoms but do not truly balance a tank. However, I think this is also true of other effective products, like UV and Diatom filters, Purigen, great mechanical media and Seachem Excel, all of which I think are the best bargains in this hobby. In that same way I think your product has a very viable market and I hope you continue updating your progress here.


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## Graham clj (Nov 13, 2010)

Hello
Sorry it has taken me so long to respond to this post, I am just about ready to send the first sample blocks out, 3 of those samples will go to the USA and another 5 or so to Australians.
I have been concerned about release rate of the Glut and alternative Carbon sourcing, I was considering Glucose, but I can't stop the block from growing moldy even with glut in it ( which is also an anti-molding agent). My guess here is the carbon that I want to fertilize with (glut and glucose) are 
Encouraging the mold and algal growth.

The block will be sold damp and although I was concerned about displacement of the liquid glut in the block, I am now not so concerned. The reason for this is that I was pondering a salt water pond that a friend had some years ago out in the weather during a very wet period, the pond after heavy rainfall over many weeks lost very little salinity, the fresh water washed straight off the top and did not mix.
The block remains stable in the packaging as long as it remains sealed and moist.

It is made of 6 segments, one segment will treat 50 litres and after one segment is removed the packaging can be resealed, I will also make a weaker block for nano tanks, so one segment will treat 10 litres. The problem I foresee here is if anyone in America wants them, post from Australia is very expensive. So someone may have to purchase a decent quantity to redistribute them over there.

Regards Graham Lloyd-Jones


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## Graham clj (Nov 13, 2010)

Hello All,
The Glut blocks are now ready for samples to be sent out, I have had a lot of constructive criticism and have been very concerned about the block just dumping all the glut over the first couple of days and then being useless from that point on. 
Clint from the USA made this point and he was correct, I considered silica gel or the soil wetting agent to soak up Glut so it could release as the block dissolved, and so I ran heaps of tests and made more then 200 blocks which are now in the rubbish. Di or Betta Betta and Dave from Aquagreen Australia (who has received some poor treatment from Government bodies over snails) mentioned a snail rid chemical. So I thought I would try and integrate this into a Glut block as Glut is supposed to have some snail killing ability and this may help with the addition of other chemicals.

I can tell you that the common molluskisides like Metaldahyde, methiocarb and Chelated iron phosphate don't work, I am still testing Niclosimide which again has the data to back it up but so did the others. During these tests the last one in particular I added an iron phosphate chelate with a wheat kernel attractant this did attract heaps of snails which would be one way to remove them, this was in the form of a compressed pellet.
Compressed pellets as opposed to extruded pellets swell when wet, this then gave me a way to sponge up the Glut into something that was also plant friendly. I also noticed that the pellets at the 10 day mark or earlier (I'm not sure yet when this starts) would seem to be fermenting. Fermentation is encouraged by Glut from what I have read, this indicates that the Glut is still active after ten days because the wheat kernel in the pellet is fermenting and producing CO2.

The plants in the lowly lit tank in the photos have now grow past my expectations, the main draw back with the block is that it can only be made at a 10% glut solution for legal poisons reasons in Australia but it does seem to work. The snails I tried to kill readily consume the iron phosphate and then spread it all over the tank as iron rich feces. I have also made a quite simple NPK dolomite block to work in unison with this glut block and although I tested the blocks at 1 segment of 6 per fifty litres I now think they will do twice that quantity of water. It would seem as though the Glut block works Ok on it's own, fermentation would mean an on going Carbon source.

I added extra dolomite to the Macro block but this should be used in conjunction with Supa Chlor as well to stop the Clarking effect of hydrated lime in town water. I will make a batch of Supa Chlor with Glut instead of Formaldehyde shortly, it would seem as though Glut is better at removing Ammonia then Formaldehyde and it will be an added advantage to growing plant.

My formula will be for plant tanks- Supa Chlor first followed my one macro segment and one glut segment per 100 litres of water for three weeks, the segments may need to be doubled but this is where I would advise the people who want to test this to start.

Regards Graham


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## JustLikeAPill (Oct 9, 2006)

Glad I could help and that things are going well!


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## Graham clj (Nov 13, 2010)

Hello all,
All the sample blocks that were requested have been sent to many different places in the US and I have also developed new flat pack packaging that can be sent to America and Canada for $6.50 Aust.
This includes liquids. Supa Chlor which will assist with the replacement of CO2, because it stops "Clarking" is also included in this freight arrangement and it will soon be the first Water Conditioner made with Glut instead of Formaldehyde which will have a two fold action, plant fertilizer and ammonia remover, plus the removal of hydrated lime (to stop clarking) and chlorine removal.

Regards Graham


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## neilshieh (Jun 24, 2010)

i just got the blocks today. as per instructions i don't see anything on how frequently i should dose the blocks. also for that capsule i just toss it into 26 gallons right? and if these blocks are slow releasing then shouldn't they be in areas of high flow? because if it was in a dead spot, then when the ferts are released its not going anywhere. can anyone who has already started testing give some info on their results so far?


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## Graham clj (Nov 13, 2010)

neilshieh said:


> i just got the blocks today. as per instructions i don't see anything on how frequently i should dose the blocks. also for that capsule i just toss it into 26 gallons right? and if these blocks are slow releasing then shouldn't they be in areas of high flow? because if it was in a dead spot, then when the ferts are released its not going anywhere. can anyone who has already started testing give some info on their results so far?


Hello Neil,
These blocks will last from 2 to 3 weeks depending on biological load or existing water hardness, that capsule is meant for those using town water, your right just throw it into 26 gallons, that stops hydrated lime in town water from removing calcium carbonate hardness, which is a part of the Macro block. Converting hydrated lime back into a precipitate of calcium carbonate is what CO2 spends part of it's time doing.
This product is not without many years of profound theory behind it based mainly in that little capsule.
The blocks will dissolve and disperse in your average aquarium almost anywhere, but yes it will be better for the whole tank in an area of higher water flow, but if you have a favorite plant that needs attention you could bury it near the plant roots, one of the advantages of this system of fertilization.

Regards Graham


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## JustLikeAPill (Oct 9, 2006)

Got the blocks today, thanks! I am doing a blackout to kill a hair algae infestation and because my replacement diffuser is on the way since the last one broke. I tossed in half a glut block so I guess we will see if it helps clear the algae and If it's strong enough to kill the moss and tonina. I am doing daily 33% water changes. 

What is the brown stuff mixed in?


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## wet (Nov 24, 2008)

Requests:

1) Pics!
2) What happens if you break off a piece of it and drop it by that algae?
3) Continued experiences. Thank you!

(purely my curiosity.)


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## Graham clj (Nov 13, 2010)

wet said:


> Requests:
> 
> 1) Pics!
> 2) What happens if you break off a piece of it and drop it by that algae?
> ...


Hello, 
Just to answer Clints and this question, I have been testing Glut in liquid and this block form for some time now, and I have not noticed any effect on algae. I have however made for nearly ten years an algae removing block with simazine in it. I sell thousands of these and I am presently working on an upgrade with the addition of glut in it, in the six segment form. The glut is there to boost cellulose production in higher level plants as a double surety against damage from atropine. Even though I have only ever had one complaint in all the time I have made them, that they have damaged plant.

This new segmented block will be able to be placed in trouble spots (which is how I am testing it) and it will be a staged dose. Which means 1 segment per fifty litres (13 US gallons approx), so for example in a 200 litre tank you start with 1 segment on the trouble spot, or for full treatment of the whole tank, you add a block per week until you get the desired result. This process keeps the risk of using atropine under control, like I said I sell lots of these, but this is an improvement on an already good product. 
These can be sent to the US for $13.00 Aust for 3 packets of 6 segments and when I have completed the upgrade they will be about 8 dollars per packet.

Regards
G & K Lloyd-Jones


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## Graham clj (Nov 13, 2010)

With respect to the "brown stuff mixed in", if you are talking about the macro block that is Dolomite lime. That little capsule you have Clint will dramatically lessen the need to do water changes that is the axis of my whole product range. I believe that that chemical does what CO2 does, and what I mean by that is it removes Hydrated Lime from town water. So does CO2, bit it creates a precipitate of Calcium Carbonate in your tank from Hydrated Lime, you don't tend to see it but it could be a large part of why CO2 works, and that some of the carbon from the addition of CO2 comes from this process.

That capsule stops what is known as "Clarking" this is when Lime softens the water by Clarking the Calcium Carbonate that naturally occurs in water, after using the capsule, Glut and Dolomite lime particularly the dolomite will be an unimpeded carbon source. I am not sure if this will benefit Glut or not. My whole product range is built around the premiss of Hydrated Lime removal, and since you only have one capsule that will only treat 100 litres of water you might need to moderate the water change a little just for this test. This is my fault I should of put in several capsules, I can send you more if you want.
I have had good growth in rain water and I only do about a 30% change per 3 weeks. These blocks were all I used to fertilize the tank, rain water has no Clarking effect so that is what I have tried to replicate with these samples with that capsule. 

Regards Graham


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## neilshieh (Jun 24, 2010)

couple more thoughts... 
can the capsule be dissolved in a small quantity of water and dosed accordingly? i don't exactly have a 26 gallon. 
another thought, you should changed the packaging for the glut blocks because glut degrades in presence of light. so the packaging should be opaque.


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## Graham clj (Nov 13, 2010)

neilshieh said:


> couple more thoughts...
> can the capsule be dissolved in a small quantity of water and dosed accordingly? i don't exactly have a 26 gallon.
> another thought, you should changed the packaging for the glut blocks because glut degrades in presence of light. so the packaging should be opaque.


Hello Neil,
Good thinking, yes you could dissolve the capsule into 250 mls of rain water and use it accordingly.
The Glut does seem to be stable for at least a month in this packaging if it is closed, but I will look into tinted packs. The block itself will keep out the light and it contains compressed iron phosphate chelate pellets which act as a sponge because they swell when wet and are then encased by the block material. 
This was why it took me a while to get the block out, solving the problem of stability.

Regards Graham


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## JustLikeAPill (Oct 9, 2006)

It's the end of day four and so far the block looks about 33% smaller. 

The moss and none of the plants seem to be bothered, which is surprising since I expected the moss to fry. 

I've been doing daily water changes, no light or co2. The rhizo seems to be almost gone. 

The tank hasn't been totally covered, but the lights have been off.


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## Graham clj (Nov 13, 2010)

JustLikeAPill said:


> It's the end of day four and so far the block looks about 33% smaller.
> 
> The moss and none of the plants seem to be bothered, which is surprising since I expected the moss to fry.
> 
> ...


Hello Clint,
If you want something for Algae I can do a lot better then the blocks you have, they are a combination of Glut and atropine, and although atropine is not particularly favored by plant enthusiasts, I am redeveloping it into a staged dose. Atropine is a cellulose disruptor and Glut is a carbon source which promotes cellulose production as you will know. So I have combined them to give balance to the product.
Might be something to try in the future, but anyway these are interesting developments and not something I had thought of, good work.

Regards Graham


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## bigstick120 (Mar 8, 2005)

Received mine today. Ill post some photos when I get a chance.
Couple of questions.
Do I have to use the capsule that came with it? Im not understand what it does.

Are the glut and macro going to effect the GH and KH?

Do I bury the cubes or set them on the substrate?


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## Graham clj (Nov 13, 2010)

bigstick120 said:


> Received mine today. Ill post some photos when I get a chance.
> Couple of questions.
> Do I have to use the capsule that came with it? Im not understand what it does.
> 
> ...


Hello 
You can just throw the capsule in, it treats 100 litres or as mentioned above you can mix it with a litre or quart of water and dose when water changing, so if you do a third change of 100 litres or 28 gallons use a third of a quart or litre. The capsule is gelatine so it is harmless, the contents are a calcium specific deioniser designed to remove calcium hydroxide from town water. My tests were successful but I used rainwater. Calcium hydroxide is added to water in nearly all developed countries and will remove your carbonate hardness and replace it with itself therefore reading as KH and GH. These blocks will increase KH and GH, and there will be no need to do this yourself.

The blocks can be planted under a problematic plant or just place wherever you don't want them seen.
I am hoping they will negate the need to have tubes feeding the filter bed, time will tell.

Regards Graham


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## joshvito (Apr 6, 2009)

i received my samples, I plan on setting up a journal/photo for test results.

more to follow


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## JustLikeAPill (Oct 9, 2006)

Atropine like the drug atropine they use the speed up your heart? Really? 

If it affects cellulose wouldn't it also affect the plants?


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## Graham clj (Nov 13, 2010)

JustLikeAPill said:


> Atropine like the drug atropine they use the speed up your heart? Really?
> 
> If it affects cellulose wouldn't it also affect the plants?


Atrazine, sorry Clint, should have checked my chemicals first. Atrazine is a herbicide, yes it works by blocking cellulose production and has been used in the Aquarium industry for years over here as an algae remover. I have sold this in block form for a long time for aquariums and I am presently in the process of making an incremental dose product with Glut that will work on specific areas and be much safer.
Although I have only had two complaints over a fifteen year period, I decided to review it for the more delicate fully planted aquarium

Graham


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## joshvito (Apr 6, 2009)

I started my test of this product.
I will be tracking my experience here.


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## JustLikeAPill (Oct 9, 2006)

The littlenbrown/red balls that are left behind after the block dissolves are growing mold/fungus on them. Pretty gross.


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## Graham clj (Nov 13, 2010)

JustLikeAPill said:


> The littlenbrown/red balls that are left behind after the block dissolves are growing mold/fungus on them. Pretty gross.


Hello Clint,
That means that the glut stayed until the end, this is why they use it as a preservative and biocide to stop cell degradation. I could have used 2 mm fish pellets instead and the fish would have consumed them before the block dissolved, but those pellets were iron phosphate chelate and more advantageous then fish food.
They are compressed not extruded like fish pellets, so they absorb better, then they are encapsulated in the block, hey it was your idea  
Did you maintain good plant growth with them.

Graham


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## JustLikeAPill (Oct 9, 2006)

So was it supposed to mold then?

I use pressurized co2 and that's probably why I didn't notice a difference in plant growth (it's already pretty fast) but the glut really helped fight the hair algae I have a minor problem with. In the end it did kill the moss but that was expected.

As for the macro blocks, I have put a whole one in my 60-p and the plants are growing great! I have stopped dosing dry nutrients and am just using the block and dosing micros. 

Things have been crazy lately so I havent tested the water.


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## Graham clj (Nov 13, 2010)

JustLikeAPill said:


> So was it supposed to mold then?
> 
> I use pressurized co2 and that's probably why I didn't notice a difference in plant growth (it's already pretty fast) but the glut really helped fight the hair algae I have a minor problem with. In the end it did kill the moss but that was expected.
> 
> ...


Hello Clint,
To be honest they didn't go moldy in my tanks because snails kept eating them, which is why I added them initialy to kill snails which only partly worked. Because of that they were eaten before the block completely dissolved so this never happened.
I think to get the Glut to work until the end this is something that will be an on going problem, but not too bigger one.
Thanks for your time I very much appreciate it

Graham


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## Graham clj (Nov 13, 2010)

I deleted this post because it doubled up


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## Graham clj (Nov 13, 2010)

I am ready to go with these blocks now, I have had some very good endorsements at these forums
http://www.aquariumlife.com.au/showthread.php/30790-Glut-Blocks-are-Ready
http://www.aquariumsdownunder.com/viewtopic.php?f=103&t=3965
I can arrange freight to the US at reasonable rates.

Graham


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## joshvito (Apr 6, 2009)

If I wanted to use these ferts in a 3 gallon aquarium, what size/percent of the block should I use?


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## Graham clj (Nov 13, 2010)

joshvito said:


> If I wanted to use these ferts in a 3 gallon aquarium, what size/percent of the block should I use?


Hello Josh,
I can make them half strength so 1 segment will be enough for 25 litres then you will have to cut a segment in half, I can organize this by email if you like [email protected]. I can go even weaker but then you have an imbalance of Calcium Sulphate.

Graham


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