All three packages side by side
Background
Today, I'll go through all 3 of Azoo's shrimp food products: Max Growth, Max Breed, and Max Bio Ball. They can be found in many LFS and you may notice two other products, Max Shrimp Breed and Max Shrimp Meal, in bottle form. At first I was confused by these products and wondered how different were they from Max Growth and Max Breed (which come in packet form). After comparing the ingredient lists and product descriptions, I conclude that Max Growth and Max Shrimp Meal are the same, and Max Breed and Max Shrimp Breed are the same, just in different sized packagings (the bottled packagings are smaller).
Introduction
Max Growth Food Strips
From Azoo Corporation:
Max Growth
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| Max Breed Food Strips |
Specifically formulated for promoting shrimp’s growth. Well balanced nutrition, suitable for juvenile and adult shrimp. Effectively promote shrimps’ growth, boosting shrimps’ immunity. Rich in spirulina, shrimp meal, kelp and lecithin, providing shrimp’s body color enhancement and stimulating shrimps’ shedding for growth. Specifically made with a stable, not easy to break quality, won’t make the water cloudy.
Ingredients: Fish meal, shrimp meal, spirulina, kelp, brewer's yeast lecithin, barley's powder, oat powder, buckwheat powder, collagen, enzyme, chitonsan, multi-viatmins, minerals
Specifically formulated for promoting shrimp’s eggs laying. Well balanced nutrition, suitable for juvenile and adult shrimp. Effectively promote shrimps' gonadal development, raising the rate of laying eggs. Rich in spirulina, shrimp meal, kelp and lecithin, providing shrimp’s body color enhancement and rapid growth. Specifically made with a stable, not easy to break quality, won't make the water cloudy.
Ingredients: Fish meal, shrimp meal, spirulina, kelp, brewer's yeast lecithin, barley's powder, oat powder, buckwheat powder, collagen, enzyme, chitonsan, gonadotropin, multi-viatmins, minerals
Safe/ Stable/ Long Lasting. Contains selected beneficial bacteria and enzymes, effectively breaking down ammonia, nitrite and nitrate in the substrate and water. Slowly breaks down for the build-up of stable and long- lasting bio bacteria colony in the gravel bed. Each ball contains 2×107 bacteria. The bacteria process starts when put in the water.
Each ball treats 50~100 liters of water. Use every two weeks. Put directly onto the gravel bed for use. After opening, properly seal the bag. Keep dry and store in cool place.
Ingredients: Bacillus subtilis, aspergllus olize, bitido bacteruru, protease, α-amylase
If you've seen the photo I've posted of the Max Growth and Max Breed, and take a closer look at the ingredients list, you'll think that they are almost exactly the same thing. All that's different in ingredients is gonadotropin. Search for it in Wikipedia and it's a protein hormone that " regulates normal growth, sexual development, and reproductive function". In other words, it helps shrimps to grow up normally and to enhance their breeding capabilities. To me, it's like they are the same products, both inciting the same response from shrimps. IMO, there's no point getting both, either one is fine.
The Max Bio Balls is more interesting, and I think it's similar to the Benibachi Crimson Balls. I drop one in my main 2ft tank, and another into my new 2ft tank when it's still cycling. After a week, I can see a film around the ball in my new tank, which I assume to be a biofilm of bacteria. The biofilm disappear within the hour after introducing new shrimps.
The balls are supposed to break down ammonia, nitrite and nitrate, but the level of nitrate in my new tank is still high at 40 ppm without water change. Also, they are not enough to be a food source for even a small amount of shrimps.
If you don't have any staple food and you're looking for one, you shouldn't go wrong with either the Max Growth or Max Breed. However, don't expect any miraculous growth or breeding effect with them.
The Max Bio Balls are pretty pricey at $1 per ball, and they are stated to only work for 2 weeks each. Although they work (not sure about getting rid of ammonia, nitrite and nitrate but they do cultivate bacteria), I'm sure sure they're worth what you pay for it. The Benibachi Crimson Balls may be a better option as they work up to 2 years but they are more expensive at $46 for 10 balls. IMO, plants and water changes are better at managing your water nitrate level.
Max Breed
Specifically formulated for promoting shrimp’s eggs laying. Well balanced nutrition, suitable for juvenile and adult shrimp. Effectively promote shrimps' gonadal development, raising the rate of laying eggs. Rich in spirulina, shrimp meal, kelp and lecithin, providing shrimp’s body color enhancement and rapid growth. Specifically made with a stable, not easy to break quality, won't make the water cloudy.
Ingredients: Fish meal, shrimp meal, spirulina, kelp, brewer's yeast lecithin, barley's powder, oat powder, buckwheat powder, collagen, enzyme, chitonsan, gonadotropin, multi-viatmins, minerals
Max Bio Balls
Max Bio Ball in Tank
Safe/ Stable/ Long Lasting. Contains selected beneficial bacteria and enzymes, effectively breaking down ammonia, nitrite and nitrate in the substrate and water. Slowly breaks down for the build-up of stable and long- lasting bio bacteria colony in the gravel bed. Each ball contains 2×107 bacteria. The bacteria process starts when put in the water.
Each ball treats 50~100 liters of water. Use every two weeks. Put directly onto the gravel bed for use. After opening, properly seal the bag. Keep dry and store in cool place.
Ingredients: Bacillus subtilis, aspergllus olize, bitido bacteruru, protease, α-amylase
My Thoughts
If you've seen the photo I've posted of the Max Growth and Max Breed, and take a closer look at the ingredients list, you'll think that they are almost exactly the same thing. All that's different in ingredients is gonadotropin. Search for it in Wikipedia and it's a protein hormone that " regulates normal growth, sexual development, and reproductive function". In other words, it helps shrimps to grow up normally and to enhance their breeding capabilities. To me, it's like they are the same products, both inciting the same response from shrimps. IMO, there's no point getting both, either one is fine.
The Max Bio Balls is more interesting, and I think it's similar to the Benibachi Crimson Balls. I drop one in my main 2ft tank, and another into my new 2ft tank when it's still cycling. After a week, I can see a film around the ball in my new tank, which I assume to be a biofilm of bacteria. The biofilm disappear within the hour after introducing new shrimps.
The balls are supposed to break down ammonia, nitrite and nitrate, but the level of nitrate in my new tank is still high at 40 ppm without water change. Also, they are not enough to be a food source for even a small amount of shrimps.
Yay or Nay?
If you don't have any staple food and you're looking for one, you shouldn't go wrong with either the Max Growth or Max Breed. However, don't expect any miraculous growth or breeding effect with them.
The Max Bio Balls are pretty pricey at $1 per ball, and they are stated to only work for 2 weeks each. Although they work (not sure about getting rid of ammonia, nitrite and nitrate but they do cultivate bacteria), I'm sure sure they're worth what you pay for it. The Benibachi Crimson Balls may be a better option as they work up to 2 years but they are more expensive at $46 for 10 balls. IMO, plants and water changes are better at managing your water nitrate level.
