Anti Algae Coating Project

Ron Kertesz

Ron Kertesz

New Member
Hello. I'm new to this forum but have been in the saltwater hobby for a long time and have worked in the industry as well. Just thought I would share an interesting project I'm working on. It's a specialized coating that will inhibit the growth of corralling algae etc. on equipment. Here's some pics of two powerheads that have been running in the same system for 4 months now. One is coated and one is uncoated.

UncoatedPumpSept28-2015

UncoatedPumpSept28-2015


CoatedPumpSept28-2015

CoatedPumpSept28-2015

 
nanoreefing4fun

nanoreefing4fun

Well-Known Member
RS STAFF
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Start a tank thread & share your tank with us so we can follow along, we love pics :dance:

Interesting... Are you hoping to patent it and sell it , if the project works out?
 
D

DaveK

Well-Known Member
Ron Kertesz said:
... It's not going to be something in a bottle the end user can apply...
Click to expand...

I'm not trying to give you a hard time, but what good is your product if I can't buy it and apply it myself to any DIY projects I may construct, or to equipment I have that wasn't manufactured using your process?

What do I do when the coating wears out and I don't want to replace the equipment?
 
Ron Kertesz

Ron Kertesz

New Member
DaveK said:
I'm not trying to give you a hard time, but what good is your product if I can't buy it and apply it myself to any DIY projects I may construct, or to equipment I have that wasn't manufactured using your process?

What do I do when the coating wears out and I don't want to replace the equipment?
Click to expand...

It won't work for the DIY crowd at this point. I like DIY projects too but DIYers are the minority compared to people who simply buy equipment. Having pumps or heaters or even aquarium glass that is resistant to coralline algae growth would be great for the hobby. And it may be possible at some point to offer coated materials for the DIY crowd to use. The nature of the coating requires a multi step process under controlled conditions to apply. At this point it wouldn't be something an end user could apply.

We are still testing longevity but given the nature of the coating it should last many years. It may eventually stop working and it would be susceptible to mechanical damage such as scratching but with a reduced need for cleaning the chances of scratching it off are greatly reduced. All in all, this would have great benefits for the hobby and I've had plenty of people tell me they would be interested in having this coating on products.
 
Oxylebius

Oxylebius

Well-Known Member
I have a few questions, if you don't mind addressing them.

I've used anti algae coatings on instruments like ADCPs, where I couldn't have algae blocking the sensors. But, this stuff was nasty to work with, carcinogenic. Needed a well ventilated area when using it and couldn't get any on my skin. And within a couple of months being in the ocean, it would wear off.

How can you guarantee that over time the stuff you are using won't slowly leach into the tank water?

In a closed system like our tanks and the sensitivities of corals and mobile invertebrates, I'm wondering about the toxins and what affects to our critters your anti algae coatings will have?

Have you done QA/QC or LD50 type determinations to guarantee no harm comes to critters in tanks with the chemicals you've used?
 
Ron Kertesz

Ron Kertesz

New Member
You're welcome DaveK :)

Oxy, This is something completely different than any commercially available anti algae products, many of which used various heavy metals or herbicides in a slow release matrix to exert an effect. The primary application for this coating is to be in medical equipment. One application being explored is to coat stents to prevent blood clot formation. The stents would be inside people for years so if toxicity or leaching were an issue that would be a non starter.

Secondly, the coating is essentially one molecule thick so there is vey little of the actual material on the surface. It is covalently bound to the surface so it is very stable. That's why this is an OEM type process and not something in a bottle that an end user will apply themselves. It requires specific controlled conditions and a couple steps to bind the coating onto the substrate material.

While studies on stability are ongoing, if some slight amount of leaching does occur the likely molecule released has an LD50 of 7,700 mg/Kg in rats and over 10,000 mg/Kg in rabbits. So I'm not particularly concerned. :)
 
SubRosa

SubRosa

Well-Known Member
DaveK said:
I'm not trying to give you a hard time, but what good is your product if I can't buy it and apply it myself to any DIY projects I may construct, or to equipment I have that wasn't manufactured using your process?

What do I do when the coating wears out and I don't want to replace the equipment?
Click to expand...
 
SubRosa

SubRosa

Well-Known Member
Have you performed any aquatic bioassay studies on the product? The LD50s you list make me fairly confident it will be safe for the aquarist, but lack of toxicity in mammals doesn't necessarily translate lack of toxicity in fish or invertebrates.
 
Ron Kertesz

Ron Kertesz

New Member
The LC50 for fish is listed at 5000mg/L. For daphnia (closest I can come to data for inverts) it says 10,000 mg/L
 
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