# Those white discs in people's tanks?



## Bert2oo1 (23 Dec 2016)

Hey guys just wondering what those white discs are that are in a lot of people's tanks on here? They look like a target?

Do they measure something? 


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## ian_m (23 Dec 2016)

Search twinstar or chiros will reveal all and hopefully no algae....


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## Bert2oo1 (23 Dec 2016)

ian_m said:


> Search twinstar or chiros will reveal all and hopefully no algae....



Thanks, do they actually work?? Also is the twinstar one better than the chiros one? There is a fair price difference in the 2?

Will they get rid of BBA spores? BBA is really the only type of algae I get here and there.

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## three-fingers (24 Dec 2016)

Bert2oo1 said:


> Thanks, do they actually work?? Also is the twinstar one better than the chiros one? There is a fair price difference in the 2?
> 
> Will they get rid of BBA spores? BBA is really the only type of algae I get here and there.
> 
> Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk


You won't get a straightforward answer to this question, people have vastly different opinions on them.  Personally I think they are a bad investment, especially for beginners to the planted tank scene, who should be focusing on the basics to get rid of algae - not too much light, adequate flow, unlimited ferts and CO2.  From what I've seen online, any slight perceived positive results could easily just be due to the placebo effect and from my understanding of how they work, any slight negative effect on algae would also be slightly detrimental to bacteria/shrimp/fish. So _even if_ they did work as advertised, I'd still think they are a bad idea if you care about livestock health more than eradicating algae. Those that have spent the money on them already are  often quick to try defend them, but I haven't actually seen any evidence they have a significant effect.

It's a product with great marketing, but no explanation of exactly how it works from the manufacturer, leaving us to guess and deduce what it is from similar products.  If you are really interested in what they do and how they work, have a skim and read the important posts in this very long thread:

https://www.ukaps.org/forum/threads/twinstar-what-is-it.28335/

If you have lots of spare cash and all of your other aquarium equipment is perfect already, they don't _seem_ to cause any visible harm, I'd just rather not risk the comfort of my animals and waste my cash for the sake of _maybe slightly_ reducing algae.  Also, it would be a big ugly white thing in your tank .

There are much more useful things to spend your money on to combat algae. No it will not get rid of BBA spores, you will always have BBA spores. If the tank environment is right and the plants are healthy BBA wont grow much or at all though.


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## PARAGUAY (24 Dec 2016)

They probably do work if everything else,as always,is in balance,ie CO2,fertilisers,lighting, photoperiod,stocking levels etc are ok,too many top aquascapers use them ,so got to be something in it


Bert2oo1 said:


> Thanks, do they actually work?? Also is the twinstar one better than the chiros one? There is a fair price difference in the 2?
> 
> Will they get rid of BBA spores? BBA is really the only type of algae I get here and there.
> 
> Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk


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## zozo (24 Dec 2016)

It seems Oxidation-Reduction Potential (ORP) is the alledged secret in this device.. 



> Oxidation-reduction potential is the potential (voltage) at which oxidation
> occurs at the anode (positive) and reduction occurs at the cathode (negative) of an
> electrochemical cell. In simple terms, from a microbial perspective, an oxidizing
> chemical pulls electrons away from the cell membrane, causing it to become desta
> bilized and leaky. Destroying the integrity of the cell membrane leads to rapid death





> A primary advantage of using ORP for water system monitoring is that it provides
> the operator with a rapid and single-value assessment of the disinfection potential of
> water in a postharvest system. The operator is able to assess the activity of the applied
> disinfectant rather than the applied dose. Research has shown that at an ORP value of
> ...



If it realy works like this it might kill some free floating algae spores and microbes as a UV light does.


Anyway still not a convincing reason to spend money on either of these things. If you need any of this you are doing something wrong..

I'm totaly with the above comments.. Keep your fingers away from those silly expensive gadgets and you might learn something much more valuable about nature and how it realy works... Turn on the TV is already enough to see that the industrial revolution only caused amnesia in humanity.  A gadget like this only contributes to that.


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## three-fingers (24 Dec 2016)

PARAGUAY said:


> They probably do work if everything else,as always,is in balance,ie CO2,fertilisers,lighting, photoperiod,stocking levels etc are ok


So it just "probably" works when it doesn't need to do anything...

If all of the other factors are already OK and "in balance", then you wouldn't have too much algae so wouldn't need one in the first place.





PARAGUAY said:


> too many top aquascapers use them ,so got to be something in it


Of course, great marketing.


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## Bert2oo1 (24 Dec 2016)

I see. Interesting read. I won't be getting one as the only issue I have is the odd BBA popping up here and there. I'm just about to change from an inline to a cerges reactor. My pressure is abit low to run an inline (25psi) and I can't adjust it. I think this causes fluctuation in my co2 when it first turns on and that's what gives me the BBA. Hopefully the new reactor will fix this issue. 


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