[booradley]

I saw this on angelfins.ca recently - Twinstar Algae and Disease Inhibitor

Here's it in action: Twinstar Mini Youtube

There's not much I can find on the internet about it. First I thought it was bogus, but then I saw it sold and recommended by The Green Machine

So how do you think it works? My guess is that it's some kind of sonic device.

 

[pyrrolin]

it is just an algae scrubber. Algae grows on it instead of in the rest of the tank.

 

[booradley]

I don't think it's an algae scrubber. It's really small. The small disk that goes inside the aquarium is only a couple of inches wide, where would the algae grow?

This is what could be gleaned from it's (badly translated) website:

"TWINSTAR inhibits green algae effectively without a harmful influence on aquarium ecological environment, and keeps aquarium clean by eliminating spores from the initial propagation.

Sterilizing factor with microbubbles destroy cell wall of green algae to inhibit growth, and it is nontoxic so harmless to aerobic bacteria. Promoting aquatic plants growth by inhibition of green algae on plants, those plants can elevate absorption of excess nutrients to block nourishment of green algae growth. Therefore it makes Virtuous Cycle ecological environment."

So I think it has something to do with the bubbles it spurts out periodically through the day. I found a thread on another forum where they're asking the same questions, and some users have actually tried it. Some other guesses are that it produces electrolysed water(I don't think so), or ozone(more likely)

 

[solarz]

Sounds pretty bogus to me. How does it distinguish between algae cells and bacteria? How would it distinguish between BB and Cyano? How would it distinguish BB from disease bacteria?

It says it's harmless to aerobic bacteria, but lots of diseases are caused by aerobic bacteria.

 

[FlyingHellFish]

I found a sure way to get rid of algae, it's called manual scrubbing.

 

[default]

Wanted to order this thing, went through so many other forums and blogs - I'm gonna pass on it for now. Seems useless or too damn good.
Read a few articles on a reefer forum and a few uk based ones and even though they have contacted the maker, they still won't tell you how it works
People say ozone maker, company claims it's not. People ask what it is and how it works - company tells them what it does.
A company that won't show/explain how anything is achieved is not a good company in my books, if it's a legal/trade secret thing - well, thats too bad, perfect monopoly dosent work in this hobby

Even though it might not be ozone, I think it's somewhere close to that theory.
Apparently the company says the device won't actually stop algae, just helps, and needs algae eaters nonetheless. Feels like one big placebo device - they usually are priced at a premium price.

 

[default]

I found a sure way to get rid of algae, it's called manual scrubbing.

But I don't like scrubbing
Nerites ftw! Except when they crawl out...

 

[Jung]

supposedly from users, it will only help in a newly set up planted tank to keep algae down, but if you use it in an already established planted tank it will not do much. It does not work on bba, which is imo the most difficult algae to control.

Also the yearly replacement cartridges are expensive.

 

[FlyingHellFish]

But I don't like scrubbing
Nerites ftw! Except when they crawl out...

you too?

I swear those guys have a death wish, I have to use good ol' elbow grease for those green dust algae. Everyone has green dust algae on glass though, and the first person who has a product to get rid of that is going to be rich!

 

[default]

you too?

I swear those guys have a death wish, I have to use good ol' elbow grease for those green dust algae. Everyone has green dust algae on glass though, and the first person who has a product to get rid of that is going to be rich!

Lol! Gotta get my drafting table out! Get rich scheme - algae cures
I was actually hoping this thing would work though, but I guess if it's too good to be true, it usually is.
Now if they could invent something for BBA, well then, shut up and take my money!