The Secret Behind Koi’s “Plug-in” Color Boost—How AC Functional Mineral Stone Quietly Rewrites Water Chemistry

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Update time: 25-09-13    Views: 7

“Why do their koi glow crimson and snow-white while mine look veiled in fog?”  

This question pops up daily on aquarium forums. Veterans always answer: don’t rush to color-enhancing feed—test the water for “ingredients”, trace elements. The real driver of saturation is not the pellet, but every breath of water the fish takes.

 

1. Trace elements: the invisible pigments of koi coloration  

Red and yellow chromatophores need metal ions such as Zn, Sr, and Zr as co-factors to convert dietary carotenoids into skin pigment. Zinc deficiency dulls reds; strontium shortage clouds white patches. Natural maifan stone is rich in these ions, yet locked inside calcium carbonate and sulfides, its dissolution rate is < 3%—a drop in the tank.

 

2. AC Activated Mineral Stone: turning “rock” into a slow-release nutrient bank  

AC’s lab calcines natural maifan stone at 850 °C to micro-crystallize it, then leaches it in gradient acid to open clogged pores. The numbers speak for themselves:  

Surface area ↑15× → larger water film for faster bacterial colonization  

Pore volume ↑42× → reservoir that steadily releases elements for 6–12 months  

Pore diameter ↑22× → lower flow resistance, no clogging, no pH crash  

  

The final product delivers 58 elements along a “koi demand curve”:  

· Color trio Sr+Zn+Zr: 9× higher initial release, 12 % increase in red value (a*) within 30 days  

· Rare-earth team La, Ce, Y: μg/L-level slow drip, stabilizes bio-flora and suppresses blue-green algae  

· Bidirectional buffer: releases acid when water is alkaline, base when acidic, locking pH at 7.0 ± 0.3—ending Southern “acid dip” and Northern “hard alk” nightmares  

 

3. Real-tank test: one color grade improvement in 30 days  

A koi farm in Panyu, Guangzhou ran two 2-ton glass tanks: identical management, starting pH 7.6, NO₂⁻ 0.3 mg/L. Tank A received 4 L AC Activated Mineral Stone, Tank B 4 L common maifan stone.  

Day 7: Tank A pH 7.2, Zn²⁺ 0.18 mg/L; Tank B pH 7.5, Zn²⁺ 0.02 mg/L  

Day 30: Tank A koi showed sharp hi edges, red value rose from 38.2 to 45.1; Tank B only 39.4.  

The breeder joked, “Looks like someone dragged the saturation slider 20 % in Photoshop.”

 

4. Three jobs, one stone: more than a color engine  

· Cycle starter: in virgin systems the porous framework offers nitrifiers a “sea-view apartment”, cutting NH₄⁺ decline time by 40 %  

· Emergency buffer: after massive water changes it clamps pH swing within 0.2 units in 30 minutes, preventing osmotic shock  

· Shrimp & plant friendly: trace elements aid crystal-shrimp molting and chlorophyll synthesis—one stone, many species

 

5. How to use: zero learning curve, three steps  

① Rinse off surface dust; place in sump, drip tray, or mesh bag under down-pipe  

② 0.5–1 L per 100 L water; peak release occurs in the first 30 days, top up 30 % every 6 months  

③ Combine with AC nitrifying bacteria and mineral stabilizer to halve the cycling period

 

Want koi to look filtered even without filters? Put “ingredients” in the water first. AC Activated Mineral Stone upgrades common maifan stone into a slow-release trace-element station, so every breath adds color and every drop prepares the next jaw-dropping moment.