Every once in a while, a new product or idea is utilized in the maintenance of aquariums that transforms and evolves the science of fish keeping. The pioneers of these concepts are met with great speculation as to the usefulness towards aquarium husbandry. Undergravel filters, wet/dry filters and protein skimmers were all at one time thought to be ‘hocus pocus’. Another such product is waiting its turn to be poked and prodded. It is called ECO-Aqualizer. If it turns out to work as claimed, it will most certainly become a necessary component of any captive aquatic ecosystem. ECO-Aqualizer utilizes small but powerful magnets and a ‘far infra-red’ radiating material to improve water quality and help fish to maintain a strong immune system among other benefits.

This product comes in the form of a tube with barbed ends on each side. As aquarium water is passed through the unit, it is subjected to forces which weaken Hydrogen bonds. These bonds are the result of the attraction that each of the two Hydrogen ions in one H2O molecule have to the One Oxygen ion of other water molecules. Water molecules are attracted to each other and group together to form a pattern called ‘icosahedral’. Dissolved organic carbons, known to aquarists as ‘fish waste’, and other toxins get caught in these water cluster formations.  This causes water to lose its reactivity which is its ability to participate on a molecular level with other molecules. With this loss of reactivity, the elements/ nutrients that are essential to the aquarium inhabitants’ wellbeing and growth can not be distributed properly. The forces in ECO-Aqualizer return reactivity to aquarium water.

Tests have been performed in the medical community on the cell energizing effects of the far infra-red wavelength. It has been found to promote healing and have a positive effect on sick and diseased animals, humans included. Sound kooky to you? I thought it did too until I did some research on the internet and at the public library. The ECO-Aqualizer website also has numerous links to scientific research and studies involving these properties. I also had many discussions with Nelson Herwig, curator of fishes at the Houston Zoo, about the effects of magnetic flux on water molecules which is a subject that he is extremely well versed on. What I had once considered new age mumbo jumbo actually held scientific relevance.

Besides my job as caretaker of the 4,000 gallon reef ecosystem at the Houston Zoo, I also own an aquarium installation and maintenance company. I installed an ECO-Aqualizer on each of my customers’ tanks. After a week, my customers began to tell me about much less nuisance algae growth, more active fish, greater polyp expansion, and skimmers pulling out darker, smellier foam. Over the long run, I have seen in their tanks more stable pH, increased coralline algae growth, faster coral growth, much less disease and infestation of parasites. I found that I was able to change less water from their aquariums while achieving the same or better water quality than before. I also measured higher light levels in reef tanks with a submersible LUX meter. I spoke to ECO-Aqualizer’s scientific advisor, Sam Gamble, and was told that the magnetic effect that ECO has on water molecules allows light photons to pass through the water easier. It sounded weird to me but my LUX meter did not lie.

I then went to the local fish store where I buy all my livestock and convinced them to get a custom made ECO-Aqualizer for their livestock holding/ quarantine system. This store had been keeping track of their livestock losses for years and had very thorough records of mortality rates of new shipments. Several months later they reported to me that they had a dramatic 70% increase of shipment survival rates and saw a much greater feeding response from new fish. This made sense to me because from what I had learned from Nelson Herwig, ECO-Aqualizer would create smaller water clusters which would help osmoregulation in aquatic animals. Osmoregulation is a biological function of a cell to equalize the concentrations of dissolved substances on either side of the cell membrane. The disruption of this function is what kills most fish that are introduced to a new environment. ECO-Aqualizer had saved this fish store thousands of dollars and hundreds of fish’s’ lives.

In closing, while testing and observations are still being done, please keep an open mind and be on the lookout for more information about this exciting new development. The price of an ECO-Aqualizer compared to nearly all other aquarium equipment is a bargain, especially since it helps other equipment do their jobs better. As aquarists share their experiences with the ECO-Aqualizer, the relevance of this product will become more and more apparent. With what I myself have observed, I am sure that someday ECO-Aqualizer will be a required part of every and any aquarium set-up.