GH???

[Justin_NY]

SOMEGUYS IN RC TALKING ABOUT GH/GROWTH HORMONE IN SPS SECTION, DO U GUYS KNOW WHAT IS THIS?

 

[House of Laughter]

Sounds like a joke/play on Major League Baseball to me

House

 

[Justin_NY]

 

[nyfireman3097]

Its Growth Hormone steriods that body builders use people are using it across seas on ther sps's and there growing like weeds well faster then weeds
Nick

 

[ShaunW]

Growth hormone is specific to the species that makes it. For example, human growth hormone won't work on fish, or vice versa.

Whatever GH they are using on their tanks, I am sure it is recombinant (made in bacteria) mammalian (bovine) GH. SPS do not have the receptors to bind mammalian GH, nor do they have the network of genes that are regulated by the GH. In fact, there is no evidence that they make GH at all or respond to it. In humans, GH stimulates cells to undergo rapid growth and increased size, this is accomplish by GH causing the transcription (turning on) of many genes specifically involved in growth. While we all like to think of our SPS as "special", they are still simplier organisms compared to mammals.

Anyway, it is a waste of an expensive protein to put it in ones tank. Stupidity like that is why obtaining GH unless for appropiate uses is illegal in the USA. That italian, who claims to use it, keeps his Ca at 540 (maybe that could account for the "rapid" growth).

[ January 10, 2005, 07:26 PM: Message edited by: solbby ]

 

[maxpower2112]

do a search in RC, htey had a bunch of threads there. its illegal anyway even though they proved it did make corals grow and spawn. i wouldnt lose any sleep over it.

 

[ShaunW]

I read all the threads a long time ago (when they were happening), and I don't feel that they proved anything.

Having a successful reef tank is not that same as conducting scientific research,

.

[ January 11, 2005, 12:29 AM: Message edited by: solbby ]

 

[House of Laughter]

And what Solbby isn't reveealing here is that he is a research scientist - I would think that his perspective has some merit -

I didn't read those threads on RC, but I wonder what other conditions were present for the growth to take place, and if they were tested against exactly the same conditions without the GH? And we all know, that we could never duplicate our systems parameters to the exact point that scientific discovery would allow. That being said, I would question the validity of the study and seek more emprical evidence to show the GH would increase the growth of SPS.

House

 

[maxpower2112]

i dont think we will find out any time soon. getting caught with that stuff...well might as well be coke. once we find a safer alternative, then we could test it.
also im sure there are people currently trying things out, that guy used his GH for 3 years i think before telling his results. time will tell

[ January 11, 2005, 12:57 PM: Message edited by: maxpower2112 ]

 

[ShaunW]

Now something that no one mentions that I would speculate is important in the oceans, and reefs particularly, is pheromones. Have you ever wondered how your hermit crabs or other carnivorous (worms, snails, etc) know where the food is inside your tank? Because in my tank they make a DIRECT path to anything that they can eat.

As an experiment, place a small piece of scallop inside a nook or cranny in your reef, and then watch everything descend on it!!!!! How do they know where it is??? since they can not see it? Just like dogs sense of smell, and our inability to comprehend what they sense with their noses (how could s#@t smell so good???), chemical signalling in the water column must be extremely complex and is likely responsible for most of the biological responses that are occuring.

So back to the SPS question, maybe healthy SPS signal their happiness to other SPS (by the release of "happy molecules" , but not a hormone), stimulating them to grow, and ultimately reproduce.