mondofish
Member
Hello Bob. Hope all is well. Just wanted to keep you up to date on the happenings at 060bio. We were granted a patent in December 2016 for the mussel repellant we invented. As you know, the first iteration of the active ingredient is called the Dock Disk. Since the time you received the Disk(s) we sent you, we have updated the product. The newest version is based upon test results, market concerns, and, most importantly, customer feedback.
We are committed to providing our customers with a high quality product at a reasonable price. People across the country have used the Dock Disk to keep Quagga and Zebra mussels away from their boats, docks, slips, buoys, personal water craft, lifts, intake lines, and anything else that spends time in infested waters.
We and they have found that our product has best results when the area or object in question is cleared of existing mussels (as best one can). Then, the Dock Disk is positioned in the desired area using our Hanging System. This process keeps mussels from re-establishing in the treated area for up to seven months. We tell people six months because, as you know, conditions under which the Dock Disk is employed vary a great deal from place to place. Factors such as water temperature, sunlight, alkalinity, flow rate, algae, debris, etc…all come into play.
The radius of effectiveness is approximately 7' to 8', which translates into 1,437 to 2,145 cu ft of water, though it would never actually be a perfect sphere. In some places, our customers have found that it is best to check the disks every now and then to see if they are relatively free of algae and/or other debris. If they notice some blockage, they simply clean the disk and put it back in the water. After six months, one pulls up the Dock Disk and replaces it with a fresh one.
Many people ask how it works. Because we were granted a patent (U.S. Patent # 9527758, with a few more pending), we can now answer that question. The active ingredient is a patented copper-zinc alloy that is applied to a specific-density foam. As you may know, copper is basically insoluble in water. No free copper exists in or is emitted from the Dock Disk. This particular patented combination ratio of copper and zinc emits a zinc ion when immersed in water. Flow of water through the disk activates the active ingredient, and allows the zinc ions to emit. The inner foam containing the active ingredient is encased in another specific-density foam. The configuration both protects the active ingredient, and allows for a predictable time-release process that extends the life of the Dock Disk.
The patented copper-zinc alloy has been, and is still, used for treating potable water all over the world. People use it for swimming pools, showers, baths, spas, faucets, and many other fresh water needs. It has been designated by the EPA as a pesticidal device, rather than a pesticide, and is NSF compliant. The active ingredient, the foam, and the hanging system are all 100 percent recyclable, and contain no chemical additives. Hospitals, restaurants, municipal water treatment facilities, and homes rely on the patented alloy to safely reduce or remove chlorine, iron, hydrogen sulfide, heavy metals and bacteria from their water. In addition, when combined with our patented delivery and hanging systems, it repels Quagga and Zebra mussels as well.
Like almost everything, the price of the Dock Disk has increased. They now retail for $45.00 apiece. We charge $8.00 for the Hanging System, which can be reused. Shipping costs depend on where they are shipped to and the weight of the shipment. We charge our customers what it costs us to ship.
The U.S. government gave up on trying to find a solution years ago. What they do is spend millions and millions of our dollars on what they call Educate and Inspect, which entails posters, videos, literature, websites, social media, etc… to educate people about these invasive mussels, and inspectionn stops to and from lakes and other bodies of water to try to stop the spread of Quagga and Zebra mussels. One problem - it doesnt always work. The larvae or veligers are microscopic and are therefore often missed by inspections. One adult female can produce as many as 1,000,000 veligers in her lifetime. So basically a lake or stream can go from very low mussel count to very high mussel count in a hurry. Just ask the people in states that have at least one body of water that is invested.
One thing they notice is how clear the water has become. This is result of the millions of mussels sifting the water for food. The problem here is that the endemic species that live there as well don’t have enough food for themselves. The fish count in infested areas is reduced, which in turn effects many other species and industries.
Most states have just fallen in with the Federal Governments position – Educate and Inspect. There are other products out there that claim they are effective, but our sources tell us that they are either ineffective, too expensive, or both. One can kill invasive mussels, the problem is what else are you killing.
Your electric bill doesnt have a line that says invasive mussel costs, but you are paying for it. Companies/entities that use fresh water from an infested water source to do whatever they do, spend millions of dollars a year to deal with the problem. In most cases, that cost is merely passed on to the consumer. Armed with the patented configuration used in the Dock Disk, we can help the world reduce the costs of dealing with Zebra and Quagga mussels. Most importantly, we can help you.
Sincerely,
James Gregath
james@060bio.com
We are committed to providing our customers with a high quality product at a reasonable price. People across the country have used the Dock Disk to keep Quagga and Zebra mussels away from their boats, docks, slips, buoys, personal water craft, lifts, intake lines, and anything else that spends time in infested waters.
We and they have found that our product has best results when the area or object in question is cleared of existing mussels (as best one can). Then, the Dock Disk is positioned in the desired area using our Hanging System. This process keeps mussels from re-establishing in the treated area for up to seven months. We tell people six months because, as you know, conditions under which the Dock Disk is employed vary a great deal from place to place. Factors such as water temperature, sunlight, alkalinity, flow rate, algae, debris, etc…all come into play.
The radius of effectiveness is approximately 7' to 8', which translates into 1,437 to 2,145 cu ft of water, though it would never actually be a perfect sphere. In some places, our customers have found that it is best to check the disks every now and then to see if they are relatively free of algae and/or other debris. If they notice some blockage, they simply clean the disk and put it back in the water. After six months, one pulls up the Dock Disk and replaces it with a fresh one.
Many people ask how it works. Because we were granted a patent (U.S. Patent # 9527758, with a few more pending), we can now answer that question. The active ingredient is a patented copper-zinc alloy that is applied to a specific-density foam. As you may know, copper is basically insoluble in water. No free copper exists in or is emitted from the Dock Disk. This particular patented combination ratio of copper and zinc emits a zinc ion when immersed in water. Flow of water through the disk activates the active ingredient, and allows the zinc ions to emit. The inner foam containing the active ingredient is encased in another specific-density foam. The configuration both protects the active ingredient, and allows for a predictable time-release process that extends the life of the Dock Disk.
The patented copper-zinc alloy has been, and is still, used for treating potable water all over the world. People use it for swimming pools, showers, baths, spas, faucets, and many other fresh water needs. It has been designated by the EPA as a pesticidal device, rather than a pesticide, and is NSF compliant. The active ingredient, the foam, and the hanging system are all 100 percent recyclable, and contain no chemical additives. Hospitals, restaurants, municipal water treatment facilities, and homes rely on the patented alloy to safely reduce or remove chlorine, iron, hydrogen sulfide, heavy metals and bacteria from their water. In addition, when combined with our patented delivery and hanging systems, it repels Quagga and Zebra mussels as well.
Like almost everything, the price of the Dock Disk has increased. They now retail for $45.00 apiece. We charge $8.00 for the Hanging System, which can be reused. Shipping costs depend on where they are shipped to and the weight of the shipment. We charge our customers what it costs us to ship.
The U.S. government gave up on trying to find a solution years ago. What they do is spend millions and millions of our dollars on what they call Educate and Inspect, which entails posters, videos, literature, websites, social media, etc… to educate people about these invasive mussels, and inspectionn stops to and from lakes and other bodies of water to try to stop the spread of Quagga and Zebra mussels. One problem - it doesnt always work. The larvae or veligers are microscopic and are therefore often missed by inspections. One adult female can produce as many as 1,000,000 veligers in her lifetime. So basically a lake or stream can go from very low mussel count to very high mussel count in a hurry. Just ask the people in states that have at least one body of water that is invested.
One thing they notice is how clear the water has become. This is result of the millions of mussels sifting the water for food. The problem here is that the endemic species that live there as well don’t have enough food for themselves. The fish count in infested areas is reduced, which in turn effects many other species and industries.
Most states have just fallen in with the Federal Governments position – Educate and Inspect. There are other products out there that claim they are effective, but our sources tell us that they are either ineffective, too expensive, or both. One can kill invasive mussels, the problem is what else are you killing.
Your electric bill doesnt have a line that says invasive mussel costs, but you are paying for it. Companies/entities that use fresh water from an infested water source to do whatever they do, spend millions of dollars a year to deal with the problem. In most cases, that cost is merely passed on to the consumer. Armed with the patented configuration used in the Dock Disk, we can help the world reduce the costs of dealing with Zebra and Quagga mussels. Most importantly, we can help you.
Sincerely,
James Gregath
james@060bio.com
