calcium and iodine in a FOWLR tank

[Sisterlimonpot]

I have a fish only with live rock tank (72 gal with roughly 40lbs LR) that has been going for about 6 months now. I have started to get some nice coralline algae growth however I would like to have it grow faster. I just ordered a bottle of purple up and it says to dose the tank daily. My only concern with this is if I get the calcium and iodine levels too high what they would do to my fish.

How detrimental is high levels of calcium and iodine to a FOWLR tank? Should I be testing the 2? I haven't gotten a calcium or iodine test kits yet (pending the advice I get from here)

Any and all help will be great. Thanks

 

[billsreef]

Purple up isn't capable of boosting Ca levels enough to be a concern, in fact it isn't even soluble enough to be worthwhile as a Ca additive Iodine levels don't even need supplementing, with the possible exception of certain gorgonians and soft corals known to use them.

 

[rldavisou]

I agree with bill. I used Purple Up when I was first getting started in the hobby, and I didn't really see an increase in coraline.

You may not even need to dose calcium at all; most salts on the market contain enough calcium to support coraline. If you want to try and speed it up get yourself a good calcium supplement and read the dosing instructions and follow accordingly. You won't need to dose much since your calcium uptake is so low, not having any corals.

Iodine is not necessary, again, because the salts we use have the required amounts in them. The only thing that takes up, and locks in, iodine is some soft corals. Most reefers have actually gotten away from dosing it. If you don't have any soft corals, Iodine is a closed loop; that is, organisms take it up, use it in biological processes, and then expel it as waste for some other organism to use.

Bottom line: good coraline growth comes with time, and that's about it.

 

[Sisterlimonpot]

yeah, I have to admit... i'm a, "want it now" kind of person. there has been a few times that has gotten me in trouble and lost a fish or an invert. However, the money has been spent so I will use it.

how does high levels of calcuim act torwards fish? can it be high?or do I need to keep it at what is recommended for corals?

 

[Sisterlimonpot]

after reading the bottle it has iodine in it as well.... Should I also be testing for that as well?

 

[billsreef]

Drop down into chemistry forum for a bit, lots of good info on these subjects

I wouldn't worry about getting the calcium too high for the fish. Before that happens, the levels will get too high for the water to hold it, and it will all precipitate out causing a nice snowstorm in the tank. You'll also never get there using purple up

As for iodine, other than a very few soft corals that are known to use it, it likely doesn't need supplementing.

 

[Nidazehra]

Calcium range for a FOWLR tank

Calcium range for a FOWLR tank

I have a FOWLR tank 65 gallon, currently cycling with no fish just live rock
I wanted to know the acceptable range of calcium.
Mine stays between 240 to 300. Should i supplement ? Or is it normal for my type of saltwater aquarium !
All other parameters normal.
Thanks

 

[billsreef]

For fish only, I wouldn't worry about the calcium.

 

[Nidazehra]

Thanks !

 

[jmicky41]

I used to dose a lot of calcium and magnesium to promote coraline growth, and it certainly worked. Too well - scraping coraline off the acrylic and cleaning pumps frequently becomes a real chore.