Preparing for corals, dosing ?'s

[600k4]

Hello All my tank has been set up since Dec 15th. There is 50lbs LR, AGA wet/dry with the bio balls, coralife 65 skimmer and Current 4x 65watt PC's. A refugium is going in this week, hopefully the fuge will take care of the trates....
Currently I test:
Ammonia: zero
Nitrites: 0
pH: 8.3
Nitrates: 20

I was looking into "Seachem Reef" Complete Calcium, carbonate Alkalinity and Plus vitamin and ammino acid suppliment (from live aquaria), also the Kent Marine Iodine.

Should I buy Kalkwasser also and use that for maintenance instead of the Calcium?

Along with the Seachem Reef Status Calcium Test Kit and the Alk and pH test kit also from Seachem.

Is this a good start? What else do I need to do or test for/dose before adding corals?

Thanks
Tony

 

[MCary]

It of course depends on what corals you are talking about. Your not really set up for SPS so I won't get into them.

First, ditch the bioballs. They'll add to your nitrate problem.
Second, don't waste money on those products. With a weekly or biweekly water change you'll be fine on your trace elements.
Seachem is the second best calcium test widely available so that should be fine. Salifert in my opinion is more reproducable and precise.
If you dose calcium use one of the 2-part products like B-ionic. Long term dosing of single part like turbo calcium has possible detrimental effects. Long term being over a year. Kalk works great but I would wait to determine your calcium needs before dealing with that. The difference between the 2 parter and Kalk will mainly be cost. If you go Kalk, search google or shop walmart for Mrs Wages pickling lime. 1/4 of the cost.
Rule of thumb, don't dose what you can't test for. Iodine can be overdosed. Its probably not necessary to dose it.

Mike

 

[CMReefer]

While the tank is young, keep your dosing simple. Kalkwasser is very good if you know how to use it, but it can be a pain. I would start with an A & B formula for buffer and calcium like the Kent (there are other brands), iodine and maybe strontium. Don't get too carried away with the dosing though, i made this mistake when I got started. Water changes are a great way to replenish minerals as well if you use a good salt. It's important to keep the tank stable, but be careful not to overdose the system either.

If the tank has been up since december you are ready for corals. Try some soft corals first like mushrooms, zooanthids, colts, etc. After a month or so taking care of these corals you can try a frogspawn or similar LPS coral.

In summary, you have done the right things by being patient, but until you start keeping SPS corals and more demanding soft and LPS corals, the important thing is stability, not necessarily optimum supplement levels. As I said, a two part buffer/calcium is a good way to keep up the calcium levels as well as PH and alkalinity when you're getting started.

Hope that helps...
Danny

 

[Kaiser Tang]

<a href=showthread.php?s=&postid=7370922#post7370922 target=_blank>Originally posted</a> by MCary
It of course depends on what corals you are talking about. Your not really set up for SPS so I won't get into them.

First, ditch the bioballs. They'll add to your nitrate problem.
Second, don't waste money on those products. With a weekly or biweekly water change you'll be fine on your trace elements.
Seachem is the second best calcium test widely available so that should be fine. Salifert in my opinion is more reproducable and precise.
If you dose calcium use one of the 2-part products like B-ionic. Long term dosing of single part like turbo calcium has possible detrimental effects. Long term being over a year. Kalk works great but I would wait to determine your calcium needs before dealing with that. The difference between the 2 parter and Kalk will mainly be cost. If you go Kalk, search google or shop walmart for Mrs Wages pickling lime. 1/4 of the cost.
Rule of thumb, don't dose what you can't test for. Iodine can be overdosed. Its probably not necessary to dose it.

Mike

Right on! Don't dose it if you don't need it. I use B-Ionic and that's it and that's all. I actually have had less success when dosing. I think it's due to over dosing and dosing stuff not needed. Just cause they make it doesn't mean you need it.

Also as already stated, Salifert kits are the best, but seachem will do the job.

 

[600k4]

Thanks to all that replied,

The bio balls will be coming out slowly, I plan on getting 25lbs more LR over the summer, adding 7lbs or so (one rock) at a time. Would that be a problem with corals in the tank?

I checked out the B-Ionic and Salifert test kits. That looks like a good place to start.

Any suggestions for what corals to put in first? I will order the test kits and b-ionic tonight and maybe I will be ready for corals in two weeks then?

 

[600k4]

<a href=showthread.php?s=&postid=7370966#post7370966 target=_blank>Originally posted</a> by CMReefer

If the tank has been up since december you are ready for corals. Try some soft corals first like mushrooms, zooanthids, colts, etc. After a month or so taking care of these corals you can try a frogspawn or similar LPS coral.

In summary, you have done the right things by being patient, but until you start keeping SPS corals and more demanding soft and LPS corals, the important thing is stability, not necessarily optimum supplement levels. As I said, a two part buffer/calcium is a good way to keep up the calcium levels as well as PH and alkalinity when you're getting started.

Hope that helps...
Danny

Thanks for the help, I think will try zooanthids first. I would also like to get pulsing zenia in the tank.

Thanks again for all the insight. Hopefully in two weeks I will have my first coral in the tank.