supplements

[kg4izw]

It has recently come to my attention that I need additional trace elements in my tank water in order for my corals to grow.
Where is the best place to get products like Sea Chem Reef Calcium, Sea Chem Reef Complete, and Sea Chem Reef Plus?
Does anyone order these online?
If so, where can I get the best deal?
Which of these products does everyone use?
Would a combination of all of them help the most?

I know what you are thinking.... so many questions
Thanks in advance, paulb.

 

[andyjd]

The only thing i dose is Fiji Gold, and sometimes iodine...but not very often on the iodine.

I think the fiji gold is fantastic

 

[8BALL_99]

I dose Reef Plus and Reef complete. As far as the Calcium just test your tank to see where your at. Reefplus has Iodine in it also. Most of the time I dose those two once a week. I really do think reef plus works great.. All the corals always seem so open and bright the day after I dose it.

If the tank is 9gallons like your sig says then I would be VERY careful when dosing anything. Cut way back on what the directions say.. Atleast by half. You need to test your tank before adding any Calcium, Buffer or alk.

Will

 

[Tomoko Schum]

I used to supplement with Reef Advantage, Reef Builder and Reef Plus. Then I switched to topping off with lime water (RODI water mixed with food grade lime/pickling lime.) It's cheaper and it works just as well. With such a small tank, you don't need very much supplement. As 8Ball pointed out, you need to measure your parameters and dose precisely.

With all that said, if you do regular weekly or biweekly water changes, you really don't need any supplement unless you have very demanding corals.

Tomoko

 

[8BALL_99]

Tomoko's got a point, with that small of a tank regular water changes will probably be more then enough to keep everything where it needs to be. You probably dont run a skimmer so you should do those anyway.

Will

 

[kg4izw]

I perform a 20% water change at least every other week. I have just over 3 watts per gallon of light for 8 hours per day. My Calcium is just over 500. I think that corals need other elements that I can't test for, like Potassium.
I just cant figue out why my star polyps and others are not spreading. I have had them for like 6 months. They open and close each day, and they have gotton a bit taller since I got them, but they have not spread a bit. Come to think of it, my mushrooms have not grown either. **sigh**

Tomoko- Do you have directions on mixing lime with your water? I would love to learn about a cheaper alternative.

 

[greenbean36191]

Most animals get their trace elements from their food, not from the water. Algaes are the primary users of most dissolved trace elements.

When I first started, I dosed just about every suppliment seachem made. After I stopped there was no difference. I haven't dosed anything in a few years, and as long as I've kept my other parameters in like things have been fine.

 

[Tomoko Schum]

There seems to be a lot of talks about potassium on RC, but its effectiveness has not been proven.

Your calcium is rather high. How are your other water parameters?

Corals seem to grow well if you keep your major water parameters at appropriate levels and stable. I believe that the stability is the key.

If your corals are stretching toward the light, you may not have enough light for them. Watts per gallon number is quite misleading. I wonder if your corals are receiving enough light energy to grow. How well light penetrates through your tank water down to your corals depends on the height of your tank. If you are using two 13W power compact light bulbs but your tank is pretty deep, you may not enough PAR to push your corals to grow fast.

As for the lime water, I use the dosage of 1-1/2 tsp of Mrs. Wages pickling lime (or calcium hydroxide) to 1 gallon of water. I believe others add some vinegar to it. Vinegar helps dissolve more lime into the water and adds some extra carbon (food for bacteria.) You need to add the lime water slowly and monitor pH, alkalinity and calcium to make sure that you do not overshoot on any of these parameters.

Tomoko

 

[Mariner]

I'd have to agree that regular water changes in a tank that size would probably be all you need to do. When I had my 10g I did also drip about a liter of kalk water per night to make up for evaporation.
What other critters/fish/corals do you have in this tank?
How much are you feeding the fish? The amount of available nutrients in the water can effect the growth of corals.
If your light is just 26 watts or so of fluorescent, I'd agree with Tomoko that you may not have enough PAR for many corals, but IME it should be enough for mushrooms and star polyps (mine seem to enjoy the darker recesses of my tank).
HTH,
Mariner

 

[kg4izw]

I have about 10 narc snails, one Turbo snail, and one osc. clown. I have a 24watt 50/50 bulb, about 7.5 gallons of water, and about 12 pounds of live rock. I feed the clown Mysis shrimp with a syringe so he gets one drop at a time with no leftovers. The tank gets one cupful of Purple Up each month for the coraline algae growth. I have 2 frags of star polyps and one frag of tall-looking polyps that are brown and green. I have 4 or 5 greenish brown muchrooms also.
Oh and I must not forget my invisible clicking friend, the Mantis shrimp.

 

[Mariner]

lol... your invisible clicking friend will probably make your snails invisible too!
Sounds like you're maintaining your tank pretty well. I sure wouldn't worry about adding any more supplements. It also sounds like the "purple up" may have your calcium a little high.
If it were me, I'd be a little more sloppy feeding the clown -- let a couple of bits of shrimp get away from him occasionally... your narc snails and corals will thank you.
Mariner

 

[kiran523]

I have a 29 Gallon reef. I use a 3/4 capful of purple-up and 1 capful DT's daily; 2 capfuls of Seachem Reef plus and .5ml of Selcon every three days. It's a little more work but you'll see a difference if you give your tank a constant and stable ecosystem. My Corals are growing like wild fire and they are always very nice and extended.

 

[omega981]

dude get a test for calcium and alkalinity and use the B- Ionic is realy easy

 

[omega981]

you best deal can be aquarium fantasies sell those for $22 the first set and $11 for the refill

 

[kg4izw]

I ordered a Aquarium Pharmaceuticals kit from Dr Fosters and Smith for $13.69. It says it has over 550 tests and includes tests for PH, ammonia, nitrite, and nitrate. But it does not have calcium or any other test. I assume that alkalinity is the same as PH right?

 

[Tomoko Schum]

Alkalinity and pH are two different things although they are related. Generally speaking, the higher the alkalinity, the higher the pH. However, there are some alkalinity components such as Borate that does not raise your pH.

I don't know what your tank condition is like, but I recommend that you test alkalinity and calcium occasionally. You don't really need to test for nitrite once you are through with cycling your tank.

I test for carbonate hardness (alkalinity) more than I test for pH or any other thing. This is because of the peculiarity of my tanks (more to do with a CO2 level in the house.)

Although my calcium level does not change much and therefore I don't test Ca level often, some people lose calcium fast and they keep a close eye on their Ca level.

Tomoko

 

[badpacket]

kg4izw,

AP kits are mediocre, I only use their nitrate tests. Excellent high grade tests are Salifert once you geet more into the hobby.
I would suggest you check the Chem forum here, and try to find some sites which explain the chemistry behind reefing, because alk is not the same as pH, not even close. There is a significant amount of chemistry and biology involved in reefing, the more you know up front the fewer mistakes you will make.
We've all had to deal with this.
Do not get sucked into the newbie habit of buying all sorts of chemicals.
You can be very successful with only the following:
Good RO, RO/DI water source
Good salt mix, IO, Kent, etc.
Arm and Hammer Baking soda, for intermittent alk boosts, not for regular use
Some form of calcium chloride, for intermittent cal boosts, not for regular use
Mrs. Wages Pickling Lime, AKA Kalkwasser, which is a balanced alk/cal for regular use. Balanced means that once you're levels are in the right proportion, you only need to add this product to kep both at the appropriate level.
Also, there are 2 step alk/cal supplements available if you do not want to use kalk, they just are a bit more expensive, but probably better for the beginner.

Rookie mistake we all have made and still may make, using Alk to raise pH. Don't do it.

Randy is the Chemistry forum mod, and has written a number of papers on many aspects of reefing/chemistry. I would suggest you keep this article handy, and refer too it often until its almost second nature
http://www.advancedaquarist.com/issues/nov2002/chem.htm

Good luck, happy reefing.
Some form of calcium like Turbo Calcium. Id

<a href=showthread.php?s=&postid=8814090#post8814090 target=_blank>Originally posted</a> by kg4izw
I ordered a Aquarium Pharmaceuticals kit from Dr Fosters and Smith for $13.69. It says it has over 550 tests and includes tests for PH, ammonia, nitrite, and nitrate. But it does not have calcium or any other test. I assume that alkalinity is the same as PH right?

 

[Big Goose]

I feed the fish and corals through my sump pump. The juice is good for the coarls. I also feed marine snow and black powder.

Beware of too much Alk. I killed a tank with too much buffer.

I also dose with magnisum and stronium. Those two realy make a difference. Beware- some calcum kits are influenced by the Mag and give false readings.

I also use Prime in liberal amounts. It will help counteract bad water conditions like high NO3.

 

[Philip Root]

<a href=showthread.php?s=&postid=8828794#post8828794 target=_blank>Originally posted</a> by Big Goose
The juice is good for the coarls.

Big Goose the corals like it, They open up I know. But the long term effects of feed too much juice can be real bad.


Philip

 

[Tomoko Schum]

Prime binds heavy metals. I wonder what it does to Strontium. I suppose you test for Sr and Mg.

Tomoko