Ok everyone, i need some help.Right now i only have a fowlr tank, but will be getting into a reef system soon. Al i plan on keeping are soft corals. Anyways, I know that i need to put in som additives to keep my corals happy. Everywhere I go, I hear something else that i need to add. What do I need? Some people have given me several things i need to add, others say i need just calcium. Please guide me in the right way as to what stuff by Kent i need. THANKS
what additives do we need? FRUSTRATED
- Thread starter fish 511
- Start date
alexb518
New member
depends on what you're going to have in your tank and what is being depleted. what i dose into mine is calcium, strontium, iodine and magnesium. i don't add trace elements b/c i use sea water. if you're going to use mixed salt, then you'll want to add trace elements. i'm sure you're going to get different results, but you have to keep in mind that what works for you may not work for others.
alexb518
New member
Calcium, strontium, iodine etc. are all trace elements, but there are many others. Calcium, for example, gets depeleated rapidly, and therefore many people will supplement this separately as they will want to monitor the calcium levels in their tank, i.e. 380-450. so, when you mix your own salt (as opposed to buying sea water from your lfs) you will need to add trace elements (sold by kent) to supplement the "other" elements that you're not adding in large volumes like calcium. but, like i said, if you use sea water, then you don't have to worry about adding trace elements. I but sea water for $1 a gallon and change my water once a week and never have had to worry about trace elements. and i think it's cheaper, better and easier than mixing salt.
sunfish11
Premium Member
Monitor Cal, Alk, Mag. You may need to add nothing with just soft coral. Water changes may provide all you need. In my 210 gal I didn't need to start adding any trace elements till 1 year and I had good coraline/coral growth of both hard and soft coral. At about a year my tank began using more of these elements than it was getting from water changes. I mix salt and I use Reef Crystals salt mix. Don't add anything you can't test for.
Lisa
Lisa
Mariner
New member
With advice all over the map like this I can see why you're frustrated. 
I think Sunfish's advice is the best. Keep a check on Calcium and Alkalinity periodically, if they are off check Magnesium as well. With just softies, you may not have to dose anything if you do partial water changes occasionally. If you DO need to add some Calcium/Alkalinity, check into dripping Kalkwasser as your top-off water. It's a lot cheaper than adding ready-made over the counter products.
Go over to the Reef Chemistry forum and read some of Randy's articles on the proper water parameters for a reef aquarium, and on selecting a calcium/alkallinity supplementation scheme.
good luck!
Mariner
I think Sunfish's advice is the best. Keep a check on Calcium and Alkalinity periodically, if they are off check Magnesium as well. With just softies, you may not have to dose anything if you do partial water changes occasionally. If you DO need to add some Calcium/Alkalinity, check into dripping Kalkwasser as your top-off water. It's a lot cheaper than adding ready-made over the counter products.
Go over to the Reef Chemistry forum and read some of Randy's articles on the proper water parameters for a reef aquarium, and on selecting a calcium/alkallinity supplementation scheme.
good luck!
Mariner
sunfish11
Premium Member
I monitored them occasionally and tracked their depletion between and concentration after water changes. When the usage by my corals increased over what my salt mix and water change schedule could provide I knew it was time to dose. I also would stay away from randomly adding iodine unless you can test for it and know you need it. IMO more people cause themselves problems by adding things they don't need to their tanks and creating toxic conditions for thier animals. The less you interfere with your tank the better off your tank probably is.
Lisa
alexb518
New member
I had to jump back in on this one. I think it's funny how this thread was dissipating towards the bottom because everyone was afraid to voice their opinion, but now you ended up with a bunch of conflicting views (as i initially said would happen). if you're just starting, begin by doing what xenon said. add caclium/alk. then adjust to your needs. and to clarify one thing up for you, mixed salt (and yes even the good quality ones) lack or are insufficent in the amount of trace elements. i'm sure sunfish did fine w/o them for a long time, but wouldn't you want to do better? i started with mixing my own salt 15 years ago (as does 99% of people i know) and when i started using sea salt, i had less algae problems and my tank/corals looked healthier. besides, if you're going to mix, you will need ro/di water for your mixture--since you're new, i'm assuming you don't have a filter for that. so why not just avoid the whole topic of 'trace elements' all toghether and not worry about it and just add sea water. that is my one bit of advice and 2.5 cents on that point.
Icefire
Seasoned reefer
fish 511 add/buynothing right now.
Get a magnesium/calcium/alkanity test to begin with, seachem, elos or salifert.
Test before you get any corals, if it's really out of range, get the right supplement.
No need for trace/iodine dosing. You want a stable system, not a lab.
Soft corals won't need additive probably.
Get a magnesium/calcium/alkanity test to begin with, seachem, elos or salifert.
Test before you get any corals, if it's really out of range, get the right supplement.
No need for trace/iodine dosing. You want a stable system, not a lab.
Soft corals won't need additive probably.
, I am just trying to think of what I will need to buy to keep my tank going.
