What should I be doseing?

[Ehgemus]

my tank is doing fine I have 4 fish and a 5 corals. I dose calcium and top off with limewater. my question is, is there anything else to dose that would be a benefit to my corals?:strange:

 

[PatMayo]

I don't think so. I would measure the things in this link and leave the rest to nature and your salt mix.

http://www.reefkeeping.com/issues/2004-05/rhf/index.php

Randy or Jonathan will chime in tomorrow probably.

Regards,

Pat

 

[mg426]

I agree with Pat. I would not add anything outside of water changes ca and alk. Randy or bertoni will set you straight.

 

[Ehgemus]

I hear that people add suff like Magnesium and a few other things, I was just wondering if there was something I was missing! Thanks for the feedback.

 

[DrBDC]

Yes on the magnesium. It is the 3rd solution in Randy's 2(3) part homemade mix. Water changes will take care of everything else. People dose a lot of things but nothing has been "proven" to be of any benefit. Some say xenia and molting invertebrates like iodide but the iodide is an irritant that want's them to shed the shell. Good? Bad? ??? My xenia likes me and pulses great w/o adding it.

 

[Randy Holmes-Farley]

You should not typically need calcium along with limewater unless you are correcting for a low calcium salt mix or are adding buffers.

I add limewater for calcium and alkalinity, magnesium if it is needed, and then iron for macroalgae and silica for diatoms/sponges/snails.etc.

 

[Ehgemus]

I have never heard or adding iron, how is that done? Is it needed, should i look into it? how does magnesion help?


what is Randy's homemade mix?

 

[Randy Holmes-Farley]

The article linked above, and links to other articles in it, describe why each of these is important and how to dose them.

 

[Ehgemus]

why do the articles always say (settled limewater) what does that mean?

 

[bertoni]

The lime can produce some particulates when it's mixed, so it's useful to wait for them to settle. A lot of them can be various impurities from the lime that are good to keep out of the tank.

 

[Ehgemus]

Thanks

 

[Randy Holmes-Farley]

I discuss the solids that settle out from limewater in these articles:

The Self Purification of Limewater (Kalkwasser)
http://www.advancedaquarist.com/issues/may2003/chem.htm

The Degradation of Limewater (Kalkwasser) in Air
http://reefkeeping.com/issues/2003-05/rhf/feature/index.htm

Magnesium and Strontium in Limewater
http://www.advancedaquarist.com/issues/dec2003/chem.htm


and this one is summary article about limewater:

What Your Grandmother Never Told You About Lime
http://reefkeeping.com/issues/2005-01/rhf/index.htm