Whats this stuff for?

[Turtle77]

Ok when I bought this tank it came with a few bottles of stuff that I havent really figured out if I need to really use it or not. I have read the directions but I am still so new at this I dont know what its for even after reading all the labels.

1. Stress Coat - Fish and Tap water conditioner

2. Reef Carbonate - raises carbonate alkalinity

3. Purple Up - Coralline Algae Accelerator

4. Marine Buffer - safely raises and maintains pH to 8.3

Now I know what some of you are thinking, that I just gave the uses of all the stuff right off the labels. and laugh if you want to but I could really use some help. If any of you that live in LaVergne that just like to get together and look at each others tanks and talk saltwater let me know when you get together.

 

[crumbletop]

Re: Whats this stuff for?

1. Stress Coat - Fish and Tap water conditioner Don't need it.

2. Reef Carbonate - raises carbonate alkalinity This stuff can help to raise your alk if it is low. Do NOT use the directions on the bottle, which typically say something like "use 1 teaspoon daily" or something like that. Supplements used in this hobby need to be dosed based on a measured result, so that means you need to get some decent test kits that allow you to know what your alkalinity actually is before you dose stuff to raise it. That way you are driving with your eyes open, rather than driving blind.

3. Purple Up - Coralline Algae Accelerator I wouldn't use it. Some do, but I'd rather dose Magnesium, Calcium, and Alk supplements so that I know where things are. Coraline will come with time, and purple up doesn't really help.

4. Marine Buffer - safely raises and maintains pH to 8.3 Same as answer to #2. This is another thing that can raise alk.

There are some good reef chemistry articles that RC used to have a good thread for, but that seems to be gone. So here are a few to get you started:

Reef Aquarium Water Parameters: http://www.reefkeeping.com/issues/2004-05/rhf/index.php
Solving Calcium and Alkalinity Problems: http://www.advancedaquarist.com/issues/nov2002/chem.htm
Low pH: Causes and Cures: http://www.reefkeeping.com/issues/2004-09/rhf/index.php

Hope that helps

 

[Turtle77]

Thanks a ton!!! I'll get to readin!!

 

[SRT80]

wouldn't she need the stress coat though if she's usin' tap water?

Steve

 

[NeveSSL]

Nope. Its not a dechlorinator if I remember correctly. Its supposed to be something like a biological booster or something.

Brandon

 

[DMBillies]

FWIW, instead of dosing anything, I'd find a salt that mixes to the parameters you want your tank to be at (or mix a couple of brands to get the desired result) and just stay on top of water changes (a couple of gallons per week on a 12 gallon is not hard to do).

At this point, with the corals you have, there won't be a heavy load changing any of the 3 major things people would typically dose for (calcium, alkalinity, and magnesium).

I'm not saying you shouldn't test (good habit to get into as you start getting more/different corals) and that you shouldn't read Jack's links (again, those things will become more important as you get some confidence and move on to more demanding corals)... I'm just saying that many water quality issues in a low demand small tank can be taken care of more easily with water changes than with constantly testing and trying to dose incredibly small amounts of supplements. You'd honestly probably be more likely to make a dramatic mistake that way...

And I don't know if you are using tap water, but if you are... I wouldn't. Tap water has a lot of junk that can be detrimental. Some people get away with it (most don't do regular water changes), or get away with it for a while (the ill effects may take a while to manifest themselves). After I set up my first SW tank with 0 experience or research (I tried to rescue it from a friend who recently broke up with her BF and inherited a tank she wanted nothing to do with), that was one of the first lessons I learned. My apartment water had copper in it and my snails kept dying for seemingly no reason. Copper is very bad for a reef. My water at my townhouse now also has copper in it. So, if you are going to use tap water, you should definitely have your water tested for it.

 

[crumbletop]

<a href=showthread.php?s=&postid=12654854#post12654854 target=_blank>Originally posted</a> by SRT80
wouldn't she need the stress coat though if she's usin' tap water?

Steve

To dechlorinate tap water you can use something like Seachem Prime. The stress coat will dechlorinate, but the "stress coat" part for the fish is another one of those "adding some voodoo to the tank" things, that I generally avoid. That is my opinion, though -- take it with a grain of salt

Tap water in a reef can work, but it sets you up a harder time with algae, etc, because of the phosphates in it.

I agree with DMBillies in that with a lightly stocked tank, water changes are what do the most, and dosing shouldn't be too much of an issue.

 

[Turtle77]

I dont use tap water. The guy I bought the tank from had these very large jugs with handles on them , I would say they hold like ten gallons or so with spouts on them. We have a couple marked saltwater and some marked freshwater. He said he use to take them to Fins in Franklin to get them filled up when he got low. So my question is does Aquatic Critter have that same option for me to get the same thing? Can I just go in with my empty jugs and buy both freshwater for toping off and already mixed saltwater? and what kind of prices are we looking at?

 

[crumbletop]

Yep. The Critter has both options. Double check the salinity when you do a water change to make sure the water matches your tank. I'm not sure how they mix it. I am not sure what the price is, since I mix my own.

 

[SRT80]

I get my water from the publix glacier machine in Smyrna. Been usin' it now for awhile. Only 30 cents a gallon too. I use it for top off and to mix salt water. I have also used the culligan machine at walmart a few times too. But the machine at publix lets you know when the last time the machine has been serviced.

I really should get a RO unit though to keep from haulin' 5 gal. jugs of water though...

Steve

 

[luckyfish]

Regarding stress coat I thought I learned somewhere fish naturally create a film on their scales and stress coat promotes this. The slime keeps ich and other parasites from attaching but obviously the fish would have to use up energy to produce it so long story short I agree that it is non necessary.

 

[luckyfish]

P.S. I've also used the Publix glacier machine for top off and routinely got a TDS of 0-1.