Additives.....

[Anonymous]

I use DAILY: ESV Bionic 2 part calcium buffer system to maintain calcium and alkalinity.

I use WEEKLY: ESV Strontium
ESV Iodine

I have ESV Magnesium but have never needed to add it. My Magnesium level stay around 1300-1500 without any additional help.

As far as how much to use, it will tell you how much on the bottle when you buy it. I like the ESV additives.

Also, you mentioned that your LFS sells you pre-mixed water. You may want to look into buying an RO/DI water unit if you are no longer going to buy the water from them.

 

[Anonymous]

I add Kalkwasser (German for lime water or calcium hydroxide) on a nightly basis. There are plenty of articles out there that detail how/why kalkwasser should be used. One of the biggest problems is that it does not keep long and requires reqular mixing, it gets to be a pain. Go read everything you can before you decide. Until you increase the calcium demand on your system, you have some time to learn, and get feedback.

In addition to the kalk, I add Thiel trace elements, magnesium, and iodine.

Paul

 

[Anonymous]

Whoa... magnesium? Hold on... what all do you guys test your water for? I test PH, nitrites, nitrates, ammonia and occasionally the specific gravity. I was unaware that it was necessary to test for anything else. Please enlighten me.

 

[Anonymous]

Redneck:

The only things that are demonstrably necessary to add is a source of calcium and a source of carbonate (alkalinity). The basis of this statement is that some of the best reef tanks around have gotten only these supplements for a long time (years).

Good ways to add calcium and alkalinity include limewater (kalkwasser is a german name that seems hip to some), two part additives like B-ionic, and calcium reactors.

Other additives may be helpful, or not. Many necessary nutrients are adequately supplied in fish foods.

In certain specific cases, you may want to add other things. If you keep loads of macroalgae, you may want to supplement iron. If you have an algae problem, adding iron is probably undesirable, otherwise, it probably won't hurt, especially in a heavily skimmed tank.

Strontium? Not demonstrated to be needed as an independent additive. Iodine? Same thing. I add a bit of iodide to try to keep some in the tank without exceeding natural levels, but it is only on the chance that it helps something (I do the same with bromide, fluoride, and silica, but I would not suggest a beginer go down that road yet).

Magnesium should only be added if it is determined to be low, and it will only be low if the starting mix was low.

------------------
Randy Holmes-Farley

 

[Anonymous]

I was just wondering what additives you guys use, and how often/much you add. It's very fortunate for me that my LFS sells pre-mixed water for $1.00 per gallon with additives (calcium, etc.) already in it. This makes my life much easier, and water changes are no problem at all now. He told me that once I start adding corals to my reef, I'll need to start adding calcium regularly (of course). I've seen other posts on this forum where people mention additives that I don't recognize (something that starts with a "K" comes to mind). Right now, I have a very successful 20-gallon reef: trickle filter w/bio-balls, Excalibur Skimmer, dual-strip hood w/daylight & actinic bulbs, LR, a firefish, six-line wrasse, peppermint shrimp, sally lightfoot crab and 3 blue-legged hermits and lots of purple coraline algae. Is there anything I should be adding right now? Thanks for your time.