What additives do you use?

[kparton]

Iodine is essential to Shrimp and the like for their molting process. I don't know if you have any shrimps, but you will need to add Iodine for this. I haven't had my shrimp in the tank too long and I am shocked at his growth rate and how quickly he molted after introduction.

[ November 20, 2001: Message edited by: Kevin Parton ]</p>

 

[Super Len]

Aside from feeding my fish and the infrequent water change, I add nothing to my tank other then calcium (in form of Ca(OH)2 and CaCO3).

Iodine is utilized by organisms for tissue developement and maintanence. However, the foods you feed your tank and the water changes you perform will constitute enough iodine to sustain your corals and any other organism capable of assimiliating nutrients via absorption.

It's my opinion that these chemical additives are not only unnecessary, but may do more harm then good. Why? We add chemicals arbitrary, at the manufacturers' blanket instructions when, in fact, the manufacturer has no way of ascertaining the needs of individual (and very different) systems; one instruction should not be applicable to all reefs. The manufacturers neglect other variables like biological demand and interaction of additives with other additives, compounded by the fact that we don't test for levels of these elements, importing them blindly.

Personally, my tanks do great without specific additives.

BTW, take anything your LFS says with a grain of salt. He's got vested interest in selling you products, whether necessary or not, good or bad. This is true for any consumer product.

 

[micagreenmachine]

If you have soft corals, you will need iodine.

I'm doing the SeaChem routine right now... For the money, they seem to be the best value for what you get if you buy it mail order. And yes, I saw a HUGE improvement when I started using these suppliments. Kalk was a PITA.

Reef Advantage Calcium
Reef Builder
Iodine
Reef Carbonate
Reef Complete (for more calcium and some other essentials...)

I'll be switching to a calcium reactor in a few weeks so I'll be dropping all additives except for iodine.

~Todd

 

[tim000]

yes I do have a shrimp and some softies. what about that coral-vite is that worth buying or not?

[ November 20, 2001: Message edited by: tim000 ]</p>

 

[Super Len]

<blockquote><font size="1" face="Verdana, Helvetica, sans-serif">quote:</font><hr>Originally posted by micagreenmachine:
<strong>If you have soft corals, you will need iodine.
</strong><hr></blockquote>

My octocorallians are thriving just fine without iodine supplement. In fact, their growth rate decreased when I administered concentrated potassium iodide in a previous tank (may be attributed to attenuation of light by the lugol's solution). In any case, I've observed no positives using iodine solutions.

If I can maintin my pH and alk in their proper range with high Ca levels, I'm a happy camper. So are all my corals, soft or hard.

 

[randy holmes-farley]

I add F-, Br-, I-, silicate, and iron, in addition to calcium and alkalinity.

 

[plankton123]

Randy,

Looks like you've been talking with Bingman.

What levels to you keep said halogens at?

What about Fe? The last time I purposely
added Fe to my tank the macro algae went
nuts as well as film algae. Same for I-.

Later...

Scott

 

[newkie]

None. I do have a reactor, if I didn't I would add b-ionic.

Iodine causes molting because it irritates the exoskeleton. Ask Dr. Ron who specializes in this, on reefcentral.

 

[randy holmes-farley]

Leonard:

< However, the foods you feed your tank and the water changes you perform will constitute enough iodine to sustain your corals and any other organism capable of assimiliating nutrients via absorption. >

That's a pretty strong statement, claiming it for ANY organism. How do you know it to be true? IME, feeding does not maintain a NSW level of iodide.

Maybe those creatures that need a NSW level of I- to survive simply have died off in your tank? How would you know that wasn't the case?

Something, probably at least various forms of algae but perhaps other things too, selectively consume substantial amounts of I-. Are you suggesting that these life forms are unimportant? Or that they don't really need the iodide?

FWIW, either is an acceptable answer, but one ought to know it if asserting that NSW iodide is unimportant.

As an aside, I'm as interested as anyone in the results of Ron's tests to see if his and others assertions about trace elements hold true in typical hobbyists tanks without supplementation

[ November 20, 2001: Message edited by: Randy Holmes-Farley ]</p>

 

[Super Len]

Randy,

You should include the disclaimer that you're a chemist by profession, and have the resources to acquire and test for the elements you introduce (not to mention the knowledge to apply them).

That's a pretty strong statement, claiming it for ANY organism. How do you know it to be true?

I'd like to apologize for my gross generalization - something I consciously avoid.

IME, feeding does not maintain a NSW level of iodine

Nor did I suggest that feedings maintain a NSW level of I. However, your assumption that NSW is necessary for life processes is speculative. I won't debate that NSW isn't the ideal parameters, but will argue that NSW levels may not always be a necessary requiste for proper biological functions.

As I know thus far, none of the halogens have been attributed to improved health of observable captive organisms.

I agree that NSW levels are desirable. But promoting the use of "over the counter" additives with universal dosing instructions is problematic at best, dangerous at worst. Think about the possible interactions for iodine alone, and the implications thereof for the average hobbyist. "Add 10 drops per day" is hard to endorse.

My argument is: why endorse elemental additives (esp. abiding by blanket directions by money-driven manufacturers) when we've witnessed no observable benefits?

 

[randy holmes-farley]

Leonard:

< However, your assumption that NSW is necessary for life processes is speculative.>

Quite true. I don't assume it to be true, I just allow for the possibility.

I quite agree that people should be careful how they add things to their tanks, and many people are probably better off adding nothing.

The argument really boils down to whether the advice is being given is designed to optimize the success of beginners, or to reach some sort of absolute optimum. The advice is often different, and both are perfectly acceptable as long as people know where the advice is coming from, so your point about me needing to state the background of the advice is well taken. And in this case, the asker is a beginner, so your advice is especially appropriate.

 

[THillson]

Used to add it all. Started off with the full Kent line, four years ago I switched to using Combi-san and Lugols. After the analysis of Combi-san came out I stopped adding it. Now I only add Lugols once a week. BTW, I've used Ca reactors ever since I started keeping stony corals over fours years ago. One of the best investments I've made.

 

[AnotherGoldenTeapot]

Some commercial additives are more than 99% water.

For the price of a 100ml bottle of Seachem Reef Iodide (which contains ONE GRAM of potassium iodide) you can buy 100 grams of potassium iodide powder.

 

[HARRISON]

I am no chemist but my Xenia likes it when I put Iodine in. I does Lugols once every three or four days. I haven't really lost anything since I have added it and growth seems fine to me. Xenia will open and close more the day after I dose. I also add B-ionic.

 

[bowfront]

I started out years ago religiously adding Iodine, Strontium, Iron, and buffer in addition to dosing limewater. At that time I was told (as someone above mentions) that soft corals simply couldn't exist without regular iodine supplement and that Strontium additions were necessary to keep most hard corals alive.

To make a long story short Iron was the first to go about 6 years ago after a few chronic bashes with undesirable algae. I now don't keep or try to encourage macro algae in my tank so there is no need for an Iron supplement IMO. I quit Iodine and Strontium together cold turkey a couple of years ago after reading of success stories without adding either. Shortly after I stopped these I watched nervously for signs of something bad like my leathers or Xenia closing up or my acros bleaching. Nothing negative ever happened. These days I add only calcium (mostly from 24/7 limewater dosing) and buffer. I've still got to cull some Xenia monthly and baby leathers are growing all over the tank.

As a side I haven't had any algae problems in a long time and IMO my corals are just as healthy if not more so than they were several years ago. I should mention that I do skim and feed heavily. I also do 10% water changes every couple of weeks.

Honestly for someone new starting out I think that the best advise is to tread lightly with chemical additions. Regular calcium and buffer (to maintain alkalinity) are a must IMHO but anything beyond that may not be necessary and can surely do more harm than good if not used properly.

 

[hgsports]

I'm overwhelmed by the number on the market and cant decide. Let me know what you use....


John

 

[FishHead1]

Good question!
Save your money. The only thing you need is a kalkwasser drip. Stay away from all the "snake oil"!

 

[tim000]

I use iodine and corla-vite but from what I understand all u need is to drip kalk and that should take care of everything just about.

 

[FishHead1]

I used to use all that stuff and one day I just stopped - no difference at all. I could have saved hundreds of dollars had I stopped long ago.

 

[tim000]

what are the benifits of using iodine anyway? the guy at my LFS said I needed it so thats why I bought it.