WHAT SUPPLEMENTS TO USE?

[SRSMITH121]

I currently have a 60 gallon tank (FOWLR). The tank is pretty mature (9 months). I'm busy getting some metal halides & will soon after go for some corals.

Can anyone tell me the whole range of supplements I should be adding for a full-blown reef other than calium & a buffering agent? At the moment, to get into the whole routine, I've been told to add the kent range of iodine, iron, strontium & mylobednum along with aqua medic trace elements.

Is this right or not?

 

[danmhippo]

Not entirely correct. Most reef tanks can sustain well with regular water change to replenish micro nutrient back into the water.

For starters, I would suggest you only do the 2 part additives of alkalinity and calcium and skip all other additives. Take note, you shouldn't add anything that you do not have test kit to verify the concentration.

eg. if you want to supplement Iodine, then you should have I2 test kit to check if you are overdosing. Mg test kit if you want to supplement magnesium, etc.

Most salt mix are well balanced with minerals that there is no reason you should add anything else other than calcium and alkalinity buffer.

Good luck with going reefing, and Welcome to Reefs.Org!

 

[liquid]

Honestly all I ever have been dosing in my tank (almost 4 yrs old now) is calcium and buffer in the form of either kalkwasser, B-Ionic, or calcium chloride + kent superbuffer dkh. Oh and maybe running carbon and that's it. You don't need all the other stuff.

Shane

 

[Anonymous]

It is true water changes do suffice, but i still add tech-I (stabilized iodine you only need to add once a week) and mylobednum, but at about half what the bottles recomend.
The LFS owner keeps his tanks that way, so I figued why change what works.

 

[Anonymous]

A great rule of thum is to add nothing that you arent testing for. If you cant/dont test for it, how can you know if you need it or if it is doing any good?

In the beginning of this hobby, most people does everything because it feels like you are doing something to help your reef. It turns out that what you are actually doing is taking money out of your wallet, and adding stuff to your tank that you dont need. I used to dose everything becuase I figured 'what could it hurt?', but the real question should be 'does it help?'.

browncj7, I bet if you stopped adding the Tech I and the Mylobednum that you wouldn't see a difference - especially if you are doing waterchanges with any regularity.

This hobby is filled with anecdote and marketing designed to get you to spend money. Don't trust the anecdotal evidnece and don't trust marketing that sounds too good to be true.

:mrgreen:

 

[Anonymous]

browncj7, I bet if you stopped adding the Tech I and the Mylobednum that you wouldn't see a difference - especially if you are doing waterchanges with any regularity.

.

[\quote]

Didn't see a difference when I started either :roll: , but both supliments are not too expensive, and waterchanges are a hassle (but I still do them, the regularity is the issue).

I use both suppliments rather sparingly anyway, and everything is happy. If it ain't broken, don't fix it (or stop it as the case may be)!

SRSMITH121: In all cases I do belive that less is more when it comes to adding trace elements.

But as I understand it, Iodine helps many things (including color) and
mylobednum works as an ion exechange element in corals, much like calcium and potasium in our body. My LFS also stated that these are the most quickly depeleted (???) as that is why I continue.

 

[Anonymous]

Less is not more when it comes to trace elements - the right amount is the right mount. Thats why testing is the way to go. If you are not putting enough, you arent really doing any good, and if you are putting too much you very well may be doing harm. And, you may not need to be spending that money at all.

I don't dig the aint broke don't fix it idea. If that were the case I would still be adding mucho unneeded stuff to my tank.

Iodine and mylobednum may be depleted quickly, but without testing, you have no idea how quickly that actually happens, and you have no idea how quickly it happens in your tank. I have bottles of stuff under the house that I just stopped using, and have found that my enjoyment of my reef is higher when I am not worring about adding a bunch of stuff.

I am only harping on this stuff because this is the new reefers forum, and there are so many people who make money from reefers telling reefers that they need to buy their product, or that at the very least, it cant hurt to buy their product. When in reality, most of the products out there are simply not needed. New reefers want to know they are doing it right, so they are willing to add a bunch of stuff - and pouring stuff out of a bottle into the tank feels like you are doing something. In truth, most of that stuff is generally not needed, and that money could be used on something better - like lights and animals.

:mrgreen:

 

[Anonymous]

Fair enough....

 

[Baianotang]

I only dose kalkwasser.

 

[cmidkiff]

I'm with Baianotang, Kalk only (well, Mrs. Wages, anyway!)

As with many around here, I have a shelf full of chemicals that I purchased when I started out. Tank looks _much_ better since I stopped using them a couple years ago.

 

[danmhippo]

So to let some of you know, when I dose I2, I have I2 test kit. Not only is it expensive, but I do not notice any differences either. After awhile, I don't dose I2 anymore to the display tank, but only use it and the test kit to measure concentration of I2 when I am fragging and making Iodine bath for dipping.

I also had Mg test kit and Strontium test kit. Been there, done that, and my best advice is just stick with WC and the 2 part calcium dosing.

 

[ChrisV]

I used to dose zooplex and essential elements. I think without it my algae grows slower and the coral are happier. Water changes are everything I guess... oh yeah and fresh carbon helps a lot too

-CV

 

[RJSorensen]

I think good advice, water changes do wonders, at least for me . . .

 

[Anonymous]

RJ!

Is that Rinopias in your tank?

 

[SRSMITH121]

OKAY THEN. I'M GONNA GO WITH DOING REGULAR WATER CHANGES ONLY (EXCEPT FOR CALCIUM & ALKALINITY BUFFER). AT THE MOMENT I'M DOING 5% A WEEK WITH INSTANT OCEAN. IS THAT GOOD ENOUGH?

I FEEL LIKE I'VE BEEN HAD WITH THESE PET STORES.

 

[Anonymous]

A 5% WC weekly is plenty adequate. Much better than doing a 20% monthly WC, IMO.

For what it's worth, it is very possible to overdose some elements that are claimed to be beneficial. Iodine is a poison, in high concentrations. If you're going to add something like that to your reef, test for it.

FWIW, I add kalk (CaOH) and buffer (Na[CO3]2).