which are the best supplements?

[gallitja]

My tank has cycled, 120# uncured live rock and sand bed.
Now I'm ready to started adding, however I want to get supplements and start using them. What brand is the best for calcium, iodine, strontium, trace elements, etc. I've found tons, but don't know how to determine is one is better than the other.

thanks
jordan

 

[Anonymous]

the best supplements are calcium and alkalinity.

i hope you are somewhat familiar with them and their different forms of supplementation as there are a few.
kalkwasser or calcium reactor or two part additives, etc.
which i would suggest would depend on what you want to keep.

other than these supplements, all you need is salt mix for water changes... IO is a big hit with most guys... i don't use it anymore after a couple bad buckets with really low calcium. i now use Kent which is known as a quality product.
other than that, you possibly could use a magnesium supplement later... but i wouldn't worry quite tyet.

 

[Anonymous]

in case i wasn't specific enough, don't add iodine and trace elements etc unless you know you have reliable testing for their present levels (many are not accurate enough to rely upon).
i don't add these and have good luck for years.

 

[Anonymous]

Like Pod said, with regular water changes the only supplementation necessary is calcium and alkalinity. Good luck!

 

[Jolieve]

Yeah, those bottled strontium, trace elements things are um.. well useless for our intents and purposes when water changes do the job for you. Don't use that crap. It's a waste of your money.

For calcium get kalkwasser and learn all about dripping, or get a 2-part additive such as c-balance or b-ionic.
For alk, superbuffer and learn all about dripping, or get a 2 part additive such as c-balance or b-ionic.

Hope this helps!
J.

 

[gallitja]

8) I've only used calcium in the past, six yrs ago, and had questioned the need for all the other "stuff". jordan

 

[Jolieve]

In two years of reefkeeping, I have yet to have a need for those sorts of things. I doubt you will need them either

J.

 

[Anonymous]

I like the seachem products. Others are just as good.

 

[Tackett]

careful with the Kalk buddy. If you do it, read up first. It aint as simple as some people make it out to be. The two parters ought'a do you just fine.

Just change your water often and consistantly with a quality salt, and calcium and alkalinity will be your only worries.

 

[Sugar Magnolia]

I dose magnesium too. The premixed IO I buy has only 1110 ppm. Optimum levels of mag is betweenn 1300-1500 ppm. Depleted mag levels make it difficult to maintain calcium and pH.

 

[jandree22]

all I do is make regular water changes with Kent salt and RO/DI water. I add an iodine supplement because I have a few shroom corals and shrimp that need to molt(shed & regrow their exoskeleton)

 

[SnowManSnow]

B-Ionic is great

 

[gatorracer]

Kent "Liquid Reactor" has done it all for me.....

 

[ThrillYa]

I've been using B-Ionic in my 65 for 1.5 years and all is good. Quality product.

 

[fishinsouthga]

b ionic, i get the biggest bottles they have, get a good test kit and track it, so you can keep lvls up, and once a month i put 3 drops of iodine in tank for shimp to molt they usually molt the next morning like pavlofs dogs (spelling)