additives

[goodoleboyz250]

i bought the coralife liqiud gold pro plus and i have been using it for about a month.about a week ago i bought the kent marine reef starter kit which includes iodine, strontium & molybdenum, and liguid calcium.should i use these plus the coralife or if not which do yall think is better? if it is the kent marine then how much should i put of each and when?its for a 10 gallon aquarium, and all i have right now is some zoos, pulsing xenia, and torch coral

 

[jhutto]

I use the nano part a and B (from Kent) and have for over a year and it has all the chemicals you need. Trace elements plus the calcium. Its simple and works. For my tank only 24 drops every day or so. If I were you I would keep it simple and consistent. Plus with consistent water changes each week.

 

[george]

There are many systems out there for additives. I think the key is to pick a particular method from a particular manufacturer and use it correctly. Most manufacturers make multiple different methods, so you need to make sure you get the right parts (and all the parts) for the particular method you're using.

The Coralife product is a vitamin and trace element supplement. There should be directions on the bottle. Assuming your Kent Calcium product is the "Liquid Calcium" and not the "Liquid Reactor", it is Calcium Chloride which is essentially the same as half a two-part solution. Again, your best bet is to follow the directions on the bottle.

Regular weekly water changes of a few gallons will keep small aquariums pretty stable.

I suggest getting pH, Alkalinity, and Calcium test kits.

 

[dannybradley]

Your foundations are Calcium, Magnesium, Iodide, Strontium, and buffer. I would add trace elements only with a heavy stockoad. As far as who makes them, I use Seachem, but that doesn't mean you can't do well with other companies. I would avoid 'miracle products' until you learn more about how these supplements work. Start with maintaining these water parameters to get a good foundation for maintaining water quality.

Specific Gravity: 1.025
Magnesium: 1200-1300ppm
Calcium: 400-450ppm
KH: 10-12 degrees KH
Iodine: 0.03mg/L
Strontium: 8ppm
Nitrate: <25mg/L
Phosphates: 0ppm

Some notes: I wouldn't bother testing iodine or strontium yet. Find a LFS that's really good with water testing to teach you, then get the test yourself.

Some basic rules:
Don't dose buffer with calcium and buffer or magnesium and buffer. I dose them on opposite days. Set yourself up a dosing/water change schedule.

There are really too many answers for your question, but this is a good start. Feel free ask more questions so I can help more.