suggestions for reef supliments

[stickx911]

I'm almost out of all my usual supplements. Which I have been using Purple up for calcium and Iodine (also adding some regular kent liquid calcium and kent iodine once or twice a week).
and a kent strontium & melyb.

I'm looking for a calcium supplement that wont drop my ph like the kent liquid does, should I just stick with purple up? is there anything I am missing in my kit?

I have a softie tank with a couple LPS corals (a flowerpot and some frog spawn). 55g reef.

Thanks for any thoughts/ideas

 

[george]

Seachem Reef Advantage, Reef Builder, and Reef Buffer have always been my favorites for general supplements.

 

[stickx911]

thanks for the link. I guess I'll try their formula.

 

[stickx911]

The recomendations they had were:

Reef Plus</em> - Has a full spectrum supplement of trace components and beneficial amino acids. It may be used as a food supplement.
Reef Complete</em> - Designed to restore and maintain calcium to levels found in natural seawater without affecting pH
Reef Calcium</em> - Intended to maintain calcium in the reef aquarium without altering pH
Reef Advantage Calcium</em> - Designed to restore and maintain calcium levels found in natural seawater. Calcium and carbonates are essential to all coral growth. (Powdered form of Reef Calcium)
Reef Builder</em> - Raises carbonate alkalinity without immediately impacting on pH. With long term use, it maintains pH at 8.3

They have nothing for iodine or a few others, do I not need these? or should I get them anyway...

This is what I was going to order:
https://www.drsfostersmith.com/product/prod_display.cfm?pcatid=4872&prodid=9091&catid=3">Reef Pack: Fundamentals</a>
[IMG]https://www.drsfostersmith.com/product/prod_display.cfm?pcatid=4698&prodid=8791&catid=3">Reef Advantage Calcium</a>

So should I get:
[IMG]http://www.drsfostersmith.com/product/prod_display.cfm?pcatid=4875&rel=1">Reef Pack: Enhancer</a>
or is that not needed?

 

[jade76]

that purple up that your using is notorius for lowering ph.

 

[george]

I've always used the powdered versions of Seachem's chemicals.

However if you're doing regular water changes, you shouldn't need to supplement iodine or stronium, unless you have some species-specific need which most things you'll find for sale don't.

 

[theplatypus]

They have nothing for iodine or a few others, do I not need these? or should I get them anyway...

A lot of these things are meant to be trace elements and water changes should be sufficient to keep them in check. Personally I won't add anything that I'm not testing for.

 

[dannybradley]

Corals don't use iodine, they use iodide. Iodide is the hardest element to explain in terms of use in the aquarium. The following are the three ways I know of and unfortunetly, cannot explain the last two. Once in the tank iodine becomes iodide, and at a high enough pH, iodate becomes iodide.

1. Corals use it to rid themselves of excess oxygen produced by overactive zooxanthellae. They convert iodide to iodate in this process. We dose in the form of KI, potassium ioidide. It goes something like this-

2I + 3(O2) -> 2(IO3).

2. It is necessary for the production of soft tissue.

3. Inverts use it as an aid in molting.

Seachem makes great products. Use Reef Advantage Calcium to raise calcium. RAC is put into the bottle in the usage ratio. Basically, the ratio of Ca:Sr:Mg is equal to what a coral takes in to build its skeleton. RAC and Reef Complete are the same product, just in different forms. The dry form is more economical. Mix with R/O first for best results, as just dumping it in will cause a super saturation leading to percipitation.

Use Reef Builder to raise alkalinity independent of pH. Use Reef Buffer to raise alkalinity and pH. Don't forget about your Magnesium. Maintain it ~1300 for lower calcium/alkalinity levels and up to 1500 for high calcium/alkalinity.

Sr is a skeletal builder. It helps make the skeleton more rigid. It only needs to be present at 8-10ppm.

 

[dough]

Why do you think you need to dose supplements? Is your Ca or Ak off? I really wouldn't think you need to supplement to much Ca with a softie and a limited number of LPS? You really don't have a high demand for Ca with those corals. If you had several calms and SPS that would be different.

As George said if you are doing regular what changes, several a month, your probably in good shape.

 

[ralph atl]

You could always dose a 2 part like B-ionic, C-Balance, & bulkreefsupply.com makes one, too. Then you would have all the trace elements being replaced.

http://www.esvco.com/prod6.html">http://www.esvco.com/prod6.html</a>

[IMG]http://www.marinedepot.com/ps_AquariumPage~PageAlias~additives_esv_b-ionic.html">http://www.marinedepot.com/ps_AquariumPage~PageAlias~additives_esv_b-ionic.html</a>


[IMG]http://www.advancedaquarist.com/issues/feb2003/chem.htm">http://www.advancedaquarist.com/issues/feb2003/chem.htm</a>