Additives For The Aquarium

[Queen Bee]

I made a list of what I was given to add to the aquarium. There is live rock, some coral (polyps, brain and something I don't know what it is)

I have:
Coraliquid
Superbuffer dKh
Liquid Calicum
Strontium & Molybdenum
Tech-M
Iodine

Lfs is having sale 20% off the Kent marine products. Want to stock up and am not sure what else I may need. There are so many, not sure what each does or if it is needed.

Advice always appreciated.

 

[-Nemo-]

Remember the golden rule, don't add things unless you're testing for them!! If you're doing regular water changes, you may never need to add any of that stuff.

 

[ben1987]

unless your tanks rammed with corals you dont need any of them. a good salt and weekly water change is all you need

 

[xxBarneyxx]

As above, you don't need any of them at all. Nemo is exactly right too, never add any additive unless you know exactly what it is, how it effects your tank parameters and you are testing all of the parameters that it can effect.

This is something that a lot of people get pulled into. There are a million and one additives for marine tanks and a lot of LFS are fairly underhand by telling you that you really need to use them.

As Ben said unless you have a tank full of SPS corals then regular water changes with a decent brand of salt provides all minerals needed for a healthy tank. Even if you to have a tank full of SPS corals there are better (and much cheaper) ways of dosing the tank with what is needed then these kind of additives.

 

[Queen Bee]

Those chemicals came with the tank. Sister in law was using them, so I've continued. Never thought about the fact that she may have been suckered by the lfs when she first bought.

I've been using bottled ro water to top up the tank. 2 kinds, one with salt in it, one freshwater depending on the density of the tank.

I do know from problems with our freshwater tanks that our local water has no buffers in it for ph. Going to research the bottled water I have and test it straight from the bottle. Probably should have done that in the beginning. Would save lots of time and $ if I didn't need them.

Coral now totals 4 small pieces. That gives me some food for thought. Thanks.

 

[-Nemo-]

RO water generally has low pH and KH, but in combination of the salt and buffers in the tank (LR and Sand), it usually ends up where it needs to be. If you're worried, test the water right from your tank, don't bother with the RO water.

 

[xxBarneyxx]

As Nemo says RO water will have a low PH and virtually zero KH. Synthetic salt mixes are designed to be mixed with RO water so have all the elements needed to buffer the RO PH and KH (as well as giving all the rest of the minerals and trace elements that are needed).