*Kent Marine Elements/Dosing? How?

[xxnonamexx]

I have a 55 Gal. Wet/Dry filter, 260watt Compact Lighting, 50lbs. live rock, 4in deep sand bed live sand with crushed coral and fine live sand. I have feather duster, bubble anemone, frog toadstool anemone, sun polyps, few other types of polyps. Maxima Clam, clown fish, firefish, heater, protein skimmer, powerheads, moonlights. My question is I have seen alot about a Reef Starter kit made by Kent that gives liquid calcium, strontium, molybdenum,and iodine. I have read alot about dosing and too much can hurt a tank. What is neccessary to put in the tank, What is the safest way to avoid overdosing? I also see Kent has a line of products one is Coral Vit Essential elements, There is so much stuff out there I don't want to go so crazy but want to maintain and keep them healthy what does everyone reccommend? Thanks alot.

 

[Navarre]

I try and follow a simple set of rules. If you cannot test for it then do not dose it.

I have iodine, magnesium and calcium that i keep as additives. I dont add these however unless i test the water and find them lacking. The problems taht can arrise with dosing all sorts of chemicals is that the water can become unbalanced and then you have to buy more additives etc.. This can be an endless task. Its far better to simply make regualr water changes, possibly adding calcium or with a reactor which is better.. iodine is good for corals and shrimps. Magnesium is useful for stoney corals and also for systems using mangroves as filtration.

 

[Salt Freak]

I find that dosing my tank with ALL KENT MARINE products IODINE, CALCIUM, CORAL VITE, STRONTIUM MOLYDIEM. helps a lot can definitly see an increase in coral response.

 

[ostrow]

Ditto on what navarre said, with one other rule:

If the label does not tell you exactly what is in the additive, don't add it.

For Calcium, get any anhydrous calcium chloride that is pure (Dowflake, Peladow are 2 examples). For alkalinity, get baking soda.

Then add according to:
http/home.comcast.net/~jdieck1/chem_calc3.html

You should not need anything else if you use a major brand of salt and do 10% or so water changes monthly or so.