Need to replace additives, etc... recommendations?

[GatorDrew]

I know... lots of stuff. I don't plan to get this all at once, but rather what my "goal" is so I'm well stocked and ready. I would really like to put phosphate remover and chemipure in the phosphate reactor, any thoughts?

Also, for some reason I like Kent products. Just seems like they're a good company... correct me if I'm wrong.

Thanks for your patience... I'm just trying to figure out what's a waste and what's actually worth the money.

Additives:

• Tropic Marin Pro-Reef Sea Salt Mix
• Kent Marine Essential Elements
• Kent Marine Coral-Vite 16 oz.
• Kent Marine Iron
• Kent Marine Tectra-CB A & B
• Kent Marine Superbuffer-dKH
• Kent Marine Zoe Superior Vitamin & Mineral
• Kent Pro-Tech Coat Marine

Food & Stuff

• DTs Premium Reef Blend Phytoplankton
• Ocean Nutrition Invert Formula Cube Tray
• Ocean Nutrition Brine Shrimp Plus Cube Tray

General Stuff

• Marine Depot Refractometer
• Hydor Koralia 4 Circulation Pump/Powerhead UL 1200 gph (with two of these and my return pump, I'm lookin at a turn over rate ~37x/hr).
• Kent Marine Phos Reactor
• RP-50 ROWAphos Filter Media 500mL
• Elite Chemi-pure
• CaribSea Arag-Alive Bahama Oolite 20 lbs (substrate for the fuge!!)

My LFS tells me that I should get an Strontium, Molybdenum, and Iodine additive... but I'm a little hesitant to be adding ALL of that in the tank. Is it really worth it? It seems like Essential Elements & Coral-Vite covers me pretty well... especially considering that I'm using, IMO, a higher end salt.

[amcarrig]

I'll only comment on your additive list for now. You're right to be hesitant. All of the stuff he's advising you to add is already in your salt mix and the Essential Elements, as you noted. Of your list:

Tropic Marin Pro-Reef Sea Salt Mix
Kent Marine Essential Elements
Kent Marine Coral-Vite 16 oz.
Kent Marine Iron
Kent Marine Tectra-CB A & B
Kent Marine Zoe Superior Vitamin & Mineral
Kent Pro-Tech Coat Marine

I ony see these as being necessary:

Tropic Marin Pro-Reef Sea Salt Mix
Kent Marine Superbuffer-dKH
(I would add Kent's Superbuffer to this list)

I use the Essential Elements but I have a tank loaded full of sps corals and clams. If you do regular water changes and don't have a heavy coral load, you shouldn't need the Essential Elements at all. I see no need for any of that other stuff including the Coral Vite.

[Tangster]

You need none of that stuff I'd say wha are your plans for animals and stocking in the tank ? You may want to use some turbo Calcium by Kents . But that Cal.and Buffer is about all you need at this point, I'm not a fan of the Tropic Marian salts either used them well my son did had some issues I have never used anything but Instant Oceans and My son came back also.. (: But if thats all you can get then thats fine. and might want to get some Epsom Salts for magnesium additive when needed But again depending on the tanks animals and load. Also all of that Plankton and food stuff is waste and over sell you have a long ways to go before you need all of thet I still don't need all of the food stuff (: About 98% of what they want to sell you in not need at start up and will be expired bytime you do need it..

[GatorDrew]

Right now, I have a 90gallon tank that's ~1 year old. The first year it was a predator tank, but then the fish got too big. So, I did a 35% water change and got it all up and running smoothly. Water parameters are perfect right now..

Here's my stock:

Live Rock Weight
~80 lbs

CORALS
Standard Mushroom
Red Mushroom Coral
Long Stem ZOAs
Pacific Recordia - Yuma

FISH
Gold Base Maroon Clown

OTHER
Flame Scallop
Rose Bulb Anenome

Lighting: Coralife 48"
2-65 watt 10,000K Daylight & 2-65 watt 03 Blue Actinic Compact Fluorescent Lamps, 2 built in ballasts, 3-3/4 watt Lunar Blue Moon Glow LED Lamps , 2 cooling fans

Right now, I have a wet/dry. I'm working on a 37 gallon sump w/ refugium.

I currently use Reef Crystals, but I've read so much that points towards Tropic Marin being one of the best. Thus, I want the best salt so I don't have to use AS much additives, etc. I'll see how things go...

[coral reefer]

I would get in a routine of doing a small water change weekly and add iodine to your tank! Other than that, with what you have right now, strontium and calcium won't offer you too much value at the present time IMO. Your corals and inverts don't rely on calcium and strontium for their calcium carbonate skeletal growth with the exception of your Scallop, which by the way, isn't very hardy and its survival longevity is 6-8 months at best, as the food with which it requires isn't to plentiful in our tanks, based on readings!

[GatorDrew]

Like 10 gallons every week?

And is Kent Marine Tech I good?

Thank you all so much!

[Jason McKenzie]

Crew,
I wouldn't add anything to your tank you can't measure. meaning if you get a test kit and measure your Calcium and it is low then get something to bring it to the correct levels. Now we all know that CA, Mag, and ALK are all depleted in your tank so I would start with a means of measuring and supplementing these. Tropic Marin Pro Reef salts IMO is a good start this salt has good levels of all 3 elements.
you can measure for other things like Iodine, Strontium, etc. and only supplement if you find them lower than you like