Seachem Reef Complete

[Wrassman]

[glow=Green, 3, 99%]SEACHEM'S REEF COMPLETE

As I stated in my review of Reef Calcium, when it is used with an "ionic calcium supplement", it can provide "enhanced levels of coral growth." *Seachem's Reef Complete is just such an "ionic calcium supplement." *But, it is not just calcium. *It is an "optimized blend" of ionic calcium, magnesium, and strontium in amounts "proportionate to typical utilization ratios (100:5:0.1)."

Actually, Reef Complete and Reef Calcium are meant to be used together, synergistically. *Reef Complete contains the ionically balanced calcium, magnesium, and strontium salts necessary, along with alkalinity, to become carbonates and bicarbonates in the calcerous skeletons of corals, etc. *Reef Calcium, on the other hand, supplies the "rich source of metabolic energy to help maintain peak coral growth" by utilizing the "bio-available pathway." *Together, they bring the levels of calcium in a reef tank far beyond what typical calcium supplements can attain.

Reef Complete delivers 560x MORE calcium than the same amount of kalkwasser, without all the trouble and mess of mixing and dosing kalkwasser. *And most importantly, at least to me, this product works seamlessly with Seachem's other products. *Since they are all forumluated to work together, you don't have to worry about chemical conflicts and overdosing -- simply follow the label's directions.

Which brings me to something that I believe should be mentioned at this point. *All of Seachem's products are formulated to be pH 8.3 in the bottle. *This means that the more Seachem products you use, the more stable your pH becomes. *There is a Seachem Reef Buffer which specifically raises your pH to 8.3 (if you had a problem maintaining that level), but ALL of their products are fixed at pH 8.3. So, you never have to be concerned with overshooting your pH mark.

Since Calcium is depleted in our tanks more rapidly than other elements, it is essential for us to find a simple but effective means of replacing it when we discover by tests that it has fallen to an unacceptable range. *Depending on our tests, we may determine that this has happened a week after a water change. *Other tests (and other brands of Ca supplements) might last a little longer.

The Reef Status: Calcium Test, by Seachem, measures all types of calcium, including the gluconate calcium in Reef Calcium. *You can imagine that if you used a typical test for Calcium chloride, you would not get a complete answer, since it would not be including the complexed gluconate form of calcium. *One of the benefits of Sechem's approach, though, is that the calcium, since it is in several "bio-available" forms in the tank, will be more readily used by the plants and animals in the tank, but also, it will remain in the tank for a longer period of time.

Kent Marine's Liquid Calcium and Turbo Calcium are not balanced approaches to calcium addition to the aquarium, can result in immediate alkalinity loss and carbonate precipitation. *When that happens an adjustment will become necessary by adding more Liquid or Turbo Calcium.

With Seachem's overall balanced approach, it is much more difficult to accidently get things "out of whack." *People have told me that they feel much more confident using the Seachem products than they ever felt using any of the other manufacturer's products. *Again, just read the label, and follow the directions.

Next, Seachem's Reef Builder[/glow]

[Craig Manoukian]

[glow=navy, 6, 100%]How would Julian Sprung's Kalkwasser compare to Seachem's Reef Calcium? I know it is of higher grade and mixes better than the comparable product from Kent.[/glow]

[Wrassman]

[glow=Brown, 2, 80%]First, Craig, I would compare kalkwasser to Reef Complete (comparing apples to apples). Reef Calcium is the polygluconate complexed calcium and it really would be difficult to compare it to kalkwasser (apples to hand-grenades).

Second, I am not immediately familiar with Julian Sprung's Kalkwasser as a product. What makes it different than regular kalkwasser? Is it regular kalkwasser?[/glow]

[glow=Teal, 2, 80%]If it is regular kalkwasser, then Reef Complete delivers 560x MORE calcium than the same amount of kalkwasser. Not only that, it delivers it in proper chemical balance with magnesium and strontium, which kalkwasser does not do. And finally, it is delivered at pH 8.3, period. You don't have to test it to find out. You can feel confident that it is not going to upset the pH or the dKH of your system as you use it.[/glow]

Does this answer your question? If not, please elaborate and I'll try again. [smiley=smile.gif]

[CheckMateKingll]

Thanks Wrass,,,
More Questions cleared up with your indepth reporting...

[Wrassman]

[glow=Blue, 1, 80%]Just a note of correction, I mis-spoke in my first post. *As I have stated several times, this is my "obsession," and I read everything I can find on the subject. *Something I read today made me realize that I had been mistaken about the various Calcium tests we use.

I had said, "You can imagine that if you used a typical test for Calcium chloride, you would not get a complete answer, since it would not be including the complexed gluconate form of calcium." *However, since almost all brands of calcium tests use EDTA (ethylenediamine tetra-acetic acid) to bind to the calcium (and this is much stronger than polygluconate or chloride or just about any other substance that could bind to the calcium) the test should be able to locate all the calcium in the tank and give you a "fair" reading. *Just remember that any test you use is simply a guideline, and to borrow a quote from Randy Holmes-Farley:[/glow]

* *

[glow=Red, 1, 60%]"Many people get faulty readings from aquarium test kits. *Some of these problems are the fault of the kit, and some the fault of the user. *Regardless, if an aquarist were to “correct” a problem that was really only due to a faulty measurement, then the tank may go from fine to disaster. *So please, before making any big corrections to water chemistry, confirm the reading with a different kit, preferably a different brand. *This caution should especially apply if the measurement does not seem to make sense based on what you have previously added to the tank."[/glow]
from an article, "Chemistry and the Aquarium"
Advanced Aquarist's Online Magazine

[Craig Manoukian]

What is the shelf life of a CA test kit, in general?

Do they have a "born-on" or expiration date?

Is Salifert or Seachem preferable?

What are exceptable test kit manufacturers?

Inquiring minds want to know!

Thanks

[Wrassman]

[glow=Teal, 2, 90%]Hey Craig,

Test kits have varying "shelf-lives." It really depends on the type of test (whether it requires one or more reagents) more than dates. It would be nice if manufacturers would print dates on their testing materials, but most don't. I usually write somewhere on the materials the date I purchased the test. But, even this can be misleading; how long did the store have the test before I bought it?

If you are really concerned about dates and when your test was made, you can look at the "lot no.#" that you will find somewhere on the materials (on the bottles or the box, etc.). You can then call the manufacturer and ask when this particular lot no.# was created (some manufacturers are going one step beyond this and putting this information online for you).

However, it is really, mostly, a non-issue. As long as the chemicals used in the course of the test are not obviously bad (a different color than they used to be; used to be powder but now hard as a brick), and you get the same or similar readings that you were getting, then your test is probably still good.

I test my water fairly often, and if I still have testing supplies left over after a year, I throw them away and buy new supplies. Most of the time, I run out before the year is out, though.

I usually try to buy mid to high end tests, simply because I would like to have fairly accurate results. I believe most of us know who makes the better tests and who doesn't. Salifert and LaMotte make very pricey and very good test kits. Marine Enterprises, Aquarium Systems, and Seachem Laboratories make less expensive, but for the most part, just as reliable test kits.

I can show you studies, made by our friend Dr. Shimek, that show that in regards to Ca tests in particular, it didn't really matter what type of test the aquarist was using. The result given was + or - 50ppm in almost every single case ("What We Put In The Water" Reefkeeping, May, 2003).

So, to answer your question, get a test kit that you like, provided it is one of the "better" kits. Test your water frequently so you can get a "feel" for where your water's calcium content is. And this time next year, if you have any of the test kit left, pitch it and get a new one. That way you know that your tests are as accurate as they CAN be.[/glow]

[Craig Manoukian]

[glow=blue, 4, 100%]Thanks for the thorough reply. My CA test kit is a Salifert and the last test read 500 ppm a month ago. The most recent test done by my LFS was 450 ppm. This falls in the 50 ppm range you mentioned. I will keep the test and I'm curious what reading I will get when I test some time this week. Thanks again and we'll see you in another post, eh?[/glow]

[Wrassman]

[glow=Maroon, 2, 90%]After looking more closely at the article, "What We Put In The Water," I have come to a not too surprising realization.

Dr. Shimek used 4 Ca tests in his studies, Salifert, LaMotte, Seachem Reef Status: Calcium, and FasTest. The results of his tests I have briefly outlined in my post of May 13th. But, I missed an important point in that post, and I want to share that with you now.

If you look more closely at the numbers in figure 5. in the artlicle (and you may have to use your calculator), you will discover that Seachem's test came out MUCH better than the other three. Dr. Shimek doesn't point that out in his article, it doesn't suit his purposes to do so; so I am doing it for you. Just take another look at the numbers. Not all of the tests are as bad as Dr. Shimek claimed. The Seachem test, the better of the 4, was the closest to the ICP results than any of them.

Now, I'm not going to "ram all this down your throat," I just thought it was a VERY interesting piece of information. And I thought I should pass it along to you...[/glow]

[Craig Manoukian]

Oh, your going to turn me into a Seachem/Aquamedic groupie aren't you. But then again, if yiou seek the truth He will set you free, eh?

Thanks for your diligence!