Feeding a Reef

Never ever, did I say never, add anything to your tank unless you first have a good test kit for that particular substance and use it on a regular basis to demonstrate it is deficient and needs supplementing. Have test kits for each and every ingredient in a supplement or additive, not just the main ingredient.
Do you know your calcium, alkalinity, magnesium, ammonia, nitrite, nitrate, pH, salinity and temperature levels presently? Post the readings and someone should be able to help. What do you have for lighting and water movement and what are your temperature swings like? Do you have any mechanical filtration and if so how often do you service it?
How often do you change water, what salt mix do you use and do you make sure to match the temperature before adding the new water so you don't shock the system?

Adding supplements often hurts a system much more than helps since it throws the balance off and its hard to get it back in check. I add nothing to my small systems and only use a calcium reactor on my large systems and have massive coral growth in all of them.

 

Perameters

My water tests well. I just did it this mornng. My salt was on the high side of normal so I took a cup of water out of the tank & a cup of fresh water in. I'll check it daily. I do a weekly water change.

My blue light is a coral star YDW 18-H
My white light is a 7100K 18W
The temperature is 72F. I turned it up a bit higher & will keep my eye on it.
I have an Aquclear 10 flow/filtration system. I change the filter monthly.
I was "thinking" of puting one drop .of Marinvit & one drop of calcium once weekly. I haven't started doing that yet.
I have my blue light on from 7am to 10am. All lights from 10am to 7pm.Blue lights from 7pm to 8pm.
Does this information help ? Do you have any suggestions?

 

We need actual test levels, not that it tests well. Well is a relative term and may mean different things to different people. When you say the salt was high, how high is high? 1.025, 1.030? What are you using to test the salinity and is it calibrated? Swingarms are notorious for being inaccurate, especially if they are not kept clean after each use.
What are you using for water? If its not RO/DI, do you know if your water utility uses chloramines or free chlorine as a residual disinfectant? If its tap water what do you treat it with?

The Aquaclear filter has a foam or sponge filter insert which should be rinsed out in clean saltwater, not fresh water, at least once a week to remove detritus. Rinsing it in saltwater keeps the beneficial bacteria alive so they can help break down the ammonia, nitrites and nitrates. You can reuse this filter for years if you keep up with the rinsing. Every time you change the filter you throw away good bacteria and cause a spike to the system until they colonize again.

 

O.k. you say the SG was on the high side but didn't say what it is and you say the temp is 72. Both of these will affect the Frog Spawn. Your temp should be at least 76-80 degrees. Now, you must lower the SG and raise the temp slowly. Post the other parameters i.e. Mag, Calc, Alk and PH.
Your "Daylight" bulb may be o.k. but shooting for 10,000K is better for both the coral and anemone.

 

10 Gallon Nano

In a 10 gallon nano with 3 corals,is it necessary to dose? My LPS told me to put a drop of calcium in each week. One of our members told me that dosing is not needed because I do weekly water changes.
What do you think ?

 

I dosed in my 5.5gal.. But I also tested levels.. If your gonna dose, you need to test...

 

If your doing weekly water changes I wouldnt worry about it unless your tests are coming up as dramatically low.

 

oceansurf

A - with regular water changes of 5% weekly with 3 corals, I dont see the need to make any additions as the consumption of these elements will be insignificant IME

B - check your calcium, Magnesium and Alkalinity (DKH) levels on a weekly basis and add supplements if those levels fall below the minimums required or to maintain those elements at the levels you have selected.

C - add a little of what you like when you like, test nothing, it will all be fine

only 1 of those answers is completely incorrect IMHO

if you know which one it is, then decide between the other 2 which one you think is most appropriate

but testing is the way to advance in the hobby for you, IMHO because, having someone else tell you your levels are fine, is not as much to your advantage as being able to test and know your levels are fine for yourself

Steve

 

Cute answer. I'll take C. ( LOL ) I have ordered a calcium test kit. Surely one drop a week can't hurt till then. I do test my own water. It did test good. Guess I wasn't confident enough & wanted a 2nd opinion.

Happy New Year Steve & thanks.

 

C - your not on your own there ocean surf

I would not say it will do any harm for certain, I would say that it might not be doing anything of value except parting you from your hard earned.

if you test and know you need it, then the spending is an investment in the long term health of your live stock

I just dont believe you would really need in in a 10 gallon with 3 corals ( I know I is a Kenya tree, another is a frogspawn and I cant recall you mentioning the 3rd, maybe I missed it?)

Steve