Fiji Gold

Discussion in 'Live Rock' started by rickzter, Oct 5, 2005.

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  1. rickzter

    rickzter Torch Coral

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    I dont know if Carbon removes Calcium, but I was using carbon to make a point. The thing is, I didn't just go out and buy it blindly, I had a good idea of what it does and yes, I should dose properly and do not add if I am not 100% on what I'm adding. I do READ and do not do things without informing myself first. Anne's post just insulted me a bit, but she did make good points... she could have shared her knowledge in a cooler way.

    Anyway, I have one big polyp frag and another small brown polyp frag with well cultured live fiji rock. I have nothing but invertebrates, no fish yet. I'm building it real slowly and not rushing things.
     
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  3. RachelDex

    RachelDex Astrea Snail

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    I apologize if I came across as rude. :-[ I thought you were asking a question in regards to wether or not you should add iodine without a test for it. :)
     
  4. rickzter

    rickzter Torch Coral

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    :) I'm not adding calcium till I get some kind of doser, cuz it really clouded my tank.
     
  5. Phil5613

    Phil5613 Purple Spiny Lobster

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    Why are you adding calcium at all? What is the purpose of the calcuim additive? Sounds like a new tank what is the calcium level now? New live rock and new live sand can bring the calcium level up with out additives in a new tank. What in the tank needs calcium right now? What is the alk level? Adding your tank info in your signature would help here. Reading a lot of the posts here can help also, spend a good long while in the chemistry forum lots of good info there! Oh and ha ha on the carbon thing you really tricked us! If you are looking for advice thats cool but why "test" us or make a point that is kinda um well pointless?
     
  6. Birdlady

    Birdlady Finback Whale

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    You may want to consider a test kit for Calcium as well. Like Phil said, why are you adding it already? What salt are you using? What are you testing for and what are the results?

    You asked a question to which Anne gave a very detailed reply. In my opinion, you DO need a test kit for EVERYTHING you are adding over the salt mix. If the CA really clouded your water, it sounds like precipitate and you may have already overdosed your tank. If so, your water may be out of whack already. OD'ing CA causes precipitation and fallout of Calcium and Alkalinity.

    It sounds like the Fiji Gold may have Iodine in it, does it? If so, why dose more? If you are not sure, why add it without checking first? Most salts have enough iodine in them already. Iodine can kill. The recommended amount in our captive systems is .06.... yes...point oh six. very small indeed.

    We don't generally flame here, and I thought Anne's reply was well thought out, and well said. I guess I am not really sure what the actual question was if it was not answered in her post.... :-/


    So, could you please give us the details of your setup, and the water parameters that you do test for, and what you are considering adding and why and we could better help with your questions. :)
     
  7. JohnO

    JohnO Moderator

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    It seems never ending, the need to tinker :)

    There are only 4 main things that you need to check and adjust on a regular basis to maintain a reef tank. Salinity, Alkalinity, Calcium and Temperature.

    Sure, there are other factors that may couse certain corals and fishes to not grow or appear at their best, but none of those things are essential or in most cases cause a sudden fatality.

    I know that marketing people will tell you that there are trace elements in sea water that are essential to the vitality of marine organisms, but that is just a lot of shite. Just because a compound appears in sea water doesn't mean that a marine organisms 'need' that compound. For example:

    As humans we need air to survive

    Air is made up of:
    78.084% Nitrogen (N2)
    20.947% Oxygen (O2)
    0.934% Argon (Ar)
    0.033% Carbon Dioxide (CO2)

    With trace amounts of:

    Neon (Ne)
    Helium (He)
    Krypton (Kr)
    Sulfur dioxide (SO2)
    Methane (CH4)
    Hydrogen (H2)
    Nitrous Oxide (N2O)
    Xenon (Xe)
    Ozone (O3)
    Nitrogen dioxide (NO2)
    Iodine (I2)
    Carbon monoxide (CO)
    Ammonia (NH3)

    Now if we removed the Krypton from the air we breathe would it harm us?

    Same goes for the salt water and the additives we use except that the list is even larger. For example NSW contains Gold, how much gold to we add?

    Now, you may agree or not about my main 4 testable items and may even want to expand on the list. that's fine but at some stage we all need to clear our minds of the amounts of " over" information we are getting.

    2c

    John
     
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  9. Birdlady

    Birdlady Finback Whale

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    That is true as well ;D

    My only true point being, IF you are going to add something PLEASE test for it ;)

    Personally, I only add Kalkwasser. I do test for it! ;D
     
  10. My2heartboys

    My2heartboys Fire Worm

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    There are instructions on each of the bottles that I use that cover the possibility of you not testing for them on a routine basis. Basically add 1 capful for every 50 gallons once a week. I do not add more than that and have been known to add even less than that. Now that the major equipment purchases are out of the way, I plan to start aquiring the individual tests to my supplies one or two a month.

    Anne
     
  11. My2heartboys

    My2heartboys Fire Worm

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    I apologize for sounding insulting--that was not my intent and I ask for your forgiveness. I have had advice given to me in the same way at times on other boards-but have tried to make allowances for the fact that communicating with this form of media, is, well, challenging at best and what you say can easily be taken wrong.
     
  12. My2heartboys

    My2heartboys Fire Worm

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    I will say that it is a good idea to spend time in the chemistry forum--as somebody who is chemically challenged most (if not all) of it goes way over my head. This is why I recommended a good LFS that does not mind you asking questions. Some of the time they can really manage to simplify things a bit and break it down to your level (if you are somebody like me who cannot seem to grasp most of that stuff). This is another reason why I recommended using caution when adding supplements, because of the overdosing possibility.

    Anne