What water additives are important to use?

Hello all

I’m confused as to what water additives/supplements are important to use, because all the aquarium shops I’ve gone to don't all say the same and most shops want you to buy this for this and that for that and then you think and realize it’s the whole range of their products.

I’ve got a 55 gal tank, with obviously Live Rock being a reef tank, Xenias, various Mushrooms, Zoanthids, Bubble Coral and Fox Coral.
Also have an Electric Flame Scallop, a few Feather Dusters, Blue Linkia Starfish, Emerald Crabs, 2 Scarlet Skunk Cleaner Shrimp, 2 Blood Red Fire Shrimp and a few Snails.
In the fish department, I have 2 False Percula Clownfish, 1 Flame Angel, 1 Diamond Goby and a Lawnmower Blenny.

I’ve been using Kent Essential Elements, Nano Reef (Parts A & B), Iodine, Strontium & Molybdenum, PhytoPlex, ZooPlex and Garlic Extreme.

I also feed with Reef Bugs (Once a week), Seaweed (Every other day) and the usual Mysis Shrimp (Every other day).

They're all the things I’ve been using and some people tell me I need to get Magnesium and Iron. Yet they're both in the Nano Reef (Parts A & B).

Is there anything else I need?

Because everything is doing just fine, even the Starfish and Flame Scallop after 6 or 7 months after having them.

I test the water once a week with the usual 2 API saltwater/master reef test kits.

Oh and never tested for magnesium and just read on here that I need to. Only ever test what the test kits have, ammonia, nitrite, nitrate, ph, phosphate, calcium and kh.

Also my phosphate level is at 0, always use R/O water and yet I’ve got a bubble algae and some other kind of algae booming that looks like red hair (not red slime) I do water changes up to 20% every 2 weeks. I use Chemi Pure, UV Sterilizer and a Protein Skimmer in a Wet/Dry filter with Bioballs.

I feed the fish every other day. Never had ammonia, nitrite or nitrates (other than during the setup process) how can I get rid of them?

Sorry it’s long, just it’s been on my mind for awhile and can get carried away with typing :-[.

If anyone could help and that would be great, especially since I don’t want to waste money on the stuff I don’t need.

 

You are adding a lot of different things. A good rule of thumb is don't add anything you don't test for. I only add Ca, Alk and Mg. I buy from bulkreefsupply.com and they are great. You can get buckets of each for pennies compared to what you would pay at a lfs for a small bottle. You just need to mix it yourself which isn't hard to do at all. Your playing a dangerous game by adding things you are not testing.

 

Ditto, all I add is alkalinity, calcium and magnesium.

 

+1 the rest I don't measure so I don't add. I assume my water changes every two weeks will suffice for those.

 

with those corals water changes should do

 

hello all

thanks for replying so quickly

so all i need is ca, alk and mag?
nothing else

so i dont have to get or even use my reef parts a and b?

how about essential elements?

sorry if im sounding stupid, just im learning on my own with no ones help (other than now since ive joined 3reef)

the phytoplex and zooplex is within the food group correct?
is that essential or can i not use those?

thanks

 

Those two are food. So I would keep adding, for the sake of the filter feeders and such.

I think what they are saying is be careful of adding extra things such as iodine unless you are testing for it. (and iodine tests aren't always very reliable)

Your part a and b stuff has calcium which is important, and you should try to test for.

What i have found is that adding some quality salt (like tropic marine pro) takes care of having to add trace elements that i can't test for. but then again, i don't have too much in my tank.

 

Ive been adding Brightwell Aquatics Microbacter7 and Reef BioFuel recently to boost biological filtration in my tank.

Other than that i add Vitamin C, and Reef Plus amino acids

All food is first soaked in Marine Zoe, Garlic and Selcon alternatively

I also add Ionic-B two part solution to maintain calcium and alkalinity.

Add reef advantage to raise Magnesium

I was adding Live Phytoplankton and Marine snow but i stopped it for a while to remove all phosphates. I dont think i really need to add this stuff anymore. The Reef BioFuel and Microbacter7 cause a bacterial bloom; enough to feed the copepods and other filter feeders.

 

thanks for getting back with me on this
i looked at bulkreefsupply.com, they are great prices considering the size of what you get. do you need to buy a dosing cup or is it with teaspoons?
i always test for calcium, it was only mag i didnt even know of until i read it here somewhere.
i dont mix my own saltwater, i buy it from the local shop so i dont know what brand they use.
as for the iodine, i shouldnt be adding that? isnt that what makes the shrimp, crabs etc moult?

 

my local shop sells cheap salt water and good salt water. most salt mixes have enough iodine to HELP them molt. I add some iodine, & strontium every month or so cause I dont do a lot of changes. The calcium I use has mag in it, so I dont add it.