Saltwater Question... What supplements do you add to your water? What brand?

Question

I need help deciding which supplements to buy... I am in the process of stocking a 55 gallon marine aquarium. I am not sure how much info is needed, but I'll provide everything I can think of that may be relevant.

I have 55 lbs of premium live rock (14 lbs is base rock). The live rock was harvested from an aquaculture site and was in my tank within 24 hours. I do not have fish nor corals yet, but like xenia, star polyps, and racordia (forgive my spelling I'm new to this). I have hard well water.

Thanks so much!

Answer 1

Well you really don't need much of anything. You had gotten rock the best way harvested and in your tank Gold star for you!

Now that you have your live rock, did you cycle your tank prior to getting your live rock?or are you using your live rock to cycle? (This is important). If you are using the rock to cycle your tank remember you cannot start adding fish or corals yet. Corals after 6 months no less. Also what is your tank temp set at? 83? it should be between 83-89 if you are planning on getting corals. It is better to keep the temperature at a constant than to keep adjusting it.

I use NovAqua +. This in my opinion is the best for both fresh and salt water. It is more than just a Dechlor it also removes florides etc and adds valuable trace minerals to the water. I do have and use instant ocean (synthetic salt) but I have slowly switched to red sea salt since it too replaces much needed trace elements to the water and creates a more Oceanic environment.

I also use Nano Reef A&B for my rock and corals. However I do not use the recomended doseage, and I only add it twice a week. After that really, unless your calcium is low (which using well water it is going to be a little higher) you don't need anything. Well water is good water to use in a salt tank. Since it doesn't contain most chemicals that are used in the processing of city water. Hard water is better for your salt since you are looking to keep a higher PH than in a fresh water environment. This will come naturally to your water and your tank. I'll bet your PH is testing between 8 and 8.4. You may want to check your well water levels. Nitrates would be your biggest concern, however when your well water was tested when drilled, it is more than not still under 10 which also, is lower than most city water sources.

You will also be suprised in the future what will pop out of your live rock. Pollyps and corals (depending on the rock) will start to grow along will coralline algae (bright pinks and blues) A new piece of rock I aquired in December and added to my tank already has growth of around 4 inches. I am assuming that is from the NanoReef A&B. I do nothing else special with my tank. Calcium is replaced with water changes, and I only do that once every two months. However I do have large conch shells as well as other empty shells which leach calcium into the tank. I had incorporated them into the reef. (My tank is very mature and doesn't require a lot of effort on my part) The main cleaning is emptying the protein skimmer every couple of days.

Sounds like you've got things together there. As always, if you have any additional questions feel free to email.

Answer 2

The reason you buy marine salt and do regularly biweekly to monthly water changes is so you don't have to add supplements. They are really just a ploy that companys use to make money on unsuspecting people. Marine Salt has neccesary trace elements in it and as long as you perform regular water changes you won't need to add anything else. The only exception to this is if you have a tank heavy in stony coral that is using up Calcium.

Answer 3

usally if you do monthy 10 percent water changes with drinking water mixed with the salts you buy a a pet store the tank should have enough supplements.

but if you want to add supplements it depends on what you are planning to put iside the tank but general supplements is iodine, strontium and molybdenum, calcium, and a bottle of trace elements. The strodium is mostly for the soft corals the calcum for hard corals and the iodine and trace elements are for everything.I for witch brand I recoment Kent Marine and the bottle will tell you the amounts. but dont rush to put in the supplements just make sure you have a protien filter and a strong enough light for the coral.

go to this site I know it is a shopping site but it has good information
http://www.liveaquaria.com/product/categ.cfm?pcatid=597

I hope i could be of help

Answer 4

Don't use rock salt.
Marine salt has all of the trace elements NEEDED to sustain LIFE in your aquarium.
I only do partial water changes once every 2 MONTHS and I have a LOT of corals(Soft, LPS, SPS) so I DO have to dose.
I only dose with Tropic Marin Boi-Cal which has a lot of calcium and all 70 trace elements needed.(Don't Follow The Directions) get a calcium test kit.
I find it WAY cheeper to dose with this than buying salt every couple of months.
I only started dosing AFTER 4 months.
Watch out for that XENIA, it grows and spreads like weeds.LOL

Answer 5

I use reverse osmosis water and buff it with Kent Marine's R.O. Right and Neutral Regulator. I also use Nov-Aqua Plus for what ever benefits it has for the fish. In my opinion its better to take blank water and make it what you need than to try to correct water from a well or tap. If its very hard there is something in it besides just water. What is it and is it bad for fish? I can't tell you that you will have to have it tested. There is no telling what is in well water. I use those 5 gallon Ozarka bottles and fill them at the laundry mat by my house. The water despensers at your grocery store are R.O. filtered. The water from there should be 6.8 Ph and is nothing but H2O. You have to use buffer or your tank will have a Ph crash. Its not stable without buffer. Its what most aquarium professionals use.

Answer 6

i own several aquariums and spawned many kinds of fishes in my life. i do not really recommend using any salt. thought it is not harmful, it is not that beneficial as well, as long as you have freshwater fishes. for salt water fishes, ordinary rock salt will really do. the expensive so called "marine or live salts" are only a hoax that pet shops use to lure their costumers into buying salt that wont really make that much effect on the quality of the life of your pets. i only use salt whenever my fishes get sick, i do not know why but it seems to help, at those times, maybe because, as i said, it was sick. you do not have any corals that wont take up much calcium, so you need not have supplements. regular and proper water changes is the best way to go.