Additives needed

[fishkeepingpro]

Heloo. I am starting a 75 gallon aquarium. I plan on a snowflake eel and antennata lionfish. I am gathering my gear needed. I was wondering what additives and other water treatments I need for my tank-prime etc. Please tell me the most important additivea. Thanks

 

[btldreef]

Prime only really if you're using tap water. Use RO water if possible. Nothing else should be needed, especially for fish only. Everything you need is in the salt as far as additives.

 

[meowzer]

You should not need anything....with proper maintenance and water changes everything you need should be in the salt

 

[fishkeepingpro]

What is RO water?

 

[fishmaster78]

reverse osmosis water most commonly found in purified water...never use tap...there are too many bad nutrients that will cause bad results in your tank

 

[snakeblitz33]

RO water is really clean freshwater that makes your fish healthy and happy, and your aquarium look clean and algae free. You should use it for all top off water. (when saltwater evaporates, the salt is left behind. Therefore you top off your aquarium with RO water / freshwater) RO means Reverse Osmosis.
When mixing your saltwater, use fresh RO water + your salt mix. Use a hydrometer or a refractometer to measure your salinity at 1.022 SG. A hydrometer tells you how salty your water is. It's a must have piece of equipment that runs about $8. This is only if you are mixing your own saltwater. If you buy it store bought, request saltwater for your fish only aquarium. They will give you saltwater with a salinity between 1.022 and 1.024.
The main things to watch out for in a fish only aquarium is:
1. salinity
2. temperature
3. pH
Make sure you invest in a basic test kit, such as the one from API that will test for nitrate, nitrite, ammonia and pH. Temp and salinity will/should both be measured on your hydrometer.

 

[fishkeepingpro]

where can i find RO water?

 

[snakeblitz33]

Wal-Mart sells it, there are some water and ice stores. Distilled water is sold at grocery stores and is also good. Some grocery stores sell RO Water in containers. Don't buy bottled water, most of that is not filtered like RO water is. RO water should also be sold at your local fish store(s).
You also have the option of buying your own RO unit, so that you can produce your own clean, fresh water at home for drinking, cooking, and topping off your aquarium.

 

[fishkeepingpro]

how much is the RO unit?

 

[snakeblitz33]

If you look online, you could probably find a little three stage unit for about $100 plus S&H. The more stages of filtration, the cleaner the water over time - but the more expensive they will be. I aimed for one that was a 75gpd unit for about $175 with 6 stages of filtration. You can put the pure water on a float switch that cuts the unit off when it produces enough water. There's also pressurized containers that you can fit under your sink that can hold anywhere from 2g to 5g.