Calcium & Live Rock

[tatty]

Help! I am a beginer at this so please forgive my ignorance. I have had my reef set up for about 6 months now. About 3 weeks ago my lfs asked me if I was adding calcium for my live rock. I was not. They told me I need to add calcium for the live rock to grow stuff on it. I was just reading that adding calcium is not nessacery and may actually be harmful long term. Please respond. Thanks!
15 Gallon
1 sand shifting star
1 blue linka
1 percula clown
1 niger trigger
1 mandiran
1 elegent coral
2 types of polyps
15 snails
25 lbs live rock
about 3 inchs live sand
9 watt 7100K Actinic and one 27 watt 6700K PowerCompact

 

[ren]

Welcome to the board. If i'm reading this right - you have a 15gl tank? with all listed in it? Think there may be problems there. Anyways calcuim for reefs should be maintained to 450ppm.

 

[jacksonpt]

Have you had your water tested lately? Do you do any testing yourself? With all that stock in a 15g tank, you're bound to be having problems, or will run into problems soon. I doubt a 15g tank could support so many critters, and the niger will quickly outgrow the tank, if he hasn't already. The blue linka will also get pretty big for that tank. Just wanted to let you know what you might be in for... not trying to scare you.
As mentioned, calcium should be maintained around 450ppm.

 

[tatty]

Thanks. I know it is a bit much for the tank but I am test for ph and nitrate regulary and have not had any problems. what else should I test for? I have a fluval and a skilter for filtration.

 

[javajoe]

You should test for Ammonia, nitrites, alkalinity, salinity and phosphates as well. with such a small tank, it is a little more difficult to keep all the levels where they should be. I would test often with that setup- especially with that much life.
As for your calcium, it is not needed for your LR as such, but for the coraline algae that grows ON the LR. and yes- it should be about 450ppm. keep your ph and alk levels where they should be, and that will help you keep your calcium levels proper when you add calcium. Too much calcium is usually only a problem to your equipment, causing buildup on powerheads, heater, etc.

 

[tatty]

Thanks!

 

[2boyz]

wow how do you do it?

 

[warble]

i was wondering how long you have had your mandorin because i cant see how your going to keep i well fed in a little tank that new, do you know something i dont?

 

[nm reef]

Posts above about testing and over stocking were all valid.....my question is this....you said you had been reading that "calcium long term was bad"...well....I'd like to know the source of that info..........may be interesting to review. Personally I maintain calcium around 450ppm...alkalinity around 2.8-3.5 meg/l...ph stable at 8.3....and I've never heard that these levels may be bad short or long term.

 

[karlas]

i would reconsider the mandarin they need a really good supply of pods (lot of lr) and a well established sb. most of these fish sold in the hobby starve to death because of inadequate lr.
and your trigger should not be put in anything less than a 75 they get up to 12". also when they get big they will eat any snails, shrimp or small fish in you tank
with the corals you need the calcium or they would die off pretty quick with out it

 

[mlm]

Also your snails need calcium to grow their shells.

 

[tatty]

Thanks to everyone for the feedback.
The source for the calcium is <a href="http://home.gardenet.co.za/landman/Starting%20with%20Marines.htm" target="_blank">http://home.gardenet.co.za/landman/Starting%20with%20Marines.htm</a>
The second to last paragraph.
As for the manderan my lfs told me to do an additional feeding when the lights are out for the manderan. Will that work?

 

[ren]

Tatty, Very Rarly. Sorry to say but occasionally mandarians will accept frozen but its NOT the norm. I am lucky and my mandarian loves frozen. I watched him eat it in the LFS before I bought him cause I have no pod life that I can find. Once again this isn't the norm, Mandarians are hunters and prefer to hunt live food.

 

[jakob4001]

well as w/ almsot EVERYTHING in this hobby, you cannot believe everything you read or what people tell you; even at LFS where'd you'd think getting repeat business to spread woprd of mouth on quality of LFS would be # 2 reason to be in business...you could TRY to feed it frozen foods like brine shrimps or maybe even bloodworms...if you do not ever notice it feeding, then would be best to find it a more suitable home; trigger should definately be relocated to a new home; it might be happy for now, but will not last long...there are a list of other chemical supplemtents that some people add to thier reef tanks too like iodine/iodide M&S...etc, ist seems to go on & on

 

[fallen04]

when the trigger gets bigger move it until then just enjoy it. I have a humma that has been in my 20 gallon for over a year and its only about an inch and a half long. fish dont outgrow a tank overnight and it may be about a year or so before you even need to worry about moving the trigger. just enjoy what you have and learn about what you have. you will pick up a world of knowledge and may even surpass everyone here with your attempts and mistakes.

 

[tatty]

Thanks fallen04.