Reef additives and Chemicals with SHARK?

sharkkeeper

New Member
I have a smoothhound shark along sme other predatory fish. I have been adding corals to the tank over the last few weeks and they are doing great. My only concern is the supplements and additives needed fr coral. Such as the Fusions to raise calsium alkalinity etc. Also the SPI made Fuel has copper i it. It has 1 gram of copper per one gram of FUEL total of 360g per bttle. Is the copper in the suppleents bad for the shark?
 

sharkkeeper

New Member
About metal of any sort in the system: to be avoided at all costs. Ferrous (iron bearing) matter is especially problematical. Sharks possess an acute electromagnetic sense associated with pit organs located beneath their heads (the ampullae of Lorenzini). Other metals in solution cause sharks to go anosmotically off-feed. Remove metal, even plastic or glass-encased from the system and sump, out of harm's way and to reduce affecting your shark.
Posted by shark bait, was he stating all metals evenfor the ones ment for corals?
 

flower

Well-Known Member

Copper of any sort is bad for corals. So is any metal, there are no metals meant for coral???
 

sharkkeeper

New Member
They why would there be a whole list of metals in the supplement called FUEL for corals???
But is it bad for the shark is the main question?
 

srfisher17

Active Member
I believe there are tiny amounts of copper in almost all salt mixes., I know there is some in I.O. & Reef Crystals. If I have a question like this; I like to call the mfg and talk to their tech dept. If a company doesn't have good tech support, I don't buy their stuff.
 

speg

Active Member
Take it from someone who has tried almost every bottle of everything....the stuff is garbage. Coral does amazing with regular feeding, light, and ideal water parameters/water changes....save yourself some money and stop buying that stuff.
 

flower

Well-Known Member
Originally Posted by Speg
http:///forum/post/3294815
Take it from someone who has tried almost every bottle of everything....the stuff is garbage. Coral does amazing with regular feeding, light, and ideal water parameters/water changes....save yourself some money and stop buying that stuff.

Are you saying reef water buffers and coral foods have copper and other metals in them?
Reef builder by seachem that raises Alkalinity ingredients:
Bicarbonate
Chloride
Sulfate salts of sodium
Magnesium
Calcium
Strontium
Potassium
Phytoplex Coral food ingredients:
Crude protein
Crude fat
Crude fiber
Omega-3 fatty acids
I would list others but this is all I have on hand for my tank. Buffers for RO top off water, and some kind of coral food is all any coral would need and it shouldn’t hurt the shark. I don’t know what you have that says it has copper and other metals in it, I use Indian Ocean Reef crystals.
It says it contains extra trace elements to add vital nutrients
Extra calcium
Metal DETOXIFIER to neutralize traces of heavy metals
Extra vitamins
No metal listed at all

?
 

srfisher17

Active Member
Originally Posted by Speg
http:///forum/post/3294815
Take it from someone who has tried almost every bottle of everything....the stuff is garbage. Coral does amazing with regular feeding, light, and ideal water parameters/water changes....save yourself some money and stop buying that stuff.
Although 99% of my experience is in fish-only tanks; I'm re-learning reefs and the more I do & read, the less I believe in any additives. I was building a big reef, but just didn't have the time for it. My small (55gal) reef is thriving and I don't use any supplements.
To Flower; I don't know if you meant to quote my post above or Speg's. But, I was just referring to salt mixes and they have a tiny bit of copper in them.
 

flower

Well-Known Member

Sorry, I meant to quote you concerning copper.
I checked Instant Ocean reef crystals and regular sea salt mix, and no copper is in it. According to them.
Copper is deadly to a reef. I have a friend who owns a pet store who has a 225g reef tank, some kid had put a single penny in the tank and killed all the coral in it. He still can't keep coral alive in that tank even after removing the penny and many water changes over the last two years. A reef tank can't have any trace at all of copper.
P.S.
I did a web search, and I found one site that insists all salt mixes EXCEPT Kent brand has copper...I'm not sure if I believe them but they claim Instant Ocean has 0.05 copper in it.
 

speg

Active Member
Originally Posted by srfisher17
http:///forum/post/3294871
My small (55gal) reef is thriving and I don't use any supplements.
Right? I used to dose stuff like crazy and my coral never seemed full and awesome like I wanted them to....I'd see so many other people's tanks and I'd ask what they were doing to make their coral so huge...the reply is always "I don't really do anything"
 

srfisher17

Active Member
Here's part of something I got from I.O. a while back. I.O. didn't list ingredients, so I e-mailed. Since then, I have a new computer, and I'm computer-challenged; but here is cut & paste of the relevant part of the reply from Bob Studt at I.O./Aquarium systems. Amounts of metals aren't significant (IMO), but still there. Left column is I.O., right is natural seawater. All are parts per million.
I.O

[hr]
Natural seawater
Ironless than 0.04less than 0.001
Manganeseless than 0.025less than 0.001
Chromiumless than 0.015 less than 0.001
Cobaltless than 0.015less than 0.001
Copperless than 0.015less than 0.001
Nickelless than 0.015less than 0.001
Seleniumless than 0.015less than 0.001
Vanadiumless than 0.015 less than 0.002
Zincless than 0.015less than 0.001
 

sharkkeeper

New Member
Guaranteed Analysis of Sea Chem's FUEL supplement has copper and others...???
http://www.aquavitro.com/Products/fuel.html
amounts per 1 gram
Minerals
(min values)
Boron 96 µg
Iodine 180 µg
Iron 15 µg
Copper 1 µg

Zinc 5 µg
Manganese 62µg
Bromide 300 µg
Cobalt 4 µg
Molybdenum 15 µg
Vanadium 28 µg
Nickel 0.4 µg
Tin 0.2 µg
Rubidium 1 µg
Vitamins & Lipotropic Factors
(min. values)
Ascorbic Acid (Vitamin C) 5.0 mg
Thiamine (B1) 20µg
Riboflavin (B2) 20µg
Niacin (B3) 250 µg
Pantothenate (B5) 70 µg
Vitamin B12 70 µg
Choline (B4) 4 µg
Inositol 11 µg
Arginine 300 µg
Glutamate 600 µg
Lysine 300 µg
Tyrosine 190 µg
Polyunsaturated fatty acids 600 µg
 

speg

Active Member
To Instant Oceans credit they only admit to having "at or above" levels of natural seawater.
:p
Originally Posted by srfisher17
http:///forum/post/3295130
Here's part of something I got from I.O. a while back. I.O. didn't list ingredients, so I e-mailed. Since then, I have a new computer, and I'm computer-challenged; but here is cut & paste of the relevant part of the reply from Bob Studt at I.O./Aquarium systems. Amounts of metals aren't significant (IMO), but still there. Left column is I.O., right is natural seawater.
I.O

[hr]
Natural seawater
Ironless than 0.04less than 0.001
Manganeseless than 0.025less than 0.001
Chromiumless than 0.015 less than 0.001
Cobaltless than 0.015less than 0.001
Copperless than 0.015less than 0.001
Nickelless than 0.015less than 0.001
Seleniumless than 0.015less than 0.001
Vanadiumless than 0.015 less than 0.002
Zincless than 0.015less than 0.001
 

flower

Well-Known Member

Originally Posted by sharkkeeper
http:///forum/post/3295143
Guaranteed Analysis of Sea Chem's FUEL supplement has copper and others...???
http://www.aquavitro.com/Products/fuel.html
amounts per 1 gram
Minerals
(min values)
Boron 96 µg
Iodine 180 µg
Iron 15 µg
Copper 1 µg

Zinc 5 µg
Manganese 62µg
Bromide 300 µg
Cobalt 4 µg
Molybdenum 15 µg
Vanadium 28 µg
Nickel 0.4 µg
Tin 0.2 µg
Rubidium 1 µg
Vitamins & Lipotropic Factors
(min. values)
Ascorbic Acid (Vitamin C) 5.0 mg
Thiamine (B1) 20µg
Riboflavin (B2) 20µg
Niacin (B3) 250 µg
Pantothenate (B5) 70 µg
Vitamin B12 70 µg
Choline (B4) 4 µg
Inositol 11 µg
Arginine 300 µg
Glutamate 600 µg
Lysine 300 µg
Tyrosine 190 µg
Polyunsaturated fatty acids 600 µg

For sure don't use this stuff, it has copper added on purpose, and iodine when it accumulates enough becomes poison for the entire tank.
You do water changes and whatever you need should be in the reef crystals, since you have corals don't use regular sea salt mix. A little coral food like phytoplankton and you should be good to go.
No metals to hurt your shark to worry about, and if reef crystals and all salt mix has some tiny undetectable trace and you must be using sea salt mix already for the shark all should be fine.
my .02
 

srfisher17

Active Member
Without knowing the dosage; there;s no way to tell how much copper you are adding. I don't blindly trust many companies, nor use reef additives; But, I think SeaChem is an outstanding Mfg and can't imagine them marketing a dangerous supplement. SeaChem has outstanding tech support; I'd give them a call: 706-343-6060
 
Top