what additives to use for live rock

[smallfry]

Anybody that has Fish only w/live rock what additives if any do you use????

 

[reefnut]

No additive should be required. Do regular water changes and that will provide the system with all it really needs.

 

[smallfry]

At the ---LFS---- they said I should be adding calcium for good growth on the rock.
Is this true or just sales.?

 

[reefnut]

Well there is some truth in it. Coralline algae (the purple and pinks on the rocks) uses calcium and alkalinity to grow... but if that is all that is using the calcium and alkalinity, water changes should be able to easily keep up. I would say it's just sales but to be sure you can test for calcium and alkalinity... really that's the first thing you would do anyway. General rule, test before you add & don't add what you can not test for.

 

[smallfry]

That funny they neversaid to test but to test seems like the first step.
thanks

 

[dmitry]

Yeah, I was told to buy calcium additives as well while curing live rock/cycling tank. I added it in 'cause I figured without any live stock in there it wouldn't hurt. All I got now are snails and hermits; perhaps they could also use some additional calcium??

 

[mudplayerx]

If you have no corals or large inverts, I think the aragonite sandbed will provide more than enough calcium for the growth of coraline algae.