What supplements to add?

triggerphish

triggerphish

Member
whats up all?
I am venturing back into this hobby after 4 yrs (wow how things change :thinking: ) and just started cycling my 20 gal tonite. I am wondering what I should look forward to adding to prep my tank for corals. any info is greatly appreciated.
also when to start adding?
what brand do you use?
Thanks
 
lion_crazz

lion_crazz

Active Member
Yep, water changes and testing the water. Test your alkalinity, calcium, pH, and magnesium, and you will be good to go.
 
lion_crazz

lion_crazz

Active Member
Originally Posted by TriggerPhish
Wow thanks for the quick responses.
I am using R.O. water so just he salt will supply enough?
Yep, as long as you test your water change water before you add it to the tank.
 
lion_crazz

lion_crazz

Active Member
Thanks! :happyfish
Also, keep in mind, when testing that water change water, here are the parameters you want to shoot for:
pH - 8.2-8.4
kH - 8-12 dkH, OR 143-214 ppm OR 2.86 - 4.29 meq/l (depending on what your kit reads in)
calcium - 400-450 ppm
magnesium - 1200-1250 ppm
 
sigmachris

sigmachris

Active Member
Hey Trigger welcome back to the hobby. I am new but I wanted to tell you about 2 independent LFS you might find useful if you ever venture south of Findlay. One is just south of Dayton called Gerbers, with a good selection of small to medium sized frags at a decent price.
The other is a bit farther away but called Marine Solutions. They operate out of the owners barn. It sounds weird but they have a great set up with good small frags ($5 to $10) and very helpful. They won't sell you anything that won't work in your tank and they are great about answering questions (Joe and Charlie). Check for hours on these guys as it is select. I think its W, TH, Fri from 7PM to 9PM and Saturdays 12 - 5.
 
larryndana

larryndana

Active Member
Originally Posted by lion_crazz
Thanks! :happyfish
Also, keep in mind, when testing that water change water, here are the parameters you want to shoot for:
pH - 8.2-8.4
kH - 8-12 dkH, OR 143-214 ppm OR 2.86 - 4.29 meq/l (depending on what your kit reads in)
calcium - 400-450 ppm
magnesium - 1200-1250 ppm
where should these levels stay? should i always shoot for 425 calcium, right in the middle of 400-450
 
lion_crazz

lion_crazz

Active Member
425 calcium is perfectly fine. You can go all the way up to 450 if you want to. It's all a matter of balancing the calcium, alkalinity, and magnesium.
 
larryndana

larryndana

Active Member
well thats my main question, what should each be? just thought i saw a chart somewhere, maybe i'm wrong.
 
lion_crazz

lion_crazz

Active Member
This sums it up very well:

Buy some test kits and use them.
Monitor pH
Monitor alkalinity
Monitor calcium
Write the results down each time you test.
As you dose additives for buffer carbonate, or pH or calcium ... just realize that when doing so ... you are tossing things into the equation that will change the other parameters.
Dosing only calcium will mess up your alkalinity.
Dosing only buffers will mess up your calcium.
Both may move your pH - or not.
It's a balancing act, and if one is out of balance - chances are very good that the other's are out of balance as well.
That came from Broomer on this post:
https://www.saltwaterfish.com/vb/showthread.php?t=45812
The archives here are so loaded with information. :happyfish
 
larryndana

larryndana

Active Member
Well i understand cal, alk, and ph....and its a balancing act.
I guess I can't get the right question out.
I'll read that post, maybe i'll understand more.
Thanks.
 
larryndana

larryndana

Active Member
lion_crazz,
What do you suggest?
Right now these are my readings.
Cal is 560.
Alk is 3.00 meq/l.
and
Ph is 7.8
Why would my cal high, my ph low, and i think my alk is high....maybe not.
 
lion_crazz

lion_crazz

Active Member
Hm, are you buffering for anything right now?
Your alkalinity is perfectly fine where it is. You could actually afford to raise it. A 3.0 meq/l alk is equal to 8.4 dkH. You could raise it all the way to 4.0 without seeing any negative effects. I don't think that would be enough to get your calcium down though. That would probably only bring your calcium to 480 or 500.
What kind of salt are you using?
 
larryndana

larryndana

Active Member
oceanic salt, water change this weekend. I do water changes every two weeks, thinking i will make that everyweek now that i've got a ro/di unit.
oh, i'm not buffering with anything.
 
lion_crazz

lion_crazz

Active Member
Hm, the Oceanic salt may be giving you too much calcium. I hear that this is a common complaint with that salt, even though I have never experienced it myself. I have been using Oceanic for 3 years now.
When you mix up a fresh batch of water for your next water change, let it aerate for 24 hours and test the calcium on that water.
 
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