How many magic bottles do you own? (1 Viewer)

[Guest]

How many bottles of supplements do you own but do not use? What is a total waste of money? What can your reef not live with out?

Trying to get some good threads that I can look back on here and also refer people to.

Currently I believe that the only good supplements are for Calcium and Alk, but I may be dosing magnesium soon.

 

[incysor]

Calcium
Superbuffer
Strontium/molybdenum
Iodine

I haven't started adding iron or magnesium yet, but plan to shortly, after a bit more research.

Chromaplex
Phytoplex
Microvert
Zooplex

I tend to pick up a couple of these when I get low on them. I pretty much just mix/match with whatever the store has on hand. I haven't been able to find anything that describes the differences/advantages/disadvantages of them. I figure a mix gives different types/sizes of particles for the filter feeders.

DTs Always.

Brian

 

[Guest]

I don't dose anything on a regular basis.

When I think about it, I dose some calcium.
Iodine once every other week or so.


I buy a bottle of DT's and use it till its gone, then go a month without buying more.

 

[Guest]

DT's and Tropic marin calcium.
Although I'll probably add magnesium to the list here shortly.

 

[Guest]

Calcium/Alk supplements - I have buffers, Turbo Calcium, 2 part, and Kalkwasser, depending on my needs.

Also dosing Magnesium when needed (not nearly as often as I had to at first, now that I've reached the necessary levels).

Used to dose Strontium but stopped because I decided to only dose what I can test for and I don't have a Strontium kit.

I've been dosing DT's sparingly, but I plan to start doing it more regularly.

Do you consider carbon a supplement? I use it all the time and have a test kit to check for when it's depleted and needs to be changed.

 

[Brad]

Only use two part CA/ALK here. I use EVS.

I stay away from all the other snake oil.

 

[Guest]

Brad, where do you get the EVS? Is it the B-Ionic two part system? I'm wanting to use that for my 10G nano, but have failed to find it locally that it wasn't $20 a bottle.

 

[Brad]

Yes, its be B-ionic

I could not find any local retails back when I got mine. I got it online. I tried the 32 oz bottles first and liked it. Next time I bought the gal jugs of concentrated formula that you then fill with water to dilute prior to putting in your tank. At 10ML every day for my 55, I'll have EVS for a long time.

I think I got it at Marine Depot. Currently $26 for two gals (1 CA and 1 ALK).

You may want to do a search on ReefCentral and see if people prefer EVS or Kent these days. There is also some other brands that I don't know much about.

 

[aqua-nut]

A) My 150 gets two capfuls of DT's on Mon, Wed and Fri.

B) On Mondays, I add the following Kent Marine Products to my tank:

Tech M (magnesium to keep the pH stable)
Lugol's Solution (iodine and iodide to keep my xenia weeds happy)
Strontium and Molybdenum (trace elements)

c) Then, as I test my alkalinity and find it below 8, I add Kent Marine superbuffer dkH.

I'm pleased with all of these products and my corals seem very, very pleased.

My biggest head-scratcher right now is that I bought a brand new Seatest Calcium kit, thinking the last one was so old it didnt read anything accurately... only to find that this test kit says my calcium is well over 500... which is hard for me to believe. I don't put that much Tropic Marin calcium supplement in the tank and Lord knows I don't do near enough 10% water changes (two since May!)

If anyone can help me on the calcium issue, I'd sure appreciate it. PM me if you like.

 

[ShaneV]

Id question the test. What is well over 500. Depend on your alk in the 650 range youll start percipatating calcium in the water and it will look like snow.

 

[Guest]

me

I use one heaping teaspoonful of all the Marc Wiess products every day.... lets see, thats coral vital, reef dna, black powder, live sand booster. Lugols, magnesium suppliment, multivitamin with calcium and vit d added. A pinch of copper ( i know what your going to say), some strontium, and a little molybendium for good color on my corraline algae. I throw in some buffer when my shrimp looks a little tired, and then a little vitamin e when the clams seems to get the sniffles. My fish are fed a low sodium diet of chopped whitefish, with a side of low sodium caviar, and a little baked alaska on a sunday when they have all been good. Then for the corals I grind up a little oyster shell, and add in a pinch or frog leg, yep they love them some frog legs..... And for the finisher, I add in a hunk or two of dolomite.....
Next, I throw a huge tablespoon or two of sarcasm..........

I only dose what I know is needed, and I dont dose anything that I am not sure of how it works are how it affects the inhabitants. And if I cant test for it, then I dont dose. I do water changes and dose calcium..... kalk, or red sea bio calcium.....K.I.S.S.

 

[Guest]

Just curious if anyone could tell me. How much different is it to dose the Lime stuff compared to Kalk? If I were to pick up a package would I dose the same amount??

 

[Guest]

The only thing I dose now is Tech M {magnesium} and that is only after testing with my Salifert kit. Calcium and alkalinity are introduced via the calcium reactor so that is taken care of. I do test still cause this reactor likes to put the calcium out.

For coral/clam feeding I use DT's, KoralVitF and for corals/filter feeders Cyclop-Eeze.

I do not add anything that cannot be tested for. It's way too easy for the balance to get out of reef systems and testing for what you add is a necessity.

 

[Guest]

Magic ingredients

Water:

Instant Ocean salt
Calcium and magnesium

Calcium chloride to balance alkalinity
Calcium via supplements and now a calcium reactor

Fish and Corals:

Modified Eric Borneman formula:
* Black drum, redfish, croaker, speckled and sand trout
* Oysters from the gulf
* Fresh gulf shrimp
* Various brands of nori
* Vitamin C

Adult frozen brine shrimp
Adult frozen mysis shrimp
Nori
Cyclop-eeze