Frequent water change + additives

[cityofangels]

I do water changes once fortnightly and I am wondering whether it is still necessary to add extra additives like strontium, iodide, mg etc. At the moment, I am using Coral Life salt mix to do my water changes. I have heard from some people that it is not necessary to add additives when doing frequent water changes. However, I do notice that a couple of reefers still add additives.

Last thing I want is to add too much additives into my tank and causing it to crash or something. What are the consequences (if any) of adding too much additives?

[CKS]

maybe those people have already determined the consumption rate and have comprehensive set of testkits?

are u supplementing strontium, iodide, mg too? r those really necessary ?? does your coral health decline becoz of the lack of them??? maybe other bro/sis can assist .. ive not kept SPS .. dont really see the need to suppement em .. infact i'll refrain from adding anything i cannot measure

i supplement my tank with alk/cal/iron which i dont really have testkits for .. i measure the intank by eyeing on the algae growth really...

[cityofangels]

I am not keeping SPS. Just LPS. But I know certain corals need specific additives. For e.g. I know that star polyps need iodide and strontium. So I am asking whether the frequent water changes has sufficient amounts of iodide and strontium to sustain these corals.

[FuEl]

Should have enough. I don't normally worry about strontium and iodide levels. Mg levels should be more of a concern, as it is one of the more abundant cations besides Na and Ca. The previous two are only present in trace amounts in natural seawater. Commercial salt-mixes normally have such trace elements exceed the natural values.

[May&Bruce]

it's a good question. I am using coralife salt and just bought a pail with 3 bags. None of the bags have the little plastic bottle of additive with it anymore, so I am now wanting to work out how much additive to add.

I think for corals, strontium, iodine and magnesium are important - as well as calcium of course.

One way is to buy test kits for these and dose until the levels are about right.....but test kits are not cheap

[cityofangels]

FuEl: Yeah.. I measured the Mg levels in my tank once and I found it to be on the low side. So I bought Seachem Mg and added it in my tank. I haven't measured Iodide or Strontium though as I haven't gotten the test kits.

May&Bruce: I agree with you. The basic test kits (NH3, NO2 & NO3) are pretty cheap. But past those, the test kits are on the costly side. Yeah, I also recently bought those pails of Coral Life and they no longer come with the additives. Are they cutting costs?

[Panzz]

they don have the additives anymore already? recently still had, but maybe now really cutting cost.

[c0ol]

it's a good question. I am using coralife salt and just bought a pail with 3 bags. None of the bags have the little plastic bottle of additive with it anymore, so I am now wanting to work out how much additive to add.

I think for corals, strontium, iodine and magnesium are important - as well as calcium of course.

One way is to buy test kits for these and dose until the levels are about right.....but test kits are not cheap

hi bro may&bruce..theres two kinds of coralife salt bucket..one is without the T-shirt and the packet of trace element you were talking about..which another bucket has..what i know is that the bucket without the trace element and T-shirt cost $50 a bucket at petmart..the bucket that has both the T-shirt and trace element cost $68 at petmart too

i know as i brought a bucket from them last week

Hope it helps

[KTLK]

I have heard people doing frequent water change but still difficult to maintain 8-12dkh without dosing supplement. Maybe this is the area we should look out for.

[c0ol]

I have heard people doing frequent water change but still difficult to maintain 8-12dkh without dosing supplement. Maybe this is the area we should look out for.

Ya..agree with bro KTLK

[loster]

I have heard people doing frequent water change but still difficult to maintain 8-12dkh without dosing supplement. Maybe this is the area we should look out for.

it is diffficult to maintain that level becasue corals consume them. and also most saltmix don't contain that high kh level. the good average concentration level will be around kh 9 or at NSW level from the saltmix

for those low in mg, there are 3 possibility that cause it low.

1. your saltmix has low mg concerntration

2. long term of use kalk water

3. your corals consume them

[ong2ah]

Hi, i found that Tropic marin salt has gd mg level... abt 1200ppm... which i measured from the salt water i make using tropic marin salt... maybe can try using better salt...though i must say tropic marin salt not cheap... but in my 1 cent worth of opinion, gd salt is really an essential... previously i using a cheapo salt for a long time... then i realise that the cheapo salt mg is below 1000ppm which is really low and bad ... it took me quite a while to bring up the mg in my 2 feet tank with sump tank system...as i come to realise mg is impt parameter for the stability of pH, as well as kH and Ca.

[May&Bruce]

Cool...I know what you mean - they have two pails now. But, I bought the pail with the t-shirt, but there is no little plastic bottle of additives in the plastic bags of salt - I have checked two bags.

[c0ol]

Cool...I know what you mean - they have two pails now. But, I bought the pail with the t-shirt, but there is no little plastic bottle of additives in the plastic bags of salt - I have checked two bags.

hmmm...maybe its in the last bag...cos the bucket with the T-shirt should come with the trace element

[dreamzcape]

so i think it basically means that you need to know the consumption rate before anything else and if it's low...you might get away with it by using a good brand of salt if not then dose. I'm not sure but i think iodide is not included in most salt mixes, anyone knows?

[Maverick77]

it is diffficult to maintain that level becasue corals consume them. and also most saltmix don't contain that high kh level. the good average concentration level will be around kh 9 or at NSW level from the saltmix

for those low in mg, there are 3 possibility that cause it low.

1. your saltmix has low mg concerntration

2. long term of use kalk water

3. your corals consume them

Hi, do u mean using kalk as top up for evaporated water will lead to low Mg in the long run?

[May&Bruce]

if you have corals you will def need to dose kalk or better still run a calcium reactor to maintain sufficient calcium and kh levels