Adding Supplements or dosing my tank?

Dosepher · 03/13/2013, 05:57 PM

In my tank im planning to just have one anemone, lps corals, polyps, and soft corals. Will i need to dose or put any supplements in my tank? Such as calcium, and alkalinity? I use instant ocean salt by the way and do water changes every sunday.

McMillin5 · 03/13/2013, 06:07 PM

im a newbie and just started my cycle but from what iv read up on that the fish and the corals suck up the calcium

Dosepher · 03/13/2013, 06:26 PM

Haha yeah i know that but im trying to find out if water changes will help replenish the water or dosing it with supplements

Palting · 03/13/2013, 06:48 PM

Your routine water changes should keep your parameters in good shape for a good long while. I have a well stocked mixed reef tank heavy on stonies, did 10% weekly water changes with Reef Crystals at an SG 1.026. and it was a good 18 months before I had to start dosing

Dosepher · 03/13/2013, 06:56 PM

Thanks for the info! So my frequent water changes will be okay? Or will i need to start dosing in the future?

Sk8r · 03/13/2013, 08:05 PM

Kalk will do nicely for you. Go read the Dirt-simple chemistry sticky above, and my blog has a how-to on kalk.

hungster · 03/13/2013, 08:13 PM

if you can get sea water from a local lfs, they usually already dose the water for you as well, frequent water changes always help especially in nano tanks

Palting · 03/13/2013, 10:42 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Dosepher

Thanks for the info! So my frequent water changes will be okay? Or will i need to start dosing in the future?

Among your choice of livestock, the only one that really consumes alk/calcium is the LPS. Keep your salinity at 1.026 or 35ppt, and the saltwater changes should be good enough for a good long while. You may never need to dose, but the only way to know is by checking parameters, so, just keep checking them.

Dosepher · 03/14/2013, 12:39 PM

Alright! Thanks for the info everyone, really appreciate it!

disc1 · 03/14/2013, 12:53 PM

The only way to answer this question is by testing your water.

dkh0331 · 03/14/2013, 01:04 PM

^^^^^^

David is on point. If you aren't testing for it, I wouldn't add it.

aandfsoccr04 · 03/14/2013, 01:07 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by disc1

the only way to answer this question is by testing your water.

+1

Dosepher · 03/14/2013, 01:40 PM

Thanks!

03/13/2013, 05:57 PM	#1
Dosepher CTARS Member Join Date: Feb 2013 Location: West Hartford CT Posts: 654	Adding Supplements or dosing my tank? In my tank im planning to just have one anemone, lps corals, polyps, and soft corals. Will i need to dose or put any supplements in my tank? Such as calcium, and alkalinity? I use instant ocean salt by the way and do water changes every sunday. __________________ Fish are friends, not food Current Tank Info: 180g RR, 75g sump, 5 Radions Gen 2, 2 Vortech MP40WES, Gyre 150, Apex Lab Grade, SRO-3000INT

03/13/2013, 06:26 PM	#3
Dosepher CTARS Member Join Date: Feb 2013 Location: West Hartford CT Posts: 654	Haha yeah i know that but im trying to find out if water changes will help replenish the water or dosing it with supplements __________________ Fish are friends, not food Current Tank Info: 180g RR, 75g sump, 5 Radions Gen 2, 2 Vortech MP40WES, Gyre 150, Apex Lab Grade, SRO-3000INT

03/13/2013, 06:48 PM	#4
Palting Registered Member Join Date: Apr 2010 Location: Ohio Posts: 6,912	Your routine water changes should keep your parameters in good shape for a good long while. I have a well stocked mixed reef tank heavy on stonies, did 10% weekly water changes with Reef Crystals at an SG 1.026. and it was a good 18 months before I had to start dosing __________________ Anything I post is just an opinion. One of many in this hobby. Believe and follow at your own risk of rapid and complete annihilation of all life in your tank :) Current Tank Info: Incept 3/2010, 150 RR, 50g sump, 20g fuge, 150w 15K MH x3, T5 actinics x8, moonlight LED x6, 1400gph return, Koralia 1400 x4, 300 g skimmer, 4 tangs, 2 mandarins, 2 perc, 6 line, 3 cardinals, 2 firefish, SPS, LPS, zoas, palys, shrooms, clam

03/13/2013, 06:56 PM	#5
Dosepher CTARS Member Join Date: Feb 2013 Location: West Hartford CT Posts: 654	Thanks for the info! So my frequent water changes will be okay? Or will i need to start dosing in the future? __________________ Fish are friends, not food Current Tank Info: 180g RR, 75g sump, 5 Radions Gen 2, 2 Vortech MP40WES, Gyre 150, Apex Lab Grade, SRO-3000INT

03/13/2013, 08:05 PM	#6
Sk8r RC Mod Join Date: Feb 2006 Location: Spokane WA Posts: 34,628 Blog Entries: 55	Kalk will do nicely for you. Go read the Dirt-simple chemistry sticky above, and my blog has a how-to on kalk. __________________ Sk8r Salinity 1.024-6; alkalinity 8.3-9.3 on KH scale; calcium 420; magnesium 1300, temp 78-80, nitrate .2. Ammonia 0. No filters: lps tank. Alk and cal won't rise if mg is low. Current Tank Info: 105g AquaVim wedge, yellow tang, sailfin blenny,royal gramma, ocellaris clown pair, yellow watchman, 100 microceriths, 25 tiny hermits, a 4" conch, 1" nassarius, recovering from 2 year hiatus with daily water change of 10%.

03/13/2013, 06:07 PM	#2
McMillin5 Registered Member Join Date: Feb 2013 Location: New Castle, PA Posts: 72	im a newbie and just started my cycle but from what iv read up on that the fish and the corals suck up the calcium

03/13/2013, 08:13 PM	#7
hungster Registered Member Join Date: Jul 2012 Posts: 28	if you can get sea water from a local lfs, they usually already dose the water for you as well, frequent water changes always help especially in nano tanks

03/14/2013, 12:39 PM	#9
Dosepher CTARS Member Join Date: Feb 2013 Location: West Hartford CT Posts: 654	Alright! Thanks for the info everyone, really appreciate it! __________________ Fish are friends, not food Current Tank Info: 180g RR, 75g sump, 5 Radions Gen 2, 2 Vortech MP40WES, Gyre 150, Apex Lab Grade, SRO-3000INT

03/14/2013, 12:53 PM	#10
disc1 -RT * ln(k) Join Date: Sep 2010 Location: Little Rock Posts: 9,705	The only way to answer this question is by testing your water. __________________ David Current Tank: Undergoing reconstruction...

03/14/2013, 01:04 PM	#11
dkh0331 Es gibt keinen ersatz Join Date: Jan 2003 Location: Close to the edge, down by a river Posts: 3,581	^^^^^^ David is on point. If you aren't testing for it, I wouldn't add it. __________________ Just found out that grandpa has a drug addiction. He is addicted to viagra. No one is taking it harder than grandma.

03/14/2013, 01:40 PM	#13
Dosepher CTARS Member Join Date: Feb 2013 Location: West Hartford CT Posts: 654	Thanks! __________________ Fish are friends, not food Current Tank Info: 180g RR, 75g sump, 5 Radions Gen 2, 2 Vortech MP40WES, Gyre 150, Apex Lab Grade, SRO-3000INT