Help With Additives

FishinAround · 10/30/2006, 08:58 PM

I'm fairly new to the hobby and starting to learn my way through additives and am in need of some advice on what brand is the best for my needs. Here's some stats, 120g reef with 30g sump. Currently have a few zoos, polyps and ricordea but want to eventually get some LPS. Just starting with stocking but will eventually include grammas, osc. clowns, midas blennie, banggai cardinals, regal tang, yellow tang and possibly a schooling bannerfish. So here's what I need advice with.

1) Carbon - Currently used in sump in flow through bag (OK, an old pair of panty hose). What brand will work best to keep water clean and odor free?

2) Calcium supplement - I don't plan on having a calc reactor so looking for a two part supplement that I could add to my RO/DI top off water and keep mixed in advance.

3) What's a good dry food, is formula 1 the best for omnivores and formula 2 the best for herbivores?

4) I've read in several posts that people add selcon to their food mixtures, I'm currently using a product called vita-chem, is this the same thing or is there a difference?

5) Do I need to be adding a pytoplankton of some sort for the corals and BTA? I'm currently using PytoPlex from Kent Marine, is this OK or is there a better product?

6) What's a good calcium test kit?

Thanks again for everyone's help, these boards have been invaluable.

Paintbug · 10/30/2006, 09:36 PM

1) i dont use carbon so i cant help. i should but im lazy! LOL

2) a 2 part is a good idea. i had great results with B-ionic. i now make my own with Randy's Recipe. buying b-ionic or anyother good 2 part will get expensive with a large tank! but you dont want to put it in the RO/DI water. it will just percipitate out. if you are look for something to add to the top-off water you may want to look into kalkwasser.

3) personally i dont like dry foods, flakes or pellets. alot gets wasted, and they add phosphate, and nitrates to the water. but if you must ( which i do once in awhile ) formula 1 and 2 are great. i also use Ocean Nutritions Brine shrimp flakes some.

4) some people do, others dont. i dont. cant really help there either.

5) depends on what coral you are keeping. some corals need feeding, some like getting fed but will surive on light alone, others only live off the light.

6) Salifert, or SeaChem both work great for me.

10/30/2006, 08:58 PM	#1
FishinAround Registered Member Join Date: Jul 2006 Posts: 208	Help With Additives I'm fairly new to the hobby and starting to learn my way through additives and am in need of some advice on what brand is the best for my needs. Here's some stats, 120g reef with 30g sump. Currently have a few zoos, polyps and ricordea but want to eventually get some LPS. Just starting with stocking but will eventually include grammas, osc. clowns, midas blennie, banggai cardinals, regal tang, yellow tang and possibly a schooling bannerfish. So here's what I need advice with. 1) Carbon - Currently used in sump in flow through bag (OK, an old pair of panty hose). What brand will work best to keep water clean and odor free? 2) Calcium supplement - I don't plan on having a calc reactor so looking for a two part supplement that I could add to my RO/DI top off water and keep mixed in advance. 3) What's a good dry food, is formula 1 the best for omnivores and formula 2 the best for herbivores? 4) I've read in several posts that people add selcon to their food mixtures, I'm currently using a product called vita-chem, is this the same thing or is there a difference? 5) Do I need to be adding a pytoplankton of some sort for the corals and BTA? I'm currently using PytoPlex from Kent Marine, is this OK or is there a better product? 6) What's a good calcium test kit? Thanks again for everyone's help, these boards have been invaluable.

10/30/2006, 09:36 PM	#2
Paintbug Registered Member Join Date: Mar 2005 Location: Stoneville, NC Posts: 6,169	1) i dont use carbon so i cant help. i should but im lazy! LOL 2) a 2 part is a good idea. i had great results with B-ionic. i now make my own with Randy's Recipe. buying b-ionic or anyother good 2 part will get expensive with a large tank! but you dont want to put it in the RO/DI water. it will just percipitate out. if you are look for something to add to the top-off water you may want to look into kalkwasser. 3) personally i dont like dry foods, flakes or pellets. alot gets wasted, and they add phosphate, and nitrates to the water. but if you must ( which i do once in awhile ) formula 1 and 2 are great. i also use Ocean Nutritions Brine shrimp flakes some. 4) some people do, others dont. i dont. cant really help there either. 5) depends on what coral you are keeping. some corals need feeding, some like getting fed but will surive on light alone, others only live off the light. 6) Salifert, or SeaChem both work great for me. __________________ Never ask a girl over to see your crabs!! <-Tony-> Current Tank Info: NONE currently