Seachem Additives
Hello my fish expert friends, This question is in reference to my 180 gallon reef set up. I religiously
believe in Seachem Lab. products
<I like many of their products, too.>
and use just about everything they have to offer for reef aquariums.
<That statement scares me a bit. I am more of the school of thought of only dosing what I can test for and monitor.>
My question is: In what order should I add these chemicals?
<It will vary in regards to what you are adding, some will interreact.>
Should I add them all on separate days?
<Several hours between should be enough>
Or could I add them 20 minutes apart?
<I would guess a bit too short of a time frame.>
As it is right now, I am adding elements and supplements everyday. Is there a known method or schedule that would make life a whole lot easier?
<Use less stuff>
I use: Reef Complete, Reef Calcium, Reef Carbonate, Reef Buffer, Reef Iodide, Reef Strontium, Reef Trace, and Reef Plus. If you have any suggestions to solve my dilemma I would appreciate it greatly.
Thank you in advance, TIM
<You are welcome. -Steven Pro>

Step right up, my friends, My X, Y, Z potion will cure whatever ails you, your fishes, your...
Not a question, just a comment. I recently was talked into buying a new Red Sea product called Coralgro. I bought it, got it home, and realized the ingredients were not listed on the bottle. I called Red Sea for the ingredients. Their response was "we are not required by law to list the ingredients, we are not sure what is in it but think it has phytoplankton in it." So they expect me to dump this stuff in my tank?
<Of course!>
Have you ever heard of it?
<Sadly, yes. There are a ton of these sorts of magical elixirs. The market is saturated with them.>
Thanks, Chuck
<You have learned a valuable lesson, my friend. -Steven Pro>

Seachem Products
I have just purchased some Seachem products and am a little confused. I am going to start using Reef Calcium, Reef Builder, Reef Plus, and Reef Kalkwasser. Can I dose all of these products at one time twice a week or do I need to alternate days?
<I would alternate days or even use one in the morning and another in the evening.>
Also, what is the difference between the Reef Builder and the Reef Kalkwasser?
<Reef Builder is an alkalinity supplement (mostly forms of carbonates and bicarbonates), while Kalkwasser is calcium hydroxide.>
These two products are confusing me greatly. Is it necessary to use both?
<I dose with Reef Builder and Kalkwasser according to my levels confirmed through testing and monitoring.>
Is it possible to overdose?
<Yes>
Thanks for any help you can provide. As always, you are very appreciated for sharing your knowledge.
Thanks so much! :) Elizabeth K. Birdwell
<You are welcome. -Steven Pro>

Knop supplements
Hi Di
Clams Direct is selling the supplements with their clam orders, and the question came up regarding dosing- If you are using a number of supplements, VitF, VitB, and Iron & Magnesium, how would you properly dose the system? wait an hour between product dosing? dose with all products at the same time? Please advise.
Koralvit Combi is a combination supplement for all aquaria, KoralVit F is a food, all others are single supplements that will be used on demand (e. g. iodine for plenty of clams in the tank, iron for tanks with plenty of macroalgae and for increasing the coloration in stony corals, iodine and strontium for increasing the growth of stony corals).
The supplements should not be mixed directly, but they all can be dosed at the same time, simultaneously or one after the other, without the risk of any chemical reaction.
Best regards,
Daniel

Help with Reef Additives?????
This question is for Bob Fenner if Possible.
Bob, you always have a way of explaining aquarium issues in a way I understand.
<Bob is in Hawaii, so you get Craig today.>
I am concerned about the long-term use of 2 part additives to maintain calcium/Alk.   I have used them in my 75 reef to maintain my Alk around 9DKH and calcium around 400.  My concern over the long term is about trace elements building up in the tank from this stuff (using it for next 5 to 10 years or however long my tank stays up).  I do weekly water changes to keep my water quality in check and do not feel these added trace elements in these two part solutions are necessary.
<Not to worry, these maintain ionic balance in seawater/artificial seawater. Also, water changes and use by organisms keeps these in check. With few exceptions, these supplements are matched to seawater concentrations, depending on your salt mix as well. Your salt also contains these elements.>
All the two part additives seem to be loaded with these trace elements.  Can you explain (or point me to the place) and answer the following:
1. How to make my own two part Calcium/Alk buffering system without all the trace elements.
<Use Kalkwasser and carbonate/buffer supplements instead. My preference is Kalkwasser dosed as a slurry per Anthony's book or dripped as usual, with Seachem buffer. You will then need to test for magnesium, strontium, etc. which are contained in the ionically balanced two part systems.>
2  Or, if a better solution in your opinion, how to dose Kalkwasser.
<To use as a slurry, use a pH meter, 1/16th of a teaspoon Kalk mixed in cold RO/DI water per 100 gallons tank capacity to start, dose until pH climbs .02 only. Can be dosed multiple times per day.
OR, use Kalkwasser solution as normal; usually 2 tsp per gallon of refill/top off water per day, drip at night when pH is naturally depressed, one drop per second.  You will need to test magnesium and strontium with Kalk use.  Test at least every two weeks to be sure levels are nominal.>
P.S. , my Asfur Angel is doing great in the new 225.  What a beautiful fish and pet.   He waits at the top to eat out of my hand.   I decided to add only a Sohal and some Red Sea green chromis to the tank to allow them all plenty of room to grow.   Coralline is starting to spread in the tank and it is
becoming truly beautiful. Thank you for all your wonderful help.  
Andrew Elstein
<Sounds great Andrew, I wouldn't worry at all about the trace elements, the cost of the two parters is a bigger threat! Best of luck!  Craig>

Faulting Foul Food? "Pollution in a Bottle" 3/24/03
Hi again guys Well...I am writing this with head hung low....I have written to you all and have received great info from you concerning problems I've been having with my tank and my corals dying. After all I have asked, it all came down to one very very stupid mistake on my part. Did you know that just because a bottle of invert smorgasbord sits on a unrefrigerated shelf, that it can't continue to do that after you open it.
<actually.... even refrigerated, such products have earned the moniker "pollution in a bottle". The bigger surprise for you might be that very few if any corals actually eat such meaty suspensions... most of the product is wasted and simply contributes to nuisance algae. The main problem (among many) is particle size with these bottled algae fertilizers :p>
Well it can't and the bottle clearly states that in the instructions. I guess for the last few months I have been polluting my tank as I alternated my feedings of the smorgasbord
<pollution yes... toxic, doubtful in small quantities. It was simply degraded>
and my plankton (which by the way I do keep in the fridge).
<excellent>
So from someone who has learned the hard way, please make sure in you continuing great advise that you include the " please read the instructions" notation on anything you put in your tanks. Thanks for all the help Robert
<will do, my friend... and let me strongly suggest that you save your money on such bottled food supplements... it is better spent elsewhere (refugia, water changes, etc). Anthony>

Mixing Kent Products for Combined Dosing 3/18/03
This may seem like a bit of an unorthodox question, but I was wondering If you might be able to answer it.  I have a reef setup and I want to make my dosing of Iodine, Strontium & Molybdenum, and Essential Elements a bit easier.  All three of the above solutions are Kent Marine products. The specs are as follows:  Iodine (5 ml/50 gal every week), Strontium & Molybdenum (5 ml/50 gal every four days), Essential Elements (5 ml/50 gal every week or two).  What I want to do is combine all three solutions into one container in the ratio of 1:0.5:1, respectively. When I dose my 10 gallon tank, I would draw 2.5 ml of the homogenous mixture and feed that to the tank every week (or maybe 1.25 ml twice a
week).  My question is if it's safe to mix the solutions beforehand like I plan on doing?  I'm afraid that the pH differences of the solutions may not be compatible or that unwanted chemical reactions may occur. Can you validate my worries or should I just go through with this idea? Thanks in advance.
<some additives can be mixed indeed... but it is a bad habit. Even some compatible ones (likely all) have different densities in theory stock solutions. This you have the issue of separation/stratification in the mix which leads to disproportionate dosing condition. You could then engineer a mixing apparatus (magnetic stirrer plate, etc) on a timer to keep the solution mixed... but this is all over thought and over engineered IMO. Since you need to inspect the tank briefly each day anyways... my advice is to not anguish over the seconds/couple minutes it takes to measure x drops/ml of a few supplements. The extra attention is what makes good tanks become great...a matter of finesse. If you would still like to pursue the idea... my advice is to seek counsel from chemist Randy-Holmes Farley at Reef Central... I dearly value his opinion and perspective. He has an authors forum and you can ask him a question directly. Kind regards, Anthony>

- Aragamite and Moon Lighting Question -
I searched your website but I could not find any info on Carib-Sea's AragaMIGHT. <There will be some after today.> Do you have any experience with the product? <Not directly... but I am familiar enough with it to know that I don't agree with some of their claims.> I was considering using it instead of Kalkwasser for my top off water. <I suppose that would work, but if your calcium needs are high, then you'd be better off with a calcium reactor.>
Also, regarding moon lights, would you recommend using a florescent light (like the Blue Moon Light tube), or the LED type lights? <Probably the LED... less actual light-energy... more like a nighttime effect.> Which one looks better astatically? <That's for you to decide.> Thanks for your help.
-Brian Kysia
<Cheers, J -- >

Coral Vital Down Under
Dear sir, I have been reading about Marc Weiss Coral Vital with much interest.
Could you please tell me if this product is as good as they say and does it do all it claims e.g.. help suppress algaes, encourage coral to open further etc.
The one problem I may have is obtaining Coral Vital in my home of AUSTRALIA.
Could you let me know if it is "down under" or maybe let me know Marc Weiss email address.
thanking you,
Robert Haywood
64 Lucida Place.
ILKLEY. 4554.
Queensland. Australia.
<I am not a big fan of these sugar water supplements... With some investigation and money savings you can read over the utility of glucose (et al. simple carbohydrate) use in ornamental aquatics in older European pet-fish literature. Not a cathartic, and not materials that can be used with no downsides. I don't use Weiss' Vital, miracle solutions and don't endorse their use by/for others.
Bob Fenner, in Sydney airport keying... on his way back to California!>

Re: concerned
Also, I recently started using liquid calcium and coral vital to promote growth on the live rock.
<Drop the vital of any sort>
Could you elaborate of this any further? A reputable aquarium store told me to use the coral vital with the calcium.
<Yes, the "vital" product is not vital... in fact a "sugar pill" of dubious to detrimental use>
Your books talks about daily or automatic additions of calcium. 
<Calcium and other alkaline earth materials are necessary. Do continue monitoring, adding these>
I would imagine that means only if your test kit tells you your levels are low. The reason why I ask is because I added calcium once and my level has been good ever since.
<Then no need to add it further. Bob Fenner. Please take a read through our principal site, www.WetWebMedia.com re supplements (in the many FAQs files), and write back if anything is incomplete, not clear to you.>

Sea lab #28
hello Mr.. Fenner
this is the first time I have asked any question of your self but I have been reading and checking info on your site for about 12 months now and really value your opinions
my question is have you ever heard of sea lab #28 it states that it automatically maintains calcium, and all trace elements found in the sea.
do you know of this to be true?
<Do know of this product... it's been around for many years... and our old companies (retail and service) used to offer and use it... A worthy addition to very small (ten, twenty gallon) non-reef systems. Larger ones are better dealt with two part supplements, calcium reactors... and testing. Bob Fenner>
Dave Beene

Reef Vital DNA
Do you guys know what is in the Marc Weiss product Reef Vital DNA.
<yes...fairly well>
Unless my nose has deceived me I fear I have paid $20 for a bottle of prune juice. I don't have a hidden agenda, I just want to buy the best food per dollar ratio. 
<we are agreed. I personally will not put anything with unlabeled ingredients into my tank>
I have heard good things about Liquid Life BioPlankton, and have just started dosing it. Is this the best food for filter feeders on the market, or am I believing the hype again? Thanks, David.
<depends on your filter feeders... phytoplankton substitutes are all the rage now but very few popular invertebrates can actually ingest it (many complications about preparation and dosing). If you have a lot of gorgonians or Neptheid soft corals...fine. Do experiment as per mfg dose. But be more judicious if you have more of the popular zooplankton feeders. Again, all dependant on the specific invertebrates that you keep. Kindly, Anthony>

Marc Weiss Products?
Dear Bob and/or crew),
I have noticed in your replies to many inquiries in various FAQs you have recommended not using products such as Coral Vital or Reef DNA etc. I have read the hype, paid handsomely, and have been using the products for a couple of weeks. Please let me know if I should stop and if so why. Is it they just don't work or could they actually be detrimental. Your advise is appreciated. Mike Mahoney
<I will give you my general opinion on supplementation. I will not use any product that will not tell me what specifically is in it. Then, I will only use things demonstrated to be useful/needed (calcium, carbonates, iodine, etc). And lastly, I try to only use things whose concentration can be tested for so that the dosing can be monitored. I hope this helps. -Steven Pro>