do i need to change chems for corals?

at the moment in useibg just a regular saltwater test kit that uses water and not strips.
all it checks is ph, ammonia, nitrates, and nitrites.
i have lots of zoas, candy canes, mushrroms, leathers, frogspwans, and a elegance coral (which i dont think it is cause it doesnt have long fingers but are short and fat).
LFS said i should b good as long as my tank perm were good.

im useing Seachem products
iodideand strontium 4tsp once a week,
marine buffer( raises and maintains ph to 8.3) 3tsp twicw a week,
reef complete( raises calcium maintains magnesium and strontium) 3 tsp twice a week,
reef carbonate ( raises carbonate alkalinity) 3tsp twice a week.
i bought kent coral-vite just for the extra vitamins i figured i would need. am i on the rite track?
do i need to start testing for other things?

what products should i be using?
most of my corals r doing good i do have yellow star polyps conliny what was big now its down to almost nothing . not a big deal since it was only $20.
i found a favite coral on one of my mushroom rock i bought and would like to try to make that grow bigger. ive been playing with saltwater for a few months and dont plan on giving up. so and good links products or help making my frags fro faster would b a plus.

 

I'm gonna be honest with you, it's hard to read all that in one giant block.

 

figured id put in what in useing and what should i be using.

 

My opinion

only add product in accordance with what water test results indicate you need to

you should be testing for
Magnesium
Calcium
Alkalinity . DKH

some of the product your using are good
reef complete is not a bad way to maintain calcium in smaller set ups
gets a bit expensive the bigger the aquarium is

if your using Seachem reef builder for carbonate, then thats also a good product for maintaining DKH IMO

You should not need to dose Strontium or Iodine
and if you dont have test kits for them, then you are better not adding either of these at all

if your testing based on the beginner instructions on the bottles you buy
and your not refering to a test kit, you will not know if your under supplementing or worse, elevating your levels beyond normal reef parameters

my suggestion- depending on the size of your tank would be

get 3 x salifert test kits , Mag, Alk and Calcium
test your levels

if they are all within tolerance
Magnesium 1280 - 1400 - bit higher is not an issue IMHE
Calcium - 380 - 450
DKH - 7 - 11
then dose nothing at all for 3 days and test again

if they are lower
then you can work out how much of the products you need to use to get them back to as they had been
and then you also know, whats being utilised during the 3 days
and can then go to dosing a smaller amount on a daily basis which will improve stability

if its a large set up and the demand is great
then using Seachem Reef Advantage calcium, and Reef Advantage magnesium (powder products you mix with RODI) in addition to Reef Builder - would be a more cost effective method of maintaining these supplements IME

and thats whats going to help your corals grow best

do not hold your breath though

coral growth is about as fast as a Turbo snail on overtime (not very fast at all really)


Steve

 

agreed with steve K+

 

+1 on not dosing what you're not testing. Follow Steve's advice. Test magnesium, calcium and alkalinity and compare with the level ranges that were posted above. If results are off, post them back here and you'll get the help u need to correct them. I would also check salinity as part of the routine.

Sent from my phone using my two opposable digits

 

ty for info guess i need to get more test kits . i ove testing my water reminds me back to my early days .

 

BTW iodine does not need to be added to the system aas far as dosing gooes IMO just somthing to sell you at the LFS.

 

ty going to try to get the test kits here very shortly. if i get these tests kits and prema are off what are some good products to help them get to where they need to be. by the way make tank is only a 55g.