Kalkwasser and Marine Snow

[Altohombre]

Do you all use these products? I know what they say they are used for but how would I even know if I need them. I check my parameters and check each fish/coral everyday and I have no problems at all. I commend Instant Ocean sea salt for part of that and my weekly routine the other, but I know I will run into my problems and want to know if I should pick up these products when I go to the That Fish Place sale on Saturday. I am trying to come up with my "Need to buy list". Any other products that you use all the time that you recommend that the 4 month old reefer may not be using yet.

[Bifferwine]

If you are able to maintain your calcium and alkalinity without trouble, then you probably don't need kalkwasser. Marine Snow is just a coral food, and it's really no different than any other coral foods out there. I've used it before, but didn't notice any difference in the growth or health of my animals. Neither of those products are absolutely necessary.

Do you have Selcon? I soak my fish's food in it before feeding.

[fatman]

Probably 80 percent or more reefers do not need to supplement calcium. There are a few times with newbies that it would not hurt to use a two part calcium supplement and that is, when they notice their coaraline algae staring to spread and when they first buy sevearl stoney frags. If you want coraline to spread or thicken then a calcium supplement will help as coraline can use quite a bit of calcium. After it has reached th point where you are satisfied then quit supplementing. Calcium tests should be done before each supplementation until you can see a pattern in the calcium decline between doses. A few pieces of stoney coral will not appreciably lower your calcium level between water changes unless you drag them out to monthly or longer between changes. Some people find Kalkwasser a hassle, and it is if your not set up for it. It should be prepared daily and introduced into your tank -very- slowly. Like by a drip method or equivalent. I would recommend people new to reefing avoid Kalkwasser. It is effective and cheap, but best used by people who have ATO systems to administer the Kalkwasser as part of the replacement water for evaporation. B-Ionic Calcium Buffer System and Two Little Fishies C-Balance are both good proven products that I have used and recomend, but they do get expensive when used long term.

[Altohombre]

thanks for the advice. I don't like SPS at all really. I think they look like fake plants, so I prob could do without the Kalkwasser.

Is the Two Little Fishies C-Balance similar to the Selcon? I know Two Little Fishies is 40% off at this sale so I am intrigued by this.

I am also thinking about getting the PhosBan Reactor 150 to help aid in well duh phosphate reduction. The stuff I have been putting in my canister filter doesn't seem to be doing enough.

[fatman]

Originally Posted by Altohombre

thanks for the advice. I don't like SPS at all really. I think they look like fake plants, so I prob could do without the Kalkwasser.

Is the Two Little Fishies C-Balance similar to the Selcon? I know Two Little Fishies is 40% off at this sale so I am intrigued by this.

I am also thinking about getting the PhosBan Reactor 150 to help aid in well duh phosphate reduction. The stuff I have been putting in my canister filter doesn't seem to be doing enough.

Te phosphate reactor works well, especially if you use little more than recommended. It really is a fluidized bed reactor, meaning it keeps the filter paticles in suspension so that they get the maximum contact with the water flow. The reactor requires a fairly small flow rate so it usually can not be supplied by your sump return pump unless it is a "T" off the main return controlled by a ball valve. The little Fishies C-Balance is a formula for maintaing the proper amounts of the different calciums in your tanks water. The ones taken up by corals and coraline and the ones that prevent drops in your pH. A reef tank is always using up both. Selcon is fatty amino acids food and food supplement for filter feeders, such as corals, clams and sponges. It is usually added to other foods as most prepared foods are low on the fatty amino acids supplied by Selcon.