To Many Products to Choose From

[Nanna]

I'm trying to find good products to use in my reef aquarium. I have spent hours trying to decide which products would be best for my corals, fish and overall tank health. I have mushrooms, zoas, cabbage leather coral, pulsating xenia, and a torch coral. The fish are 2 clownfish and 2 green chromis. I've been alternating a frozen mix, Formula 1, and Formula 2 for the fish. Marine Snow, Coral Smoothie, PhytoPlan and CoralVite for my corals. I'm looking for additional trace elements and supplements. Any suggestions would be greatly appreciated. Are the products I'm using okay or should I use something different?

 

[little_fish]

As long as you doing regular water changes, you shouldnt need anything else. Also, none of the corals you have really require all that stuff you are feeding the tank. It might be doing more harm than good by mucking up your water quality. The torch you can feed frozen though to make it grow faster.

 

[Nanna]

Every time I do research on a coral it recommends supplements of trace elements, etc for growth, coloration, and good health. So is this just another ploy by coral suppliers like our LFS? Thought I was doing something right, now sounds like I've just wasted money!

 

[little_fish]

Well they do require those things, but your salt mix will already have those trace elements, and fish poop will prove the organic that the soft corals need. If you have tons of lps and sps corals then your tank might benefit from them, but the majority of tanks dont need them.

 

[Nanna]

Ok, that makes sense. I'm just trying to make sure I do everything I can to take care of all of my tank babies. Since I have the products, would it hurt to use one product a week or should I stop completely?

 

[little_fish]

Nope, i think it would be fine to use them once a week. Or have a rotating schedule where you use a different product every other day.

As one of my local reefing friends says, never underestimate the power of fish poop to grow good corals.

 

[Nanna]

I have been rotating the coral products every other day. So I can keep doing that without mucking up my tank? But, I don't need to buy any additional trace elements or anything else since I do a water change once a week.

 

[little_fish]

yep! you got it!

 

[fastrd400]

As far as dosing trace elements. You should test first to find out if you need to before you buy anything. LPS and SPS both in qunatity will require you to dose. But again, you want to test for what you are/or going to be dosing.

 

[Bifferwine]

I agree with Fast and Hannah -- the corals you have don't require all those coral foods you are adding. And as long as you are doing water changes, the salt mix contains the essential elements needed for your tank. Save some cash, all those additives are unnecessary. ;)