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questions: how early is too early (corals)? ocean bioactiv live sand reviews?

E

evoIX

questions:

a) how early is too early to start adding corals? i will start off with zoas at day 28

of course, it will depend on water paraments and using seachem to supplement.

going to be my routine for supplement every wednesday/sunday+water change 10-15% using tropic marine pro salt.
Tank Size = 29 Gallon
SeaChem Supplements
Qty Description
1 Tablespoon Reef Plus twice a week
1 Tablespoon Reef Complete twice a week
1 Tablespoon Reef Calcium twice a week
1 Tablespoon Reef Advantage Calcium added to each gallon of makeup water during the 2nd and 4th weeks.
1 Tablespoon Reef Builder added to each gallon of makeup water during the 3rd week of each month.



Reef Plus - Has a full spectrum supplement of trace components and beneficial amino acids. It may be used as a food supplement.

Reef Complete - Designed to restore and maintain calcium to levels found in natural seawater without affecting pH

Reef Calcium - Intended to maintain calcium in the reef aquarium without altering pH

Reef Advantage Calcium - Designed to restore and maintain calcium levels found in natural seawater. Calcium and carbonates are essential to all coral growth. (Powdered form of Reef Calcium)

Reef Builder - Raises carbonate alkalinity without immediately impacting on pH. With long term use, it maintains pH at 8.3


question 2: i have added 10# dry sand 10# nature's ocean bio activ live sand/25# dry lace rock

on the bio activ live sand it states it guarantees an instant cycle. i personally rather wait as long as possible to make sure everything is all and well and have yet to test my parameters. i want to verify any reviews on those who have used the sand and added live stock right away.
 
B

Buffalowing

I'm definatly no pro but I don't think I'd start off supplementing everything immediately, especially w/ no corals in the tank, I don't think you should be losing that much Calcium & such especially if you're keeping up on water changes.
 
D

Dave

Well I guess I would say you could go wrong, by over supplementing when you do not have the life in your tank consuming what you are putting in.

I have seen this calculator, and considered using it. However, I have a tank with a decent amount of corals, and I still think it may over-supplement my tank.
 
E

evoIX

that's true. i haven't started supplementing yet. i planned on starting after i have atleast half the live stock i want.
 
M

mr_X

i would not add anything to the tank unless you are absolutely sure you are low on it, and then i would not add blindly, as you were suggesting. i would test the water and then add exactly what you need, and not a milligram more.

i have a series of aquariums all plumbed together that make up 400 gallons of water. these tanks are packed with corals and i rely soley on water changes. i've never added anything, except a tiny amount of baking soda, depending on what salt mix i was using at the time.
i say this because i want to inform you that most, if not all, of what you will need to sustain those corals in terms of trace elements/minerals, is in your salt mix.

i would also wait 3 weeks to a month before i even started testing the water for ammonia, nitrites and nitrates.
i also think that a bag of sand with some water in it that may have sat on a shelf in a warehouse or LFS for months, or perhaps years, does not have enough bacteria on it to sustain livestock.
 
M

mr_X

evoIX said:
questions:

a) how early is too early to start adding corals? i will start off with zoas at day 28

of course, it will depend on water paraments and using seachem to supplement.

going to be my routine for supplement every wednesday/sunday+water change 10-15% using tropic marine pro salt.
Tank Size = 29 Gallon
SeaChem Supplements
Qty Description
1 Tablespoon Reef Plus twice a week
1 Tablespoon Reef Complete twice a week
1 Tablespoon Reef Calcium twice a week
1 Tablespoon Reef Advantage Calcium added to each gallon of makeup water during the 2nd and 4th weeks.
1 Tablespoon Reef Builder added to each gallon of makeup water during the 3rd week of each month.



Reef Plus - Has a full spectrum supplement of trace components and beneficial amino acids. It may be used as a food supplement.

Reef Complete - Designed to restore and maintain calcium to levels found in natural seawater without affecting pH

Reef Calcium - Intended to maintain calcium in the reef aquarium without altering pH

Reef Advantage Calcium - Designed to restore and maintain calcium levels found in natural seawater. Calcium and carbonates are essential to all coral growth. (Powdered form of Reef Calcium)

Reef Builder - Raises carbonate alkalinity without immediately impacting on pH. With long term use, it maintains pH at 8.3


question 2: i have added 10# dry sand 10# nature's ocean bio activ live sand/25# dry lace rock

on the bio activ live sand it states it guarantees an instant cycle. i personally rather wait as long as possible to make sure everything is all and well and have yet to test my parameters. i want to verify any reviews on those who have used the sand and added live stock right away.
Click to expand...
i'd liek to see you collect on that guarantee. what will they do, pay you for all of the corals you lost, or just refund your money for some sand?
 
E

evoIX

ha. i would hope they would refund me my money i lost on all the dead live stock. but they could easily pin it on some other variable within our tanks.
 
steamman

steamman

MrX is right. Water changes have all the trace elements you need.
Are you cycling the tank with anything? (Any fishes to start) Maybe a damsel to see if that makes it.
Don't jump in with both feet the water is deep. You don't want a major failure it will almost surely drive you out of the hobby before you have a chance to start.
Crawl before you walk. Walk before you run. Run before you fly.
 
D

Dave

I personally try to shy away from definitive statements.

Water changes may have all the trace elements you need, but that depends on a lot of factors.

How frequently are you doing water changes, how quickly are your corals sucking out the nutrients, how much water are you working with..etc...etc...etc...

There is quite a difference between a 400 gallon system and a 29 gallon system.

I am not disagreeing with others, I am just saying there are variables to consider.
 
Nickjr000

Nickjr000

Best way is just add some polyps or somethin cheap and see what happens. If they look ok after a week or 2 try somethin else. Just remember the turtle wins the race ;D
 
blange3

blange3

As Mr. X said, don't add anything to your tank that you are not testing for. And as most others have chimed in, water changes can handle most trace requirements. BTW even if you need supplements, you would never use all of those supplements. You have three different calcium supplements listed.

When the tank is running, a lot of your requirements will depend on what you keep.

Trust your instincts on the bioactive sand. Nothing in this hobby is instant except the death of the livestock if you do something really stupid! ;D

It is best to take your time and always have the attitude that you don't want to kill anything. I agree that you should start with hardy, inexpensive livestock. But I disagree with the attitude, "See if it makes it." Don't risk anything unless you think it IS likely to make it.
 
JohnS_323

JohnS_323

Officer Emeritus
Officer Emeritus
blange3 said:
...But I disagree with the attitude, "See if it makes it." Don't risk anything unless you think it IS likely to make it.
Click to expand...

There you have it; the essence of responsbile reef keeping summed up perfectly.
 
Nickjr000

Nickjr000

Ok instead of everyone trying to give me a group beatdown... Relax... What I meant was after you test and all your levels are ok then it's time to try somethin. Of course you shouldn't give anything a death sentence. But you can test all you want. The real test is when you put somethin in for the first time
 
M

mr_X

i would like to mention that you should be careful choosing "easy" and "cheap" corals. some of these corals can be quite invasive, and cause you alot of trouble later on. i made this mistake early on with some brownish grey palys. i have since named them "dead mans' flesh" palys, mainly because they look like crap and i hate them. the worst aspect of them is that they are invasive and unstoppable. i'd honestly rather have aptasia!
in the very beginning i was on a search for any living coral to fill up the space in my tank. it was a grave mistake.
choose only corals that you really, really like. you might have to live with them. ;)
 
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