Chemistry noob questions

[warforged]

I've been reading daily (i should be working harder I know) about chemistry and trace elements.

I know I still have to monitor my tank with weekly testing and logs....

I just wanted to know is this satisfactory routine for my tank which is 55 gallon reef.

I put in once a week Kent marine Coral-Vite http://www.kentmarine.com/saltwater/supplements/coralvite.htm

and Seachems Reef Plus
http://www.marinedepot.com/ps_ViewItem.aspx?idproduct=SC1533

With water change I add Seachems PH Buffer 8.3.


The coral vite is a new thing for me ...I compared the plus to the vite. Vite has a lot of things that Plus doesn't contain..reason I am using both now.

My reason of thought of doing this weekly is keeping my Cal, mag,iodine, vita c, and other trace elements up in the tank....

Now ofcourse I still should test Calc , Alk, and all that still...but I figure with the dosing I do I may not have to worry about big drops in elements my reef needs.

If you think the products I choose to use are not so good....what do you recommend over them?

Or am I on the right track with dosing my tank with these elements weekly?

 

[DonW]

You dont need any of that stuff! Keep doing water changes. Monitor CA, Alk and mg and dose only those three accordingly. The vita crap is deteriorating your water quality and the ph buffer is screwing up your alk.

Don

 

[warforged]

You dont need any of that stuff! Keep doing water changes. Monitor CA, Alk and mg and dose only those three accordingly. The vita crap is deteriorating your water quality and the ph buffer is screwing up your alk.

Don

Good thing I can depend on you Don. I should say "Don" insert question from now on in the forums...cause really I am looking for your responses

Ok Kent Vita ... trash can it goes.

PH Buffer should it be used only when my PH drops below 8.1?
Store owner told me to add it in when I do a change to ensure I keep my PH up.


So Watch Calc, Mag, Alk ... and dose for those only? PH ignore?

Are you ok with my use of Seachems Plus??

 

[DonW]

Honestly there are quite a few knowlegable people here, I disappear from time to time.
Ph is a function that you have no control over without effecting the other parameters, so yes until you learn more ignore it. Ph buffer will raise alk and that is not good so throw it on a shelf for later in life.
Watch CA, Alk and Mg and dose accordingly. Balance the big three when you do a waterchange and it will make your life easier and dose only what you test for nothing more.

Don

 

[tdgates10]

The only things that I add to my tank are Kent Superbuffer to balance Alk. TechM for Magnesium, Kent Turbo Calcium, and then I drip Kalk. I run my lights reverse photoperiod on my fuge and my ph stays at 8.3. This is all tested weekly and adjusted during water changes.

 

[dailydriven911]

Good thing I can depend on you Don. I should say "Don" insert question from now on in the forums...cause really I am looking for your responses

Ok Kent Vita ... trash can it goes.

PH Buffer should it be used only when my PH drops below 8.1?
Store owner told me to add it in when I do a change to ensure I keep my PH up.


So Watch Calc, Mag, Alk ... and dose for those only? PH ignore?

Are you ok with my use of Seachems Plus??

Im pretty sure he's not saying ignore your ph. Do a wc instead of adding buffers to your system. A ph of 8.1 is fine. Anything lower than 7.9 is cause for concern or if your ph is all over the place. Cal, alk, and mag are important especially in tanks that focus on sps, lps and anything that takes in these elements. Stability is the main goal your after...

 

[warforged]

Thanks you guys. You really help simplify things here. There is such a Plethora of data...I am overwhelmed ...

ill do just that Don...and ill snag the products TD mentioned for the 3 things I should watch for.

 

[tdgates10]

If you need to add the superbuffer, I found that the best way is to get a pitcher (2qt), fill it with warm RO water and add the buffer to that. It desolves a lot better that way. Otherwise just follow the directions on container.

I think that Don and others use something else for an Alk buffer, but this is the lazy way for me.

 

[DonW]

Im pretty sure he's not saying ignore your ph.

Oh no, Im saying ignore it. 7.9 is no big deal and really what are you going to do about it anyways. Take the ph meter out and drive over it and make sure it god and dead. Take care of water changes and you really should never need to know what your ph is anyways, unless of course you have a real strange issue.

Don

 

[DonW]

I think that Don and others use something else for an Alk buffer, but this is the lazy way for me.

Good old arm and hammer will do the trick.

Don

 

[dailydriven911]

Oh no, Im saying ignore it. 7.9 is no big deal and really what are you going to do about it anyways. Take the ph meter out and drive over it and make sure it god and dead. Take care of water changes and you really should never need to know what your ph is anyways, unless of course you have a real strange issue.

Don

Exactly

Also I'm talking about flucuations in ph. Going from 8.3 to 7.9 is a big jump and anyone that is asking questions and adding buffers should be monitoring their ph imho.

 

[DonW]

Exactly

Also I'm talking about flucuations in ph. Going from 8.3 to 7.9 is a big jump and anyone that is asking questions and adding buffers should be monitoring their ph imho.

7.9 to 8.3 is no biggy and if you had no meter you wouldnt even know it was happening. Adding buffers to control alk is one thing adding buffers to control ph is another and a no no anyways. There is no need to be concerned with ph unless you just need something else to worry about. Co2 is the controlling factor behind ph if co2 is so high in your house that its driving down the ph low enough to be concerned, I doubt that you would be around to adjust it anyways.
High ph may be a concern for some but for there most part that has to be screwed up by the owner or you have such a high surface area (like my tank) that you need to be carefull adding alk buffers.

Don

 

[Boomer]

War

With water change I add Seachems PH Buffer 8.3.

I hope you are NOT adding SeaChem Labs Marine Buffer

 

[DonW]

Hey you are still alive. I need to know how high is to high for ph??

Thanks
Don

 

[warforged]

Boomer. The advise as of recent that Marine Buffer just keeps it at 8.3 no higher...

and to do it on major monthly water change to be specific... I havnt put any in since I first started the tank...initial setup...otherwise i have not added that till yesterday.

With That kent coral vite and Seachems Reef Plus....

Well talking with the wife..the tank seems actually better...over night the brown algae went poof in the sand...sands white again.... the anemone's are very bloomy... xenia are all out i have 4 types in the tank...SpS are alive....minus one....Hammers are full of color and look good.

Maybe i missed a bullet I dont know... if you say dont add it I wont...

As of today I am going to do what the others said... Watch Calc, Mag, Alk...and put additives in for those.

I do want to know still is Seachems reef Plus ok?? for reef vitamins?

or should i just spend the wad of money on C-Balance??

 

[warforged]

OK ...whats wrong with this:




Marine Buffer™ will safely raise marine pH to 8.3. It will not raise pH above 8.3 even if inadvertently overdosed. Marine Buffer™ is a blended product and is not just sodium bicarbonate or sodium carbonate, commonly sold as a substitute. Such products can raise pH to dangerous levels if not used properly. Marine Buffer™ contains sodium, magnesium, calcium, strontium, and potassium salts of carbonate, bicarbonate, chloride, sulfate, and borate. Use Seachem’s MultiTest: Marine pH & Alkalinity™ to check pH and total alkalinity. Use Marine Trace™ to restore the proper level of trace elements required by thriving, healthy saltwater fish..

Sizes: 250 g. 500 g, 1 kg, 20 kg, 100 kg

DIRECTIONS: Add 5 g (1 level teaspoon) for each 80 L (20 gallons*). Dissolve in at least one cup of freshwater. This dose will also raise alkalinity by about 1 meq/L. Add daily until pH stabilizes at 8.3. This will take from a day to a week, depending on original pH and alkalinity. Thereafter, use biweekly or monthly to maintain a pH of 8.3. If this practice is not adequate, then overstocking, overfeeding, or other poor management practice should be sought as a likely cause. In ionically balanced marine water, Marine Buffer™ produces little precipitate or cloudiness. If an extensive precipitate forms upon addition of Marine Buffer™ that does not dissolve within ~15 minutes, then poor ionic balance was present. A water change should be initiated when convenient before further use of the product. Effectiveness improves with continued use. Do not directly mix with any calcium, magnesium, or strontium supplement.

I got this off SeaChem's site.

 

[DonW]

I do want to know still is Seachems reef Plus ok?? for reef vitamins?

or should i just spend the wad of money on C-Balance??

Reef plus is just "trace elements and vitamins" c-balance is a balanced two part calcium and alk additive. Two completely different products the reef plus isnt going to do anything at all for ca and alk.

Seachem reef buffer is the only ph buffer that will raise ph without spiking your alk.

Don

 

[warforged]

Ok...just boomer got me worried with hope your not using this comment without saying why.

The reef buffer doesnt sound so bad though reading the site info. It has calcium, magnesium, raises ph to 8.3 ...raises Alk a teeny bit...

it doesnt sound bad ..

OK thanks for clearing up C-balance and Plus...some other store advises I use C-balance.
Since it covers Calc and Alk i may as well get it since Plus doesnt...and it is something you advised I should keep up on via testing .

 

[DonW]

Ok...just boomer got me worried with hope your not using this comment without saying why.

The reef buffer doesnt sound so bad though reading the site info. It has calcium, magnesium, raises ph to 8.3 ...raises Alk a teeny bit...

it doesnt sound bad ..

OK thanks for clearing up C-balance and Plus...some other store advises I use C-balance.
Since it covers Calc and Alk i may as well get it since Plus doesnt...and it is something you advised I should keep up on via testing .

Its not bad its just that there is one product that is not supposed to increase alk and the one that Boomer questioned will raise alk I always confuse which one is which since I dont use anything for ph.
You dont need to add trace elements because your doing fine with just water changes. Just test and dose the three and you will be fine. Learn to keep them stable and you will be good to go. You are testing ca alk and mg right?

Don

 

[DonW]

While your at it check out two part solutions for additives and you will save plenty of money. Also read the articles about randy's diy two part.

Don