Kent marine nano reef

[yheartsp]

Hi guys

i have a 30 gallon tank set up for 1 month plus, it's a reef tank. i do 15 percent change every 2 weeks. i don't know what additives to add to it. i have sera marinvita ( rubidium strontium iodine ) that my shrimp seems to like. i also have kent marine nano reef part A part B. can someone guide me on how to maintain my kh, calcium etc? thanks all

using red sea salt btw

[Ninong]

Hi guys

i have a 30 gallon tank set up for 1 month plus, it's a reef tank. i do 15 percent change every 2 weeks. i don't know what additives to add to it. i have sera marinvita ( rubidium strontium iodine ) that my shrimp seems to like.

No, your shrimp does NOT like it. Your shrimp does NOT need EXTRA iodine. In fact, excess iodine is toxic to your shrimp. It gets rid of this toxic iodine by depositing it in its exoskeleton and then molting. Excess iodine leads to premature molting.

Nothing in your aquarium needs iodine (or strontium) at concentrations in excess of natural seawater levels. In fact, both iodine and strontium are TOXIC at elevated levels. Excess strontium results in retarded growth in corals by interferring with calcium deposition. Excess strontium in humans leads to deformed bones for exactly the same reasons.

NEVER add anything that you haven't tested for and found to be deficient. If you are adding strontium and iodine without even testing for them, you almost certainly have elevated levels of both. NSW concentration of iodine is ~0.06 ppm (all forms). NSW concentration of strontium is ~9 ppm.

Besides, the Kent Marine two-part product that you are using to maintain calcium and alkalinity is alleged to contain strontium.

i also have kent marine nano reef part A part B. can someone guide me on how to maintain my kh, calcium etc? thanks all

Kent Marine's nano reef Part A and Part B is just a brand of two-part calcium and alkalinity additive used to manage calcium and alkalinity. The manufacturer claims that this product also contains magnesium, strontium, iron and other elements. The magnesium is a good thing if it's present in an appropriate concentration. The strontium, iron and other elements are not harmful if they are present in small concentrations. I suspect that they're listed only because they were present as impurities.

Two-part products, such as this one, are fine for maintaining calcium and alkalinity is small aquariums. For larger tanks, they can become too expensive and other methods of calcium and alkalinity maintenance are usually employed.

Directions for Use
NanoReef Part A: Add 1 ml (8 drops) per 4 gallons tank capacity daily to maintain proper water parameters. Add directly to the system in an area of good water movement. Wait 5 minutes, then add Part B. Do not mix with other supplements outside of aquarium. Use NanoReef Part B to maintain alkalinity within a range of 7-10 dKH. Use of accurate test kits with these products is highly recommended and will ensure that the concentrations in the aquarium are within the desired ranges.

General Information
NanoReef Part B is an ionically-balanced buffer to NanoReef Part A that increases alkalinity and maintains stable pH. When added at the same dosage as NanoReef Part A, NanoReef Part B provides alkalinity in the same ratio found in natural seawater. It is recommended that accurate test kits be used on a regular basis to ensure water parameters remain consistent within the desired ranges (calcium 420-450 ppm, magnesium 1,300 – 1,350 ppm, strontium 8-10 ppm, alkalinity 7-10 dKH).

Those claimed levels of calcium, magnesium, strontium and alkalinity are EXCELLENT. If the product performs as advertised, then that's all you need.

I suggest you start out with 1/4-1/2 teaspoon (1.25-2.5ml) of each part, making sure to wait five minutes between these additions. I would suggest you first remove about 500ml of tankwater and add the product to that, then pour that into your tank directly into the flow from a powerhead or other water current outlet. That's because you don't have a sump. Wait five minutes between each part.

This is a balanced additive. You would normally add equal parts of A and B. However, if either your calcium or your alkalinty should drift out of line, then you would adjust your doses of each part to address your situation. In other words, if your calcium is too low, then just add 5ml (1 tsp) of Part A for each 2.5ml (1.2 tsp) of Part B until your calcium level is back to normal.

Obviously you will need decent test kits for calcium, alkalinity and magnesium to make sure that everything is within normal parameters. You could also test for pH and iodine if you want but your pH will be fine as long as your calcium, alkalinity and magnesium are in line. As long as you are adding food to your tank, it is highly unlikely that your iodine levels will fall below 0.06 ppm because all of the foods that we feed have a lot of iodine.



P.S. -- I'm assuming that you are on the metric system in Malaysia. I'm including the archaic English measurements (teaspoons) only for the benefit of U.S. readers. In this country we're still using the ancient system of measurements we inherited from our former monarch.

[yheartsp]

oh no and i thought my shrimp was HAPPY that's why he molted T_T
okay i'll never use that again. when u say natural sea water, you're talking about the saltwater i get after mixing my salt with water right? i just changed my water and added the iodine strondium rubidium additive 2 days ago. my alkalinity level is 8dkh and ph 8.3 . can i start using the nano reef additives or should i wait a while since i already added trace elements2 days ago.

also, i have tested a nitrate of 10 ppm on my tank, i'm planning to reduce it with green macro algae, good idea?

sigh, i'll need to buy calcium and magnesium test kits then, more $$$$. \

Lastly , do i really have to add those additives daily? do people normally add additives to their reefs daily , i mean what if i go away for 2 days or something

[Ninong]

when u say natural sea water, you're talking about the saltwater i get after mixing my salt with water right?

No, when I say natural seawater (NSW), I'm talking about the water in the ocean. What we strive to do with our artificial saltwater and additives is duplicate NSW as closely as possible.

i just changed my water and added the iodine strondium rubidium additive 2 days ago. my alkalinity level is 8dkh and ph 8.3 .

Your alkalinity and pH are both fine.

can i start using the nano reef additives or should i wait a while since i already added trace elements2 days ago.

You can start using the Kent Marine Part A and Part B now, just start out with small doses, maybe 1/4 tsp (1.25ml) of each part.

also, i have tested a nitrate of 10 ppm on my tank, i'm planning to reduce it with green macro algae, good idea?

Your nitrate at 10 ppm is not really all that high for a tank at this stage of its development. I wouldn't be too concerned about it if I were you. Only add the macroalgae to your tank if you really want it in there, not because you want it to help control nitrates. Some macroalgae can be difficult to control once it's added. It sort of spreads all over the tank, if you know what I mean.

Lastly , do i really have to add those additives daily? do people normally add additives to their reefs daily

Yes, this product is designed to be added daily. What you should do is simply reduce the dosage rather than skip days in between additions. It would probably be okay to add it every other day but it's really intented to be added on a daily basis, preferably in the morning.

You will need to monitor your calcium and alkalinity in order to determine how much of each part you should add. Your magnesium will probably be okay because it's included in this product but it wouldn't hurt to buy a Mg test kit just to make sure.

I would forget about adding iodine or strontium. I doubt that you will ever need them.

[Ninong]

Somehow or other I missed the size of your tank when I wrote my previous recommendation on the amount of Part A and Part B you should add. I was thinking that your tank was smaller than it is.

Change my recommended dosage on Part A and Part B to 1/2-1 tsp (2.5-5ml) of each part daily. Monitor your calcium and alkalinity levels on a weekly basis and adjust that dosage either higher or lower as necessary.

Right now you can probably maintain normal levels of calcium and alkalinity with just 1/2 tsp (2.5ml) of each part daily, but later on, after you have more corals and coralline algae in your tank, you will probably need to add 1 tsp (5ml) of each part daily.

[yheartsp]

Somehow or other I missed the size of your tank when I wrote my previous recommendation on the amount of Part A and Part B you should add. I was thinking that your tank was smaller than it is.

Change my recommended dosage on Part A and Part B to 1/2-1 tsp (2.5-5ml) of each part daily. Monitor your calcium and alkalinity levels on a weekly basis and adjust that dosage either higher or lower as necessary.

Right now you can probably maintain normal levels of calcium and alkalinity with just 1/2 tsp (2.5ml) of each part daily, but later on, after you have more corals and coralline algae in your tank, you will probably need to add 1 tsp (5ml) of each part daily.

lol alright. so basically if i add the additives everyday my calcium and alkalinity is supposed to stay constant? and if it's too low i'll put more first and then switch to the original dose? i added a chiller yesterday and the temp is set at 25.5 c , it will only chill again when there's 2 degree diff ( 27.5 c) , will this temp fluctuation be stressful for my corals? it takes at least one hour plus for temp to rise 2 degrees, and maybe 45 minutes to an hour for it to chill.

[Ninong]

lol alright. so basically if i add the additives everyday my calcium and alkalinity is supposed to stay constant?

Yes. A two-part product is one of the methods that can be used to maintain stable calcium and alkalinity. It is usually only cost effective in smaller tanks because it is more expensive than other methods for larger tanks.

... and if it's too low i'll put more first and then switch to the original dose?

Normally you would add equal parts of Part A and Part B; however, by adjusting the dosage of either part compared to the other, you can adjust for slight deficiencies as revealed by your routine testing. A 2-deg C swing up and down between chiller cycles is not a good idea at all.

In other words, if your calcium is fine but your alkalinity seems a little too low, then add a little more of the Part B component for a few days and re-test. If your calcium is too low, add more of the Part A component.

It is intended that you should add equal parts of A and B on a daily basis (or maybe every other day in a really small tank) but you can make slight adjustments to deal with variations in your test results.

Follow Kent Marine's advice and keep your results within these parameters:

It is recommended that accurate test kits be used on a regular basis to ensure water parameters remain consistent within the desired ranges (calcium 420-450 ppm, magnesium 1,300 – 1,350 ppm, strontium 8-10 ppm, alkalinity 7-10 dKH).

Except that as I memtioned previously, I wouldn't bother buying a strontium test kit (they're notoriously unreliable anyway).

i added a chiller yesterday and the temp is set at 25.5 c , it will only chill again when there's 2 degree diff ( 27.5 c) , will this temp fluctuation be stressful for my corals?

A 2 degree Celsius (3.6 degree Fahrenheit) fluctuation in temperature between chiller cycles if much, much greater than desired. Why can't it be adjusted so that it comes on sooner?

I see no reason to chill it down to 25.5 C (77.9 F) in the first place. The 27.5 C (81.5 F) temperature is ideal for a reef aquarium. Is it possible to set it so that it comes on at 27.5 C (81.5 F) and goes off at 27 C (80.6 F)? It that's not possible, what about coming on at 28 C (82.4 F) and going off at 27 C (80.6 F)?

Anything between 26.5 to 28.5 C is fine. It's just that it's better to maintain stable temperature, especially in a smaller tank.

[yheartsp]

Yes. A two-part product is one of the methods that can be used to maintain stable calcium and alkalinity. It is usually only cost effective in smaller tanks because it is more expensive than other methods for larger tanks.


Normally you would add equal parts of Part A and Part B; however, by adjusting the dosage of either part compared to the other, you can adjust for slight deficiencies as revealed by your routine testing. A 2-deg C swing up and down between chiller cycles is not a good idea at all.

In other words, if your calcium is fine but your alkalinity seems a little too low, then add a little more of the Part B component for a few days and re-test. If your calcium is too low, add more of the Part A component.

It is intended that you should add equal parts of A and B on a daily basis (or maybe every other day in a really small tank) but you can make slight adjustments to deal with variations in your test results.

Follow Kent Marine's advice and keep your results within these parameters:

It is recommended that accurate test kits be used on a regular basis to ensure water parameters remain consistent within the desired ranges (calcium 420-450 ppm, magnesium 1,300 – 1,350 ppm, strontium 8-10 ppm, alkalinity 7-10 dKH).

Except that as I memtioned previously, I wouldn't bother buying a strontium test kit (they're notoriously unreliable anyway).



A 2 degree Celsius (3.6 degree Fahrenheit) fluctuation in temperature between chiller cycles if much, much greater than desired. Why can't it be adjusted so that it comes on sooner?

I see no reason to chill it down to 25.5 C (77.9 F) in the first place. The 27.5 C (81.5 F) temperature is ideal for a reef aquarium. Is it possible to set it so that it comes on at 27.5 C (81.5 F) and goes off at 27 C (80.6 F)? It that's not possible, what about coming on at 28 C (82.4 F) and going off at 27 C (80.6 F)?

Anything between 26.5 to 28.5 C is fine. It's just that it's better to maintain stable temperature, especially in a smaller tank.

i have just got my magnesium and calcium test kit after i dosed 2 ml of part A and part B each in the morning. my calcium reads 560 and magnesium reads 1140 , dkh is 8. so i guess i'll just not add anything for one week and let the calcium level drop?

about the chiller.. it is set to chill ONLY when there is a 2 degree fluctuation. i would have preferred it to go on when there's just 1 degree diff but sigh.. and you can only set it at 25.5 , 26.5 etc. ( because the temp calibration on the chiller is +0.5 from the real tank temp, and u can ONLY set the temp at 25 , 26, 27 etc ) i set mine at 26, hence it's 25.5.. i can't set it at 26.5 because it'll only go on at 28.5 which is kinda high for my BTA

[yheartsp]

hey..

i realise my corals aren't so happy anymore after i introduced the chiller.. one of the branches of my torch coral is dead, and the other one not so good.. my glove and buttons doesn't seem happy too..

the night before i introduced the chiller, i put a fan on it, the temp dropped from 28.5 to 26.3c the following morning, then i got the chiller and set it to 25.5. is the temp fluctuation that killed my torch?

water parameters
ammonia nitrite -0
nitrate 10ppm
sg 1.024 ph 8.3
alkalinity - 8dkh
calcium 560
magnesium 1140

Should i just set the temp to 26.5 so that it'll chill when it reaches 28.5? i'm at a loss here.. thought everything would be better after i got a chiller ;;

i forgot to mention, i have quite a red slime algae bloom going on, could it be phosphates harming my corals? how do i remove them?

[Ninong]

While it is true that some corals -- especially those in very shallow water -- do experience wide daily swings in temperature, I don't think this is a good idea for a reef aquarium. There is disagreement on this point but I believe that stable temperature is better than having the temperature fluctuate too much, especially if it's constantly going up and down by as much as 2 degrees C (3.6 deg F) all day long.

Do you have powerfull (metal halide) lighting that contributes to your heat problem? Is the room where the aquarium is kept air conditioned? Do you have high humidity?

In any case, I would suggest that you set the chiller on 27 C (80.6 F) so that it comes on when the water temperature reaches 29 C (84.2 F).

I think you may be better off without this particular chiller if you can get the temperature under control with just a fan. I have never heard of a chiller with such a wide setting (2 C, 3.6 F).

If you can keep the water temperature below 29.5 C (85.1 F) with just the fan alone, then that may be a better way to go.

[yheartsp]

While it is true that some corals -- especially those in very shallow water -- do experience wide daily swings in temperature, I don't think this is a good idea for a reef aquarium. There is disagreement on this point but I believe that stable temperature is better than having the temperature fluctuate too much, especially if it's constantly going up and down by as much as 2 degrees C (3.6 deg F) all day long.

Do you have powerfull (metal halide) lighting that contributes to your heat problem? Is the room where the aquarium is kept air conditioned? Do you have high humidity?

In any case, I would suggest that you set the chiller on 27 C (80.6 F) so that it comes on when the water temperature reaches 29 C (84.2 F).

I think you may be better off without this particular chiller if you can get the temperature under control with just a fan. I have never heard of a chiller with such a wide setting (2 C, 3.6 F).

If you can keep the water temperature below 29.5 C (85.1 F) with just the fan alone, then that may be a better way to go.

no i have a T5 lighting that produces little heat. the tank is at my living room where the air con is only on ocasionally. the ambient temp can reach 30 degrees in the afternoon. yes i'm considering setting it at 27 , which is 26.6 for my chiller.

For my above question.? the coral declining question. do you think it might be the phosphates? :eek3:

[Ninong]

Cyanobacteria (red slime) can be kept in check by keeping nitrate and phosphate levels low and by making sure that your lighting is replaced when necessary. Also, it helps to direct water current directly at the problem areas, if possible.

There are several different phosphate reducing products on the market. The best would be any of the iron-oxide based adsorbers, such as ROWAphos. I believe Kent Marine sells a similar product. It is important that it be iron oxide hydroxide and not alumina pellets. Alumina will leach toxic aluminum into your aquarium. Very few manufacturers still sell alumina for phosphate removal but one manufacturer in particular still does.

I have no idea how you will use one of these products in your aquarium if you don't have a sump. Normally you would use a mesh bag and fill the mesh bag with a certain amount of the product (iron oxide granules) and then place the mesh bag somewhere in the sump where the water will flow through it. I guess what you would have to do in your aquarium is get yourself a small mesh bag and fill it with some ROWAphos (or similar) and then find a spot in your aquarium that isn't too noticeable but where the water current will pass through the mesh bag. Obviously you wouldn't want the mesh bag to be visible and ruin the appearance of your aquarium. Anyway, that's one of the ways that people control phosphate. There are other options. Check the various online vendors under phosphate removal products but stay away from alumina.

[yheartsp]

Cyanobacteria (red slime) can be kept in check by keeping nitrate and phosphate levels low and by making sure that your lighting is replaced when necessary. Also, it helps to direct water current directly at the problem areas, if possible.

There are several different phosphate reducing products on the market. The best would be any of the iron-oxide based adsorbers, such as ROWAphos. I believe Kent Marine sells a similar product. It is important that it be iron oxide hydroxide and not alumina pellets. Alumina will leach toxic aluminum into your aquarium. Very few manufacturers still sell alumina for phosphate removal but one manufacturer in particular still does.

I have no idea how you will use one of these products in your aquarium if you don't have a sump. Normally you would use a mesh bag and fill the mesh bag with a certain amount of the product (iron oxide granules) and then place the mesh bag somewhere in the sump where the water will flow through it. I guess what you would have to do in your aquarium is get yourself a small mesh bag and fill it with some ROWAphos (or similar) and then find a spot in your aquarium that isn't too noticeable but where the water current will pass through the mesh bag. Obviously you wouldn't want the mesh bag to be visible and ruin the appearance of your aquarium. Anyway, that's one of the ways that people control phosphate. There are other options. Check the various online vendors under phosphate removal products but stay away from alumina.

i actually have a ehiem liberty overhead filter, the largest one, i could take out all the filter media and add these products? could the phosphates be causing my corals to decline??

[Ninong]

no i have a T5 lighting that produces little heat. the tank is at my living room where the air con is only on ocasionally. the ambient temp can reach 30 degrees in the afternoon.

Is that all, just 30 C (86 F)? That's nothing!

Where I live (southern US), the temperature has been hitting 102-104 F (39-40 C) for the past eight or nine days in a row. I do have air-conditioning and it runs almost constantly. Not only that, because we are near the coast (Gulf of Mexico), we have high humidity in the summer, so when the temperature hits 102 F (39 C), the heat index can be 115 F. That's what it feels like.

yes i'm considering setting it at 27 , which is 26.6 for my chiller.

As long as your water temperature does not climb above 29.5 C (85.1 F), you shouldn't have any problems. If it's possible for you to keep the temperature below that level with just a fan, then that would be better than using that chiller that has such a wide fluctuation.

For my above question.? the coral declining question. do you think it might be the phosphates? :eek3:

Well, since I have no idea what your phosphate level is, I really can't say; however, I doubt it.

[Ninong]

i actually have a ehiem liberty overhead filter, the largest one, i could take out all the filter media and add these products? could the phosphates be causing my corals to decline??

Check around. I believe there are filter pads that contain both GAC (granular activated carbon) and GFO (granular ferric oxide). Use one of those instead of whatever you are using now. Do you know exactly what is inside the filter pads you are using now???

[yheartsp]

Is that all, just 30 C (86 F)? That's nothing!

Where I live (southern US), the temperature has been hitting 102-104 F (39-40 C) for the past eight or nine days in a row. I do have air-conditioning and it runs almost constantly. Not only that, because we are near the coast (Gulf of Mexico), we have high humidity in the summer, so when the temperature hits 102 F (39 C), the heat index can be 115 F. That's what it feels like.


As long as your water temperature does not climb above 29.5 C (85.1 F), you shouldn't have any problems. If it's possible for you to keep the temperature below that level with just a fan, then that would be better than using that chiller that has such a wide fluctuation.


Well, since I have no idea what your phosphate level is, I really can't say; however, I doubt it.

i think the highest my tank temp reaches with NO fan is 29.3 c , is that really okay for anemones? why do so many sources recommend such low temps, 25 to 26 , even my LFS. do they have the wrong information or something? i keep hearing people say 76 to 78 F, which is the main reason i bought the chiller

[yheartsp]

Check around. I believe there are filter pads that contain both GAC (granular activated carbon) and GFO (granular ferric oxide). Use one of those instead of whatever you are using now. Do you know exactly what is inside the filter pads you are using now???

Currently i only have one eheim ecco canister filter , it has bio balls inside for bacteria, activated carbon, and mechanical filtration. i'm planning to add phosphate and nitrate reducing stuff in my hang on filter ( it has rather large space ) , advisable?

[Ninong]

i actually have a ehiem liberty overhead filter, the largest one, i could take out all the filter media and add these products?

I guess you have the Eheim Liberty 200 filter, right?

Doesn't it have two separate replaceable filter cartridges, one with carbon and one that is supposed to be a biological filter???

When was the last time you replaced the cartridges?

You don't need the one that is supposed to be a biological filter. Your live rock and sand bed are more than capable of handling all of your biological filtration without the help of any filter pads. In fact, such filter pads are not helpful at all in a reef tank with live rock.

Maybe you could leave the carbon filter pad and remove the bio filter pad? Then maybe you could stick something with GFO in the space where the bio filter pad used to be??? Check around. I think they sell various filter pad products that contain GFO (or GFO & GAC in the same pad).

Anyway, replace your carbon pad with a new pad (if necessary) and remove the bio pad and replace that with something that contains GFO.

[yheartsp]

I guess you have the Eheim Liberty 200 filter, right?

Doesn't it have two separate replaceable filter cartridges, one with carbon and one that is supposed to be a biological filter???

When was the last time you replaced the cartridges?

You don't need the one that is supposed to be a biological filter. Your live rock and sand bed are more than capable of handling all of your biological filtration without the help of any filter pads. In fact, such filter pads are not helpful at all in a reef tank with live rock.

Maybe you could leave the carbon filter pad and remove the bio filter pad? Then maybe you could stick something with GFO in the space where the bio filter pad used to be??? Check around. I think they sell various filter pad products that contain GFO (or GFO & GAC in the same pad).

Anyway, replace your carbon pad with a new pad (if necessary) and remove the bio pad and replace that with something that contains GFO.

wait wait, i currently am NOT using that ehiem liberty 200 filter, i am using ehiem ecco 2232 external filter ( Eheim Ecco Canister Filters - Product Reviews at The Age of Aquariums - Tropical Fish) however, i do have a ehiem liberty 200 which i keep as spare. so i can basically remove ALL the cartridges to replace them :eek3:

[Ninong]

i think the highest my tank temp reaches with NO fan is 29.3 c , is that really okay for anemones?

Yes, of course 29.3 C (84.7 F) is okay for anemones. What do you think the water temperature is in the ocean where you live.

why do so many sources recommend such low temps, 25 to 26 , even my LFS. do they have the wrong information or something?

I don't know why some people recommend 25-26 C (77-78.8 F) for reef aquariums. I prefer a more natural temperature range of 82-83 F (27.8-28.3 C) for a reef aquarium. Many people won't be able to hold their temperature in that range without the help of fans and/or a chiller.

Most corals are quite capable of dealing with temperature as high as 85 F (29.4 C) without problems. It would be better to keep the maximum temperture below 84 F (28.9 C) but as long as it doesn't get above 85 F (29.4 C) on a regular basis, you should be fine. My ideal range is still 82-83 F (27.8-28.3 C). Some people prefer an ideal range of 80-81 F (26.7-27.2 C), which is fine. I just wouldn't go any lower than that is you want to provide your animals with natural conditions.

i keep hearing people say 76 to 78 F, which is the main reason i bought the chiller

Maybe you're listening to the wrong people.

Check out this article by Dr. Ron Shimek on the appropriate temperature for reef animals in captivity.