Help with additives!! :)

[Mangrove]

Can someone explain how to use, and what these additives help with?
Feel free to add ones I dont list...

1) Iodine --- macroalgae??

2) Kalwasser - how is it dosed and why?

3) calcium - Corals for sure but coraline algae also?

4) Moly

5) Strontium

6) etc...

Please post more if I missed any. I plan on keeping mushrooms and macroalgae under dual 250W MH 65k Iwasakis. Those are the 2 main things I want to thrive in my tank. The tank is a AGA 55gal (4ft) with the plastic strengthening rib on top.

I have kept a LR tank before for a short period (moved soon after setup) and never got into suppliments.

[Kenzy]

Originally posted by Mangrove


1) Iodine --- macroalgae??
You don't need it


2) Kalwasser - how is it dosed and why?
Calcium supplement: mixed with water and slowly dripped int your tank over a period of hours (short version of explanation)


3) calcium - Corals for sure but coraline algae also?
See above

4) Moly
You don't need it

5) Strontium
you don't need it

Most trace elements will be added with regular water changes like iodine,moly ,stron., etc.

[Mangrove]

Is there a "macroalgae Booster" addative made?? I want to grow Macro in a seperate 10gal to feed to my tang (future purchase).

[Bughead]

I don't mean to be disrespectful here, but isn't MHs a bit of light overkill for mushrooms and algae? Also a 55 is a bit small for a tang. The most important thing for your algae tank is light, but a NO fluorescent is all you need. In my opinion calcium is your most important additive, and dripping kalkwasser is the cheapest, albeit not the easiest way to do it.

Is your 10 gal algae tank part of your sump? If so, keep the lights on reverse of the main tank...main tank day, sump night. That way you don't have a pH fluctuation and you can drip the kalkwasser whenever you want. OK, let me back up. pH will naturally go down in the dark, and up in the light, so since kalk will raise the pH, you want to drip it at night.

If your algae tank is seperate from the main system, all you need is a light, simple filter (optional), power head and heater. You need to get some nutrients for the algae, so what I used to do is put some of the old tank change water in the algae tank.

[Mangrove]

Originally posted by Bughead
I don't mean to be disrespectful here, but isn't MHs a bit of light overkill for mushrooms and algae? Also a 55 is a bit small for a tang. The most important thing for your algae tank is light, but a NO fluorescent is all you need. In my opinion calcium is your most important additive, and dripping kalkwasser is the cheapest, albeit not the easiest way to do it.

I got a real good deal on the fixture and had the $$ at the time.


Is your 10 gal algae tank part of your sump? If so, keep the lights on reverse of the main tank...main tank day, sump night. That way you don't have a pH fluctuation and you can drip the kalkwasser whenever you want. OK, let me back up. pH will naturally go down in the dark, and up in the light, so since kalk will raise the pH, you want to drip it at night.


Nope..seperate. Got a bubbler running in it currently...


If your algae tank is seperate from the main system, all you need is a light, simple filter (optional), power head and heater. You need to get some nutrients for the algae, so what I used to do is put some of the old tank change water in the algae tank.

K...I have such a low bioload that I am not sure if the tank water will have enough nutrients.

K...I have such a low bioload that I am not sure if the tank water will have enough nutrients.

[Mangrove]

from searching I see Iron suppliments recommended for it...maybe I'll get some Kalk and and iron supplement. ?