[Mark024]

Just have a couple questions... First off, I have been looking at supplements for my 75 gallon reef tank (not set up yet of course). I'm either going to buy a calcium reactor or the ESV B-Ionic calcium supplements. I know that the reactor will save me money over time, but the initial outlay is pretty expensive. If I do buy the calcium reactor, what other suppelments do I need? I want to keep mostly softies but maybe do some SPS down the road, and every single supplement you see for sale says that it is "vital to coral growth and health.' For softies and mushrooms, what supplements do I really need? And for SPS (besides calcium)? Also, I realize that mixing hard and soft corals in a tank is a little tricky. If I have the high amounts of light necessary for SPS, will it damage the soft corals that only need moderate lighting if I keep them together, or am I best not to do so? Any input is greatly appreciated, and thank you in advance.

-Mark

[6-line]

mark,

In actuality, there's no light that you'll put over your tank that'll be too intense for the softies (unless we're dealing with mushrooms). They will acclimate to the higher light (which is closer to nature) and corals that suffer are because they were previously acclimated to lower light and need to readjust.
With that, I believe initially you should hold off on the reactor.
I maintain a densely populated sps reef that also has a few LPS and softies, mostly Red Sea Xenia and a couple Lobophytum (babies of a previously traded off mother coral). Then again, if you have the money and just want to get it over with, then add it.
I dose kalkwasser 24/7 with topoff and use Bi-onic and my corals growth is excellent. I'm not saying you should not even get a CA reactor, if i could afford one and sneak it into the house i would but I cannot right now and my system seems to be fine at the moment.
For an initial reef of soft corals and maybe LPS and some hardy sps, I would stick with the 2 part and/or kalkwassr and hold off on the reactor.
Insofar as other supplementation, I dose nothing but what I mentioned. No other elixers or snake oils to enhance coloration or coral growth. to me these supplements are a dime a dozen 9well, they certainly do not cost a dime) and do little to help corals. Outside the dosing of Golden Pearls and DT's Phytoplankton, I don't mfeel anything else is needed.

HTH

^

[mrok12]

I did not have great luck or see a real benefit to the ca reactor but that is me. I had an immediate drop in the ph. I played with the effluen and eventually decided I could live with effluent of 7 and a ph of 7.9-8.1 on a good day. I have since gotten rid of the reactor in favor of dosing the reef with reef advantage, and using a buffer recommended by scubadude. I have a kalk reactor and replace 5 gallons a day of evap water through it. Calcium reactors are nice in theory but application wise it was not the best thing since toast. Sometimes keeping the system simple without the gadgets is better IMO. I am recovering right now from a crash that happened in November. I am analyzing all the data to determine if I can find the needle in the haystack.

[6-line]

Nice pic, mrok12--is that the cluster Acro section?


How do they fare on the bottom of the tank--I always figured they'd do best in the high light and flow....


Todd