Trace elements

[bigdscobra]

I have a 29g tank my set up is a seaclone 100,penguin 125 bio-wheel filter, rio 80, coralife light 96w 2x 50/50 bulbs.

in the tank there are:
20 turbo snails
20 hermit crabs
5 narassarius snails
1 coral branded shrimp
3 emerld crabs
1 florda condi anemone
4 feather dusters
50 polyps of various zoos
2 damsels
1 p clown
1 fire fish goby
1 regal/blue hippo tang
1 engineer goby
2 polyp ricordea green


The elements I add are: all kent marine except calciumbuffer
every day: coral accel and iodine
3 times week: B-ionic calcium buffer, micro vert, DT phytoplankton
1 time week: coral vite, essential elements
every two weeks add supperbuffer dkh

Every thing in the tank seems to be ok Its been about 2 months. Is that adding to much trace elements?
Is there somthing else i should add??
What are others using to keep their tank growing??
I am new to this so any help would be greatly appricated.
Also i tried to keep some Xenia but she never opened and ended up getting eaten by the hermit crabs any suggestions?

Thanks
Dan 8)

[Reef69]

I would cut back on the iodine, word has it, it can be harmful if used as frequent as you are using it...too much DT's , the only 1 eating it its your featherdusters, your skimmer is probably taking most of it out..

[bigdscobra]

Iam trying to get the mushroom ricordas to grow they havent split yet and its been about 1 month? The iodine i add 6drops a day is that still too much?

Thanks for the advice.

[RobertG]

I do not use iodine. Your water changes will be most benificial. I bet you have nice green skimmate.
At 2 months your tank is very young. You, I am sure just went through 1 algae bloom & will see others.
Sit back, relax & it will amaze you with your Patience.

I also agree on the DT's,

Welcome to Maast!

[alton]

Unless your testing for these additives and you are low, do not add them just to be adding them. Your Xenia didn't take off probably because your water is to clean. They like all the bad things, Phosphates and Nitrates. Like Robert G said your water changes should be adequate. Most people who add elements are those with Hard Corals and or have a coral per square inch of tank. I am sure this post will get plenty of replies from the professionals today, I am just a novice when it comes to Corals and there needs.

[GaryP]

The Coral vite and coral accel is probably all your mushrooms need and I don't even feed that anymore. Make sure to turn off your skimmer when you add it. Otherwise you are just wasting it. I agree with doing away with the DT's unless you are going to add clams or other phyto users. I have discontinued adding iodine and I don't noticce a bit of difference in my shrooms and Xenia. I used to add Essential Elements as well. My feeling on that is that if you are doing regular water changes its not really needed. The only thing I supplement with is calcium, buffer, and magnesium. I haven't noticed a bit of difference in my tanks. I keep some Lugol's around, but just for dipping. I have a bottle of Coral Accel and I add some occasionally, but mainly to use it up.

[jaded]

I just read an article while researching calcium and kalk reactors that suggested that saltwater made up for aquariums using the major brands of sea salt mix actually has greater quantities of trace elements than are found in natural seawater.

The article suggested that most trace elements are a waste of money... and that the two main parameters are calcium and bicarbonates, tests have shown the other trace elements in our aquariums are rarely depleted from their already elevated levels and there is simply no need to supplement them.

just thought youd like to know
article (http://www.aquariumhobbyist.com/articles/TraceElements.html)

[GaryP]

I think that was the article I based my new, simpler supplement scheme on.

My rule of thumb is to never anything you don't test for. Iodine tests are notoriously inacurrate. Iodine exists in several chemical forms and the kit only test for some of them. Overdosing Iodine can be toxic.

[jaded]

simply feeding brown seaweed should be enough to supliment iodine... especially with the life you have in your tank. I'm not sure if adding trace elements is a bad thing (i dont know much for that matter) but I know it's likely to be unneccesary and therefore too expensive.

I've noticed that the more experienced the aquarist the less they seem to dose... but thats just my informal survey results

[Tim Marvin]

I dose Kalk, and water changes....An occassional Magnesium shot because I have mangrooves, but that is it.

[GaryP]

I've noticed that the more experienced the aquarist the less they seem to dose... but thats just my informal survey results

I think that pretty much describes me. As I have gotten more knowledgeable I have used less and less supplements. Partly that is due to less reliance on the "expertise" of LFS employees. A lot of it has to do with learning from the folks here or info like the article that was linked earlier that I may not have been aware of.

[don-n-sa]

Yeah...if you follow all the instructions on the "Kent" line , then you will be spending a ton of time and money on their products. Not to say that they dont work but you just got to wonder how much of that stuff is really necessary.

[CD]

Dan -
I know most of the above comments are addressing your additives, but I would also like to comment on the inhabitants of your tank. IMHO a 29G tank is much too small for a Hippo tang (12.2" when they are full grown). An engineer goby will also quickly outgrow your tank. Other inhabitants seem fine. Since you only have one Percula, maybe you could get another one of those. They may fight at first (depending on their age), but I think that would be a much better choice. If you have your heart set on having a goby, maybe one of the Shrimp Goby (there are quite a few that do not exceed 5" full grown).
Anybody else want to comment on this issue?

BTW - Welcome to MAAST :D


Wendy

[Polkster13]

I agree. There isn't any tang that is not going to out grow the 29 gallon tank. You will need to have a plan in place when it out grows your tank. If it is set up as a reef, it will be very difficult getting it out later.

Also, be aware that the engineer goby is going to try and rearrange the tank to satisfy itself. And I have never seen a satisfied Engineer Goby. :roll So if you really like your tank to have the decorations a certain way, forget about it. Get that guy outta there now. There are a lot of smaller gobies and blennies that will fill its spot nicely.

[jaded]

tangs will reportedy go crazy in a small or low flow tank. I know my scopas started chase his reflection and freak out during the 2 weeks I had low flow waiting for the new pump to come in... maybe this is normal, but it seemed to be a reaction to the change in the tank instead of a normal behavior

[bigdscobra]

You guys have been a great help!!!!!!!!! I have already cut down on the DTs. I will prob just keep adding the trace elements to get rid of them maybe not as offten. The hippo tang is only 1in long right now. How long does it take to they get too big?? The engineer was rearanging the tank a bunch but now he found his spot and hasnt done much more. I think its cool watching him move the stuff around. I am also building a wet dry filter since my buddy gave me a bunch of plexi glass. I have 325, 1in bio balls. And was thinking about getting another 29 gallon tank for a lion fish and maybe some other non-reef fish. Would it be a bad idea to run both tanks off that one wet dry filter. The filter should hold about 10-15 gallons of water.
Thanks
Dan 8)

[Andrew]

I'd recommend moving the regal tang to a bigger tank once he hits 2-3 inches, which might take 6 months - 1 year. A 75 gallon (minimum) would be ok for one regal, or sell it if you arn't able to upgrade.

I wouldn't worry about moving the engineer goby, they have relatively low metabolism and often are content to sit in a cave most of the time as adults.

I also advise against adding any other fish to this size tank - you're pretty heavily stocked for a 29, even with a sump.

Best of luck,

andrew

[mkengr45]

I think you adding way too much stuff. I only dose bionic alk. and calcium, and do water changes. You can easily over do it when it comes to adding supplements. When I got into reef tanks I bought every friggin bottle of stuff available, but now realize you dont really need all that crap. Water changes, and adding calc. and alk. as needed.


Randy