additives?

[treecowboy42]

I was going to order from Dr F&S a product called C Balance, I was also looking at another product called Microbe-LIft Vitamins and Amino Acids, or Microb-Lift Trace Elements, my question is that am I double covering the same things, or is all this needed to have a reef system. I only have a 216 w light on a 50 gal, I was just looking to get some mushrooms and some LPS.

[treecowboy42]

Sorry forgot to add. http://www.drsfostersmith.com/product/prod_display.cfm?c=3578+4680+4737&pcatid=4737 http://www.drsfostersmith.com/product/prod_display.cfm?c=3578+4680+8065+18491&pcatid=18491 http://www.drsfostersmith.com/product/prod_display.cfm?c=3578+4680+8065+18489&pcatid=18489

[DLANDINO]

C Balance is your calcium and alkalinity supplementation. If you are not already adding this to your tank and you are going to keep lsp you should start. At the same time and before adding c balance get a calcium test kit. You will want to test first and then begin slowly getting your calcium up to about 460 dosing both parts 1 and 2 equally will bring your alk along as well to the proper Dkh of between 8-12. The other products seem to be just trace elements. Start slow and you can add those later on as you begin to build your reef. I don't use them at all and you may not need them either.

[treecowboy42]

Thanks DLANDINO, I am getting a calcium test kit along with, phosphate, and copper. I just wanted to know what to order, just so I did not miss anything. The lfs is way high priced.

[DLANDINO]

You are welcome. Be careful with a PO4 kit, they are notoriously hard to get an accurate reading from. A rule of thumb is if you see algae, you have PO4. Most tests will show you a zero reading but that is because the algae in your display is using the po4 faster than the test can measure. You may want to post a thread in the reef chemistry forum and ask which is the most accurate test to purchase.