Aquarium Supplementation

There are many aquarium supplements and additives on the market today, all claiming to boost or help aid the health of your aquarium. Due to all these choices it can be really confusing when deciding on what aquarium supplementation regime you should use.

The bottom line is that from all the biological processes that occur in our systems, many of the key elements can be depleted over time. Due to this depletion you must ensure you maintain the optimum levels that are found in natural seawater. In the aquarium hobby industry this is done from supplementations.

Remember, our goal in setting up a beautiful saltwater reef aquarium is to provide an environment that mimics that of nature while maintaining the health of your tank inhabitants. To accomplish this you need to maintain the water chemistry parameters of your system as close to nature as possible.

In order to determine the water parameters of your system, you will need to use accurate testing equipment. You will again find that there are many choices on the market today. What you need to look for is something that is accurate but also easy to use. I am bias to my suggestions due to the ease of use, yet still maintaining their accuracy.
To start, you want to be sure of your salinity level in the tank. It is recommended that you keep the optimum level of specific gravity at 1.026 since this is about what natural seawater contains. There are many plastic type hydrometers out there, but these are also inaccurate. They tend to give false readings from not being cleaned properly, or from air bubbles sticking to them. I have found the best choices are a refractometer or an electronic salinity monitor.

If you want to keep your budget down a glass hydrometer will work also but can easily break.

Next, you want to measure your tank PH, I find that an electronic Ph monitor is best. In my experiences most of the test kits on the market today are not as reliable. You will need to recalibrate these monitors every few months using the calibration fluids recommended by the model you choose. The initial cost can be high, but knowing exactly what your readings are will benefit your system in the long run. If you decide to stick with a test kit, I highly recommend the kits from “Salifert”. If you plan on using a calcium reactor or ozone, a controller would be recommended instead.

Your Ph monitor should be left in your sump for continuous readings. This provides you with quick information of your tanks health, and allows you to study your systems highs and lows for each day.

Alkalinity is a major factor in maintaining the health of your corals and should be maintained in the 8DKH range, again simulating natural seawater. Alkalinity should be maintained with an equal balance to calcium. Your calcium level should be around 450ppm. You should always test alkalinity and calcium at the same time. If you find one is too low, the other is almost always too high. Do not be concerned if your readings are a little higher or lower than what is suggested, as all aquariums are different. As long as your parameters are balanced and stabile you will be fine. Once you decide what aquarium supplementation regime you will use, you should start by checking these levels every day in order to maintain the balance. Once your system is balanced then weekly testing is ok. For measuring alkalinity and calcium I would again suggest using “Salifert” Test kits. Of every test kit I have tried these kits seem to be the most accurate, but still very easy to use. You will find some electronic ones also, but they still seem to be a little too complicated.

For some great aquarium supplementation references on alkalinity and calcium, how to maintain the balance, and choosing your aquarium supplementation regime, the Home-Reef highly recommends these resources: