Mark Weiss products

[acid_burn]

Does anybody use or ever try Mark Weiss products?

I ordered a bottle of Coral Vital but dont if I will use it yet(kinda doesnt make sense). Also would I still dose Ca with the vital?

Thanks,
Rich

 

[SpeckledGrouper]

I used "Bacter Vital" to cycle the tank, seemed to work fine. I also ordered the "Coral Vital" but it's still sitting there unopened. I go by the saying "If it's not broke, don't fix it!" Everything in my tank seems to thrive, so why add another chemical....

 

[rayjay]

I'm left wondering, with so many hobbyists never adding anything but calcium and alk suppliments, why would one want to spend money adding something that they don't even know what is in the bottle?
One of the most important rules of thumb in this hobby is: Never add anything to your tank unless testing shows there is a need for it.
Unfortunately, you can't test for what's in Marc Weis products as no one knows what to test for.
Personally, like many others, I do water changes primarily to REDUDCE the levels of trace elements which build up higher than normal salt water levels due to additions of food to the tank. Feeding the tank adds all elements in varying amounts, including iodine. Most of it has no way out of the tank without water changes.

 

[Brisc0]

Mark Wiess products are pretty much junk. Coral Vital is an algae bloom in a bottle, I wouldn't even do it the justice of keeping it on a shelf. Send that one to the land fill. If your tank is fairly new all its going to do is make you confused on your water tests because it gives false spikes on just about every major cycling parameter. It will also bring on hair algae in new tanks like mad IME.

 

[fishfreek]

This is my view of those products.

On the bottle and box you cant find any information other than just marketing hype to tell you whats in the bottle. So you really dont know quite what your adding to the tank. What elements your adding that you need, what elements your adding that you dont need, etc.

 

[Brisc0]

Good point as well

 

[stresco]

I have to agree with Brisc0 and FishFreek. You just dont know whats in them. IMO they are just Snake Oils, you are buying the Hype on the side of the bottle. They have no ingredients listed, because there is nothing benificial to your tank.

 

[captivereefs]

They are junk in my opinion. The only reason that most store's sell them is because the mark up on them is very good.

 

[acid_burn]

Thanks guys, I think i'll ship that one back

Also I do water changes about twice a month, 25gal. in a 120gal aquarium but cant seem to get my Ca over 350ppm. I use IO salt mix but now I am dosing with seachems Ca, why cant I get it raise to 400ppm or so with water changes?

Do I need to do them more often and in bigger quantities?

Thanks,
Rich

 

[Brisc0]

IO is good salt, however its low on calcium, 350 sounds about right. Either test and boost the water after its mixed or begin dripping kalk or get a two part suppliment

 

[acid_burn]

BriscO, is seachems Reef Complete a good Ca source?

What do you mean by a 2 part suppliment?

I'm still a newb and dont want get into dripping kalk just yet.

Thanks,
Rich

 

[Brisc0]

I use a couple of seachem buffers, but I have no experience with their CA suppliment. A two part suppliement is like B-Ionic, you get a bottle of ALK and a bottle of CA, you add them one after the other to keep levels in line and maintain ionic balance. I personally think b-ionic is the easiest way to go. I just switched over to dripping Kalk so that I didn't have to dose b-ionic every day, however after a month of trial and error.... I am getting a dosing pump and crawling back to my two parter because I think its a lot easier. HTH, if you have more questions ask away.