Skimmers and chemicals

[SassyAngel111]

Just need to find out I had but some Kent Marine Essential Elements in my tank about 15 drops since my tank is only a 20gl. and now I have micro bubbles and no skimmate is forming. Is this normal or not?

 

[ColdFish]

Skimmers can be pretty sensitive to water chemistry. Mine stop working for a while whenever I have to put my arm in the tank to do anything. I'm assuming this is probably from the oils on your skin. Feedings also can affect it briefly. Your skimmer should start working properly again on it's own, but it's definetly normal behavior.

 

[tecwzrd]

Just about anything you add to the tank can affect skimmer performance briefly as Coldfish said. What do you have in your tank that makes you think you need to add trace elements for?

Usually doing a PWC each week of 10%-15% will replenish all the trace elements your tank needs and buying additives is usually a waste of money. Also depending on the additive it could end up hurting your tank more then help if you overdose.

 

[SassyAngel111]

The guy at the lfs had said that I should start adding the Kent Marine Essential Elements. that this will be needed for the little bit of corals that I have in the tank.

 

[tecwzrd]

The guy at the lfs is trying to make $$$. Your salt mix has all the same “Essential Elements” and all you are doing is adding to it. Even dosing at the “recommended dose” could add more of what is actually needed. Also this should not be used as a PWC replacement.

This is what it contains:

Contents:
Inorganic mineral salts of aluminum, boron, bromine, calcium, chromium, cobalt, copper, iodine, iron, lithium, magnesium, manganese, molybdenum, nickel, potassium, selenium, sulfur, strontium, tin, vanadium, and zinc in a base containing deionized water and EDTA.

Note that copper is being added and that none of these elements are listed in ppm quantities. I assume you haven’t spent $300+ for test kits which means you do not know what level of elements are currently in the tank.

NSW contains very little “trace elements” and as I said before maintaining ca/alk is usually about the only thing you have to add to a tank depending on how much coral you have.

What corals do you have that made the lfs recommend adding supplements for?

 

[Brenden]

Loose the "essential elements" and maintain a reg WC schedule.

maintaining ca/alk is usually about the only thing you have to add to a tank

As tec said LFS is out to make $$

 

[melosu58]

I agree that PWC are the answer. No essential elements for me either

 

[SassyAngel111]

I have a med size piece of zoos a small shrooms and a yellow button (small), I will take the Essential Element back and tell them they are nuts But couldn't pass up the price on the zoos real cheap, since any good swlfs is about an hr away from me and with the price of gas.

I have been checking out some different sites that sale different starter corals for beginners I might just go that route.

No all I test for is alk, no2, nh3, no3, po4, ph, and the sg. I know I need to get a ca test as well.

 

[Brenden]

You can get a seachem marine basic test. It will have NH3, NO2, NO3, PH, and ALK. I would recommend a salifert CA test. If you have the $ I would also get a salifert Alk test. I know you get Alk with the seachem but I love the accurate numbers salifert offers.

 

[SassyAngel111]

I already have the salifert Alk test, but am useing the Aquarium Pharm test for MH3, NO2, NO3 and PH. Thanks for the heads up.

 

[Brenden]

Sounds good. I misunderstood. I thought you needed tests.

 

[SassyAngel111]

brenden,
No I have been testing about 2 to 3 times a week.