Additives needed for experienced fowlr but NEW Reefer

[JeffB1961]

Please bear with me for lots of info and long post. ( tank details and info below )

While I have kept FOWLR in larger tanks ( 110 and 150 ) for 20 years this is my first real foray into trying to keep corals etc.

Now to my question - I am looking at additives such as

Seachem Reef complete
Seachem Reef plus
Seachem Reef fusion
Polyplabs Reef roads

I don't want to overdue it but I don't want to neglect either. Any recommendations or advice from the successful reefers???

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Here's my current info.

Red Sea Max 130D ( 34 total gallons )

Filter floss in overflow to Skimmer ( comes with RSM130D ) runs well and creates skimate to filter floss - ( 2nd after skimmer ) to Carbon to ceramic rings then return to tank.

Koralia Smart Wave with 2 x Koralia 240's

Lights are 2 x 55w PC Fluorescent 10,000K / Actinic, which is 50% super daylight and 50% actinic blue. Which come stock with RSM130D

In the tank - 5 pounds live rock and 30 plus pounds base rock

1 - Condy, 2 - Zooanthids ( don't know which ) and 2 - Percula clowns ( tank raised about 2 years old )

Water change 13% weekly ( 4 1/2 gallons ) with Instant Ocean Reef Crystals 1.024 sg

The tank is healthy. Condy has grown from 2" tentacles to 4" in last 2 months. Zoa's open with early light and clowns are active.

Feed -
Condy get's 1/8th of a shrimp twice a week,
Clowns get varied frozen and pellets - every other day
Zoa's I try and sweep the frozen across when I feed.

( Frozen is thawed in tank water before feeding )

 

[Loggerhead]

Don’t dose anything you can’t test for. With those corals you have you don’t really need additives. LPS and SPS may need calcium, magnesium and alk dosed at some point but in a 34 gallon tank just keep up with your water changes and testing. Try not to bottom out your nitrates and phosphates or you can starve your corals. The best coral food is fish poop and light. Start slow with corals and work your way up to more difficult species if you want but as a beginner with corals I would pick one type and focus on them. SPS, LPS and softies can live in drastically different environments so flow and even water quality can affect them differently. Some corals prefer more “dirty” water with some nitrates and phosphates present and some prefer clean water.

 

[Billdogg]

Don’t dose anything you can’t test for. With those corals you have you don’t really need additives. LPS and SPS may need calcium, magnesium and alk dosed at some point but in a 34 gallon tank just keep up with your water changes and testing. Try not to bottom out your nitrates and phosphates or you can starve your corals. The best coral food is fish poop and light. Start slow with corals and work your way up to more difficult species if you want but as a beginner with corals I would pick one type and focus on them. SPS, LPS and softies can live in drastically different environments so flow and even water quality can affect them differently. Some corals prefer more “dirty” water with some nitrates and phosphates present and some prefer clean water.

Thanks for saving me from typing that!

(What he said!)

 

[JeffB1961]

Thanks guys... Know there is no "perfect" way but in this new mixed reef want to lean on some of the experienced.