Saltwater Aquariums - Add Those Supplements
Saltwater aquariums in comparison to freshwater ones need a lot more maintenance if you want to ensure that the tropical fish in yours remain healthy. You need to be aware that over time, certain nutrients and minerals which are found in the water can become depleted, and sometimes the only way to replenish these in saltwater aquariums is through adding supplements.
However, sometimes there are saltwater aquariums where no supplements are needed as they have been properly cared for. When owning saltwater fish such as Angelfish and Clownfish, changing some of the water on a regular basis can help and also regular maintenance of the tank will further help and you may not then need to add supplements to it.
Just by changing some but not all of the water on a regular basis, is actually helping to replenish those lost nutrients and minerals. However, if you own saltwater aquariums which contain certain species of coral, then you will certainly be needing to add a calcium supplement to it.
Saltwater Aquariums - Determining If Supplements Are Needed
A great way of making sure that the water in your saltwater aquarium has the right levels of nutrients and minerals in it, is to test it. You can purchase test kits from your local tropical fish shop or from an online aquarium supply company. These kits are very easy to use and will quickly identify what is lacking from the salt water in your aquarium, and help you to determine how much needs to be added.
You, however need to be careful when you start adding supplements to saltwater aquariums, as too much can cause problems and will be harmful to the tropical fish and marine life in the tank. The only real way to deal with too much of a supplement in an aquarium is to completely replace all the water, but this can prove very stressful on the aquatic life (plants, fish and coral) in it.
The Types Of Supplements You May Need To Put In Saltwater Aquariums
There is still much debate going on about if you really do need to add supplements to saltwater aquariums. There are some aquarists who believe that by changing some of the water in your tank on a regular basis, is more than sufficient to help replenish those nutrients and minerals which have been lost. Certainly those who own aquariums which contain just tropical fish or tropical fish and live rocks, have found this to be the case. However if you are someone who owns a reef tank in which corals are kept, then adding a calcium supplement is essential, along with possibly supplements of magnesium and Kalkwasser to your coral reef saltwater aquariums.
Adding calcium supplements to a reef saltwater aquariums actually aids the corals, algae and invertebrates living in the tanks to grow. Certainly if you don’t then you may find it far more difficult to get the chemical composition of your tank right, and which hopefully will mimic the wild environment from which the tropical fish and other marine life in the aquarium came from.
Today there are a number of good quality calcium supplements available that come in liquid or tablet form, and which can be purchased at a local aquarium supply company or by using an online one. These both enable you to place the correct amount of calcium into saltwater aquariums, however the liquid, although easier to use is also more expensive. You may find that you need to add some bicarbonate or carbonate along with the calcium supplement to keep the alkalinity levels right. If however they fall below 2.5meg per liter of water of in your saltwater aquariums, a supplement of Kalkwasser may need to be added also.
