Supplements....if only ONE

It's not really that simple. If the tank is not a stable environment for some reason it's going to cause problems with your corals. You could dose supplements to try and counteract the problem, but why not just find the problem and fix it instead?

Softies, especially xenia should grow like weeds in a tank that is properly set up and with no water quality issues. Sounds like you have something going on that a supplement isn't really going to resolve.

I agree with Adam. 20% weekly water changes with a salt mix that is equally balanced in Alk and Ca (Oceanic is out ) will do the job in the short run, but why go to all that trouble? Even people with fancy gadgets like Calcium Reactors which deliver a fairly equal amount of Alk and Ca still have to add things like Mg, Iodine and the occasional shot of Alkalinity to bring it back into the acceptable range.

If there is good growth of Coralline Algae and Soft Coral the tank will eventually need more Mg and more Iodine (especially Xenia). Each tank eats up nutrients of this type in different quantities and at different speeds, so in the long run if you want the tank to stay looking good you must check the levels and add stuff that is lacking.

Sorry if that was not the answer you wanted to hear.


Edited by Mark Peterson - February 08 2011 at 8:41pm