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hi! i have a 10G sw tank (currently stocked with 10 lbs of live rock and 1 firefish) that i plan to add one or two small fish and a cleaner shrimp or two to. i don't intended to keep any anenomes or corals.

i was just wondering, besides salt, water, dechlorinator and bacterial starters (ie: cycle) are there any 'chemicals' that i should be adding? (i think i will be purchasing some pH buffer as well, because it has lowered slightly over the month or so that i have had the tank set up).

my lfs carries a wide variety of kent marine products (ie: iodine, calcium, potassium, etc... etc... etc...). is any of this beneficial in a fish only tank?

what, if anything, should i buy?

thanks in advance!

Is it a fish only tank or will it have coral, anemones, feather dusters, etc?
If you are try and find something that is useally labeled essential elements. That is something good to add. And iodine which is good for fish and inverts. Nothing else on the top of my head.

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pnh

You're going to have too many fish if you add anything else.

In small tanks, frequent water changes replenish any trace elements that'd diminish. Use a good salt and keep on top of your water changes and you should be fine.

I have a biggish reef tank and the only thing I dose is calcium/alk buffer. Or I drip kalk.

-Formerly known as the Ferretfish

It's best not to dose anything you aren't testing for. For a small tank it's easiest just to do a good weekly water change. That wil replenish anything your tank uses. If you have no corals though there won't be much of anything used up. For the firefish make sure he has plenty of hiding places and a good top on the tank. They are easily spooked and for lack of anywhere to go in a small tank they are very likely to go straight up and out.

thanks so much for the advice. i've kept freshwater tanks for years and have always been of the mindset not to add anything unless necessary. glad to hear that this applies to sw too.

my firefish seems to be doing well so far. there are lots of hiding spots (i didn't even see him for the first few days) but he spends a lot of his time out in the open now. the tank is in a fairly low traffic area, so this will hopefully make him feel more comfortable. so, so far so good... fingers crossed!