Must Have Supplements for Beginners?

For more than a year I've had my 29 gallon freshwater community tank. In the past few months I've started to think about transitioning to plants. Even before I got the aquarium I did a lot of research on FishLore to learn how to be a successful fish keeper.

Overwhelmingly the forum does a fantastic job of centralizing important information is easy to find spots. There's great articles on just about everything and there's stickied threads that compile other important threads (how to cycle your tank, how to build a quarantine tank, etc).

One thing I've noticed is the lack of a single thread that outlines the MUST HAVE supplements every (freshwater) fish keeper needs to have. It's possible that it exists somewhere but I couldn't find it (and apologize in advance if someone else finds it).

So, let's do what FishLore is great at and work together to compile a list of MUST HAVE supplements along with stating why they're useful (if we know).

I'll start.

• Seachem Prime. Seachem Prime is a great water conditioner. It makes tap water safe for your fish/plants.
• Fluval Sea Calcium. Fluval Sea Calcium is really good for aquarists who have snails. The calcium promotes good shell growth.
• Vita-Chem. Vita-Chem has been frequently recommended to promote good fish health. Just like people take vitamins to be healthy so can fish.
• Garlic Guard. Garlic Guard can boost fish's immune system when you add it to their food.
• API Freshwater Master Test Kit. API Freshwater Master Test Kit. While not a supplement/water conditioner it should be one of the first things any aquarist buys. It helps you to properly, and easily, assess the living conditions for your fish.
• Tetra SafeStart. This can help to speed up the establishment of the nitrogen cycle in new aquariums.

What else can you think of for freshwater aquariums? For beginner planted aquariums? For beginners in general?

 

Perhaps we should steer clear of brand names. Using brand names in a thread like this is sure to cause several derailments due to the varying opinions on what brand works better than another.

Aside from the normal few necessities, a quarantine tank is a must.

 

Perhaps we should steer clear of brand names. Using brand names in a thread like this is sure to cause several derailments due to the varying opinions on what brand works better than another.

Aside from the normal few necessities, a quarantine tank is a must.

I'm torn about avoiding brand names. You're right that some people feel Brand Q is better than Brand F and so forth. It seems like some brands tend to have a consensus behind them like Seachem Prime and I'd say there's been a consensus (from threads I've seen) on Fluval Sea Calcium as well. Maybe I'm wrong.

One of the things that was most difficult for me when I got into this was picking the best brand of things. The BBB quick start for an example seems to have a lot of people recommending the Tetra SafeStart over other brands. Again I could be wrong.

If the consensus is that brand names shouldn't be in this thread I'll remove the names from my posts in this thread.

 

One thing I've noticed is the lack of a single thread that outlines the MUST HAVE supplements every (freshwater) fish keeper needs to have. It's possible that it exists somewhere but I couldn't find it (and apologize in advance if someone else finds it).

That's not quite true:

https://www.fishlore.com/aquariumfi...rium-medicine-cabinet-to-have-on-hand.129505/


As for brand names, yes, it's quite subjective, and each will have their own opinion on the best. That said, there are a few products that have few, if any true equals.

I always advise against having medications sitting there 'just-in-case'. Many have a shelf life, and ultimately go to waste. If you find yourself in need of medications, you can normally setup a QT, with good fresh water, which will get you by until you can get to a store.

It's also difficult to recommend products for 'general' fish/plant keeping. Each system is different, and individual water supplies vary. While one system will benefit from certain buffers, it may not be necessary for other systems. Similarly with fertilisers, depending on the type of setup, they may or may not be beneficial.

 

Well said Ryan.

 

That's not quite true:

https://www.fishlore.com/aquariumfi...rium-medicine-cabinet-to-have-on-hand.129505/


As for brand names, yes, it's quite subjective, and each will have their own opinion on the best. That said, there are a few products that have few, if any true equals.

I always advise against having medications sitting there 'just-in-case'. Many have a shelf life, and ultimately go to waste. If you find yourself in need of medications, you can normally setup a QT, with good fresh water, which will get you by until you can get to a store.

It's also difficult to recommend products for 'general' fish/plant keeping. Each system is different, and individual water supplies vary. While one system will benefit from certain buffers, it may not be necessary for other systems. Similarly with fertilisers, depending on the type of setup, they may or may not be beneficial.

Ooh thank you for sharing those. Not sure how they were missed.

 

I see jreihart's point. I also happen to agree with Mamajin. Because I was born and despite all efforts on my side live as an analog ALL omniscient search engines categorically refuse to become my best friends, I must admit I also have a hard time using FL search.

This is not a complaint, but just a comment that could be categorized as "if I were a king" type. It would help the analog me a lot if when I would search, let's say for "fin rot" I would immediately get a link to description of fin rot and general advise from such authoritative sort as Mike's book, provided it is there, and JUST A FEW links to responsible posts by knowledgeable FishLorians only. In a hurry and in need of urgent info I am too impatient to sift through literally hundreds of posts, most of which are of no consequences to my problem.

What I am saying is, there are times when LESS is MORE.

 

I hear ya!
With over 1.6 million posts on Fishlore, it can sometimes be difficult to find what you're looking for.
The following might help:

Also, don't forget the main Fishlore site https://www.fishlore.com/
We've got lot's of articles etc that offer great information.

 

I always advise against having medications sitting there 'just-in-case'. Many have a shelf life, and ultimately go to waste. If you find yourself in need of medications, you can normally setup a QT, with good fresh water, which will get you by until you can get to a store.

I think it totally depends on a persons situation. Some may not drive or have easy access to a vehicle, some may live too far away from their LFS, and some either cannot or prefer not to order things online (no credit or debit card, cannot afford 1 or 2 day shipping, or just don't trust shopping online etc).

We keep medications in our own human medicine cabinet, toss them when they expire, and go right out and replenish them as soon as possible. As a parent I can tell you our medicine cabinet is stocked all the time with everything we need except for what the doctor prescribes. Our pet medications can be done in the same manner, and luckily enough for us antibiotics can be purchased without a prescription or the need for a vet visit. We have to be diligent either way and keep an eye on expiration dates.

I keep things stocked for immediate use because I do not drive, live on a bus line, and those that I know well enough to ask for a ride live over an hour away. Papajin goes out of town on business quite frequently and is sometimes gone for up to 2 week intervals. While he does leave me with an emergency fund for a taxI and the ability to order and have food delivered from Peapod in case I need it, I think he would be highly annoyed with me if I used it for a trip to the LFS. This is why I keep these things stocked and readily available for those just in case times when he isn't here.

Not being combative.... just tossing out reasons why some may wish to keep things stocked.

 

I keep things stocked for immediate use

And those things would be....what exactly since that is the topic of discussion.