There's more side affects than just an empty wallet too. The whole beauty of a reef tank is equalibrium. Everything in balance. This is the point of the initial cycle, as well as many other cycles that take place in your tank that you'll never see.
Each form of life, thriving and dieing in harmony. Populations reaching a stable number. Elements of life in balanced quantities.
When people say an established tank, that's what they mean. That sponges have started growing, mini-
tube worms multiplying, pop populations growing, detrius eating worms thriving, bacteria (other than nitrifying) reaching healthy levels, chemicals reaching appropriate levels, etc.
Additives throw OFF that balance. Adding extra iodine might make your corals color up nicely for a while, but it triggers crustaceans to molt excessively, thus shortening their life span. Whats to say while your corals are coloring up, your
pod population isn't dwindling, etc. Or maybe that purple up your adding is helping you get some nice corallin, but is stunting the other benificial algaes needed to keep your tank healthy? etc
I personally feel the alledged visible affects of additives are misleading. The unseen side affects can cause some SERIOUS problems down the road.
Salt mixes are especially formulated to provide near exact quantities of everything you need. Insuring that not only are trace elements replenished, but that they stay just that....
TRACE elements.
Regular water changes are the cheapest and easiest way to insure all your chemicals and elements are replenished (with the exception of Calcium and Alk.....Kalkwasser). I personally don't understand why anyone would want to use additives. more money, more bottles to clutter up your area, more routine to remember, etc.
Kalkwasser is the only additive you need. That, and regular water changes are the recipe for success, in my opinion.
