New future reefer!

[Craigdillman]

Reef crystals is not needed if you dont want, most use standard IO salt you won't have a big calcium alk demand at the start specially in a 12g

Phosphates are primarily introduced by feeding and specially overfeeding and in a small tank this will be your enemy also some leach from rocks or sand\but it isn't added in your salt


As for the GFO and Carbon

Test your phosphates and it will tell you if you need gfo or not ( wc will help with p04 )

And Im an advocate for carbon have ran it in all my tanks others dont ( helps take out organics and the "yellowing" agents in the water and generally gives you clear water, But it is by no means necessary