dosing 2 part

[johndoe]

i started dosing brs 2 part , alittle while ago , everything looking ok growing ok , parameters in check , my question to you is should i be adding trace elements ? im only doing about 5 gal water changes every 2 weeks just to keep the salinity in check an mag. , salinity goes down slightly because of skimmer pulling out water . i skim alittle wet . if so what do you recommed , thanks

120gal. 4ft / 40gal. sump , 2 AP700 Kessils , 4 t-5 , SRO 3000 skimmer , pellet reactor , iwaki 100 pump , 2 mp40w es ,5 gal fuge an diy algae reactor

 

[chefjpaul]

I'd personally just up the water changes, depending on the "trace elements" you are looking for / requiring- until the corals get pretty established then maybe look into methods & brands etc. Depending upon the aquarium needs via testing and such as needed at that time.

 

[Randy Holmes-Farley Verified Community Expert]

I would not assume you need trace elements when using a two part, but experimenting with dosing a good commercial mixture and seeing if it benefits the system is a fine plan.

 

[CarterJ]

just completely out of curiosity, what process in the skimming makes the salinity go down?

 

[Randy Holmes-Farley Verified Community Expert]

just completely out of curiosity, what process in the skimming makes the salinity go down?

The salinity of the water removed in skimmate is pretty close to tank salinity, so it is just the constant removal of a small amount of salt water each day that lowers salinity if not replace with an equal amount of new salt water.

 

[CarterJ]

The salinity of the water removed in skimmate is pretty close to tank salinity, so it is just the constant removal of a small amount of salt water each day that lowers salinity if not replace with an equal amount of new salt water.

Ahh gotcha, that should have been a little more obvious to me lol. Thanks!

 

[Randy Holmes-Farley Verified Community Expert]

Ahh gotcha, that should have been a little more obvious to me lol. Thanks!

You're welcome.

Happy Reefing.

 

[johndoe]

I would not assume you need trace elements when using a two part, but experimenting with dosing a good commercial mixture and seeing if it benefits the system is a fine plan.

Thanks Randy , what do you mean when you say , "dosing a good commercial mixture" , were you talking about the 2 part or the trace elements

 

[Randy Holmes-Farley Verified Community Expert]

Thanks Randy , what do you mean when you say , "dosing a good commercial mixture" , were you talking about the 2 part or the trace elements

A trace element cocktail that many companies sell.

 

[Travis Stewart]

A trace element cocktail that many companies sell.

Do you think 5 gallons on 45 total volume weekly is enough to replace trace elements?

 

[Randy Holmes-Farley Verified Community Expert]

Do you think 5 gallons on 45 total volume weekly is enough to replace trace elements?

Probably not, but it may be enough to keep a good reef tank. I changed about 1% daily, and dosed iron, and some elements still seemed depleted based on Triton testing. That said, the few times I experimented with a trace element mix, I never noticed any difference in the tank appearance.

My Triton Testing Results: By Randy Holmes-Farley
http://www.reefedition.com/my-triton-testing-results-by-randy-holmes-farley/

Molybdenum (Mo). Molybdenum is low, and if that is true, it’s an interesting and potentially important result. I don’t typically add any trace elements. I may consider adding some molybdenum as it is biologically important.

Iron (Fe). The natural iron level varies a lot with depth, but surface seawater may have only 0.006 µg/L. The Triton LOD = 0.3 µg/L. I dose iron, and when I dose it I boost iron to roughly 1-2 µg/L, which would be detectable. This sample was taken more than a week after the last iron dosing, and none was detected as it gets depleted in the meanwhile. I’ve not yet seen a Triton test result for a real aquarium sample that had detectable iron, but that doesn’t mean these tanks are necessarily deficient. Iron is also a case where the form is critical, and ICP cannot distinguish form. Binding to organic matter, for example, can alter the bioavailability of iron.

 

[johndoe]

A trace element cocktail that many companies sell.

im probably gonna just hold off on trace elements for now , the only thing i can think of may be a problem is cant get the ph lower then 8.4 , its at the high end . should i be concerned

 

[Randy Holmes-Farley Verified Community Expert]

im probably gonna just hold off on trace elements for now , the only thing i can think of may be a problem is cant get the ph lower then 8.4 , its at the high end . should i be concerned

No, pH 8.4 is just fine.