Dosing strontium

[authentic]

My ICP test results showed low levels of strontium at 2.30 my tank is 140 gallons and I'd like to raise it to recommended 7.50.
I found salifert strontium additive at my lfs or I could buy tritons online.the salifert test kit was extremely complicated and I already know my current levels.how should I dose and over what period.I am planning on sending in another ICP in about a month.and is there a problem with overdosing?

 

[2una]

I use the seachem reef advantage strontium which is granule form & just mix it in ro....works out pretty inexpensive, I'm about same size tank as you (160G) & 16g will raise it 1 mg/l....I'd step it up not too fast as it seems to put a bit of downward pressure on alk(or that seachem product i'm using does anyway)

 

[Randy Holmes-Farley Verified Community Expert]

I don't consider strontium dosing useful, but there are lots of additives around. You can boost it in one shot if you want, assuming it is strontium only.

 

[JDJP]

Sorry to bring up an older thread, and randy thanks you helped me with a similar question a while back. When you say you dont think dosing certain elements is usefull or needed, would you say that even if the person werent doing water changes and those elements would be depleted down to zero?

 

[Randy Holmes-Farley Verified Community Expert]

Sorry to bring up an older thread, and randy thanks you helped me with a similar question a while back. When you say you dont think dosing certain elements is usefull or needed, would you say that even if the person werent doing water changes and those elements would be depleted down to zero?

Depends on the element, but here I mean I believe that 0 ppm strontium is fine.

But it could be that the low amounts typically present without dosing have some utility.

 

[atoll]

Depends on the element, but here I mean I believe that 0 ppm strontium is fine.

But it could be that the low amounts typically present without dosing have some utility.

Hi Randy, your answer to the question is interesting for the following reason. I never much bothered with dosing strontium and only recently thought I maybe dosing it. 2 months ago I started adding Seachem Reef Advantage Strontium. I got a Triton result back last week that showed my strontium level was near enough spot on at 7.188 mg/l. Triton suggests the ideal level is around 8 mg/l.However, I have to admit I have not noticed any effect the additions of strontium have had on my corals.

For those interested here is a link to an article Randy wrote a while ago from November 2003
http://www.advancedaquarist.com/2003/11/chemistry
Part 2 December 2003
http://www.advancedaquarist.com/2003/12/chemistry

Obviously, those studies are over 14 years old now and I wonder are you aware of any further research on strontium in the reef aquarium?
Thanks.

 

[Randy Holmes-Farley Verified Community Expert]

I’ve not seen any real studies. Lots of people ignore it these days, and some still think it useful for them.

There are still lots of studies of Sr in wild corals, but not any that I have seen saying they need it. Mostly using it as a temperature proxy for ocean temps or salinity.