How do you know how much and how often to dose trace elements?

[Tbg299]

I recently purchased Tropic Marin A+ and K+. My total tank volume is 80 gallons and the recommended daily dose on the container just seems like a lot to me as are most of these additives. How do you know how much your corals actually need? Also is it possible to overdose on trace elements?

 

[Reeferbadness]

The only time I do it is when I'm cleaning my sump or one patch of the tank with low flow. I use carbon, socks, and a refugium as my export, and dose everything else back in.

What about import or key trace elements that ur tank may also consume ( beyond dKH, Calc, Mag, nitrate and phos ?

 

[Spare time]

What about import or key trace elements that ur tank may also consume ( beyond dKH, Calc, Mag, nitrate and phos ?

I dose trace elements via all for reef + potassium. I have a potassium test plus I send out occasional icp tests.

 

[Cichlid Dad]

Dude you don't eye ball a reef tank! Things get out of hand by the time you see a problem, (see above). Test test test. Your supposed to keep things balanced. And guys as far as dosing goes be very careful, when I was starting out I got rtn twice because I overlooked that I was using reef crystals and also dosing seachem- $$$ oops. Last thing, don't try pushing it. The guys you watch pushing pH and max dosing loose things too. Just push balancing and you will see the the best results from your ecosystem. When I made balancing my main concern my slowest growing brain corals have been bounding. I notice difference every month. Good luck

You might want to look up who you're responding to.

 

[gbroadbridge]

You might want to look up who you're responding to.

Yeah, like 3 months ago

 

[Cichlid Dad]

Yeah, like 3 months ago

I didn't see how old the tread was!

 

[Spare time]

I didn't see how old the tread was!

I've done that before lol

 

[reefthereefer]

Excuse my ignorance, how is this possible? it goes against everything i'm reading.

Is it possible. Your setting a tank up as a ecosystem. If you know how to do it it can be done. I know a biologist whom does it.
A lot of what a person reads needs to be taking with a grain of salt. They push water changes especially in saltwater due to the more water changes you do the more salt you go through therefore have to buy more. If a person takes a moment and thinks there water in the aquarium evaporates mine is about half gallon a day which is 3 gallons a week. So new water is being added on a daily basis. All of my freshwater water tanks run them self. To the point the filter is only there for circulation now. I haven't done a water change in them for several months I just topped them off on a daily basis. I recommend going over to you tube and watch father fish. Applying this to a saltwater aquarium allows you to really start enjoying your tank and not be a slave to the tank worrying about numbers. As along as you have a guideline your fine.

 

[Randy Holmes-Farley Verified Community Expert]

Is it possible. Your setting a tank up as a ecosystem. If you know how to do it it can be done. I know a biologist whom does it.
A lot of what a person reads needs to be taking with a grain of salt. They push water changes especially in saltwater due to the more water changes you do the more salt you go through therefore have to buy more. If a person takes a moment and thinks there water in the aquarium evaporates mine is about half gallon a day which is 3 gallons a week. So new water is being added on a daily basis. All of my freshwater water tanks run them self. To the point the filter is only there for circulation now. I haven't done a water change in them for several months I just topped them off on a daily basis. I recommend going over to you tube and watch father fish. Applying this to a saltwater aquarium allows you to really start enjoying your tank and not be a slave to the tank worrying about numbers. As along as you have a guideline your fine.

Welcome to Reef2Reef!

It is not possible to grow hard corals or coralline algae in a tank with no calcium and alkalinity additions. Reef tanks are totally different than fresh water tanks in terms of trying to set them up as closed ecosystems.

Replacing evaporated water with pure water does nothing to supply needed elements the way a water change does .

 

[reefthereefer]

Welcome to Reef2Reef!

It is not possible to grow hard corals or coralline algae in a tank with no calcium and alkalinity additions. Reef tanks are totally different than fresh water tanks in terms of trying to set them up as closed ecosystems.

Replacing evaporated water with pure water does nothing to supply needed elements the way a water change does .

Well no you do need calcium ans alkalinity. You also need to make sure your parameters and elements are there and to dose accordingly. I apologize if my message came off wrong. It was nit my intention there.