ICP results, should I dose elements?

[Tuffloud1]

I use BRS kalkwasser and BRS 2 part for my calcium and alkalinity. Infrequently, I’ll add BRS magnesium supplement (combo of magnesium chloride and magnesium sulfate). Everything else is supplied with daily 1% AWC.

I use GAC passively (1/2 cup replaced every 3 weeks). No filter socks and medium skimming. I think that’s everything I do. I did a couple ICP tests a while back but never changed anything based off of their results, so I stopped.

I am running the BRS 2 part Tropic Marine Balling system. It has the trace elements but according to the ICP, I have too much of some and not enough of others. The good thing is, I see my sodium is not elevated, despite dosing 200 ml of both alk and calcium. So the sodium chloride-free salt additive seems to be working.

 

[Randy Holmes-Farley Verified Community Expert]

I am running the BRS 2 part Tropic Marine Balling system. It has the trace elements but according to the ICP, I have too much of some and not enough of others. The good thing is, I see my sodium is not elevated, despite dosing 200 ml of both alk and calcium. So the sodium chloride-free salt additive seems to be working.

FWIW, Balling Part C is a good choice, but it is not a trace element supplement. It does not try to offset consumption by organisms. It only offsets the drop in elements from the salinity rise.

Adding more Part C is also not a good plan. You need a different product if you want to boost trace elements such as manganese and iron.

 

[Tuffloud1]

FWIW, Balling Part C is a good choice, but it is not a trace element supplement. It does not try to offset consumption by organisms. It only offsets the drop in elements from the salinity rise.

Adding more Part C is also not a good plan. You need a different product if you want to boost trace elements such as manganese and iron.

Hi Randy - the system I’m using has 3 additives. K+ gets added to the sodium chloride and A- gets added to the soda ash and part C gets dosed x2 of the amount of the 2 part consumption.

K+ Contains:

• Barium
• Boron
• Chrome
• Cobalt
• Iron
• Copper
• Manganese
• Nickel
• Strontium
• Zinc

A- Contains:

• Bromine
• Fluorine
• Iodine
• Lithium
• Molybdenum
• Selenium
• Vanadium

 

[Randy Holmes-Farley Verified Community Expert]

So many variations these days it's hard to keep track. That's a hybrid Balling/trace element system and seems fine.

 

[Tuffloud1]

So many variations these days it's hard to keep track. That's a hybrid Balling/trace element system and seems fine.

Thanks Randy, I should have said hybrid.

 

[DoctaReef]

Two Questions:
What does GAC stand for?
Why not use Triton's Iodine?

 

[Randy Holmes-Farley Verified Community Expert]

Two Questions:
What does GAC stand for?
Why not use Triton's Iodine?

Granular activated carbon.

 

[DoctaReef]

Granular activated carbon.

That's what I thought, but wasn't sure.
In relation to this thread, is there any truth to people saying running carbon can remove iodine? Could that be a cause of things here?

 

[Randy Holmes-Farley Verified Community Expert]

That's what I thought, but wasn't sure.
In relation to this thread, is there any truth to people saying running carbon can remove iodine? Could that be a cause of things here?

No. Iodine is rapidly consumed by algae, and possibly other organisms, although it may not be useful to dose it (it wasn't for me). It nearly always depletes rapidly.

IMO, it is a long standing myth in the reefing world that iodide binds to GAC based on the false premise that a standard test for GAC surface area is iodine (I2) binding and that suggests iodide or iodate will bind. I2 binding in a test situation (not seawater) is totally unrelated to I- or IO3- binding from seawater. It would be equally valid (invalid) to claim that chloride in seawater is highly toxic because chlorine (Cl2) is a toxic gas.

 

[Tuffloud1]

No. Iodine is rapidly consumed by algae, and possibly other organisms, although it may not be useful to dose it (it wasn't for me). It nearly always depletes rapidly.

IMO, it is a long standing myth in the reefing world that iodide binds to GAC based on the false premise that a standard test for GAC surface area is iodine (I2) binding and that suggests iodide or iodate will bind. I2 binding in a test situation (not seawater) is totally unrelated to I- or IO3- binding from seawater. It would be equally valid (invalid) to claim that chloride in seawater is highly toxic because chlorine (Cl2) is a toxic gas.

Since dinoflagellates are considered algae, can we assume that if you have an outbreak of it, that it would consume a substantial amount of iodine?

 

[Randy Holmes-Farley Verified Community Expert]

Since dinoflagellates are considered algae, can we assume that if you have an outbreak of it, that it would consume a substantial amount of iodine?

I do not know if they consume any substantial amount or not.

 

[DoctaReef]

In the case of

No. Iodine is rapidly consumed by algae, and possibly other organisms, although it may not be useful to dose it (it wasn't for me). It nearly always depletes rapidly.

IMO, it is a long standing myth in the reefing world that iodide binds to GAC based on the false premise that a standard test for GAC surface area is iodine (I2) binding and that suggests iodide or iodate will bind. I2 binding in a test situation (not seawater) is totally unrelated to I- or IO3- binding from seawater. It would be equally valid (invalid) to claim that chloride in seawater is highly toxic because chlorine (Cl2) is a toxic gas.

Thanks for the input- then one further question. If he doses Iodine, does he risk an algae bloom of GHA/Cyano etc? (Understanding N and P are main drivers of algae growth)

 

[blasterman]

I dose iodine in my softie tanks and it does wonders for them. Soft corals are just algae with a membrane around them if you think about it.

Not seen iodine do a flipping thing for SPS although I've noticed it can green out some montipora under high light if its dosed high enough. Salt mixes typically have a bit of it. I know IO does.

Iodine will stimulate nuisance algae , but not cause it.

As for the original problem, we had a water changed followed by outbreak of dinos. The evidence would seem to indicate diving nitrate in a mature tank. Acros just dont like that, just a guess.

 

[Tuffloud1]

I dose iodine in my softie tanks and it does wonders for them. Soft corals are just algae with a membrane around them if you think about it.

Not seen iodine do a flipping thing for SPS although I've noticed it can green out some montipora under high light if its dosed high enough. Salt mixes typically have a bit of it. I know IO does.

Iodine will stimulate nuisance algae , but not cause it.

As for the original problem, we had a water changed followed by outbreak of dinos. The evidence would seem to indicate diving nitrate in a mature tank. Acros just dont like that, just a guess.

This is great info, thank you.

And this is in direct harmony with what I am experiencing now.

Instead of dosing iodine directly, I have changed out almost 150 gallons over the last week on my 300 gallon system. The ICP recommendations were to dose iodine in addition to performing three 20% water changes. I decided to rely on only water changes instead of messing around with difficult iodine tests and dosing.

My GSP and Cespitularia were looking awful before and I couldn’t figure it out. My Duncans were also looking terrible.

After the water changes, I assume the iodine levels have increased. IO was mixed to 35 ppt. They look completely back to normal.

 

[minus9]

I dose Seachem reef iodide daily, one drop on average. I also dose other trace elements daily and monthly. I always have a good size portion of chaeto in the fuge, so it gets consumed a fair amount.

 

[Randy Holmes-Farley Verified Community Expert]

In the case of

Thanks for the input- then one further question. If he doses Iodine, does he risk an algae bloom of GHA/Cyano etc? (Understanding N and P are main drivers of algae growth)

Iodine dosing does not spur problem algae or macroalgae, IMO. It is not clear it needs it at all to grow. In my tests, macroalgae (caulerpa racemosa and chaetomorpha) grew fine with or without dosing in test tanks.