Kent Marine Essential Elements good for Reef?

[saintperez]

I just bought some EE yesterday and poored it into my tank according to directions. Early this morning around 7 AM. I see all my leathers shrivled up. I freaked because I've never seen them that way. ANyway, I looked at the ingedients and saw that it contains Copper EDTA. If I'm not mistaken, Copper is a no no. Leathers seem to be looking a little better now but what gives?

 

[Harry_Y]

That's odd..... Copper????

Ingredients:
Calcium Chloride, Cobalt Chloride, Iron EDTA, Lithium Chloride,
Magnesium Chloride, Manganese EDTA, Nickel Chloride,
Potassium Chloride, Potassium Iodide, Sodium Molybdate,
Strontium Chloride, Zinc EDTA, Copper EDTA, and Potassium Bromide.

 

[2FarNorth]

I noticed that on a bottle of Garlic extract also... not sure what the deal is with that.....



I can't say if the Essential elements is a good product or not, but I believe the only 'trace elements' our tanks need is sufficiently supplied by our salt mixes through water changes...

 

[Harry_Y]

I noticed that on a bottle of Garlic extract also... not sure what the deal is with that.....



I can't say if the Essential elements is a good product or not, but I believe the only 'trace elements' our tanks need is sufficiently supplied by our salt mixes through water changes...

I would have to agree with that.

Keep your water changes up anf you should be fine

 

[Ike]

Copper is an essential element for life... However, I wouldn't worry about adding any via a trace element supplement nor suggest adding the Kent product.

 

[AZDesertRat]

Never add supplements of additives unless you have good test kits for each and every ingredient in the supplement and use those kits before hand to know for certain the substance is first needed and second depleted or lacking in your system.

I think suplements, with the exception of calcium, alkalinity and magnesium in a heavily stocked hard coral system, are a waste of money. Much like snake oil.

Most if not all elements needed are found in a good salt mix prepared with RO/DI water.

 

[Azurel]

I have used it many times in the past, and never had issues. Copper is in most mineral/element supplements it's just in such minute amounts that it does not become toxic like it does in higher levels......Water changes are good but will never replace to a 100% of the elements and minerals to levels of natural sea water. The good thing is that some of these minute elements are not used up at the rapid rate like the main minerals. The good thing with supplements is that they are good for use when you do not do water changes for extended periods of time. This way you can dose or replenish what might be getting used up during those times.

 

[AZDesertRat]

And overdose on the things "are not used up at the rapid rate like the main minerals" taking a line from your own post.

Don't waste your money. Synthetic sea salt mixes are well balanced and contain those things you need and do not contain those you don't need.
Again, if you are going to add anything at all no matter what it is, have a test kit for each element of don't add it. Contained systems like ours are extremely easy to get out of balance by adding supplement you don't need and have no way of getting rid of.

 

[inactive]

I would never use Kent products period.

 

[Azurel]

And overdose on the things "are not used up at the rapid rate like the main minerals" taking a line from your own post.

Don't waste your money. Synthetic sea salt mixes are well balanced and contain those things you need and do not contain those you don't need.
Again, if you are going to add anything at all no matter what it is, have a test kit for each element of don't add it. Contained systems like ours are extremely easy to get out of balance by adding supplement you don't need and have no way of getting rid of.

I guess the rest of the statement was missed? In times of no water changes is the only time I can see using them which is what I said......Correct? It's not an argument for using them but they can be used depending on how you use them and when you use them. If you don't do water changes you most likely won't be over doseing anything aslong as you go by the directions. Me I never gave the full dose they recommend just for that reason. But I don't use it or others of that type, only the mains stuff like Ca,alk........

 

[AZDesertRat]

I beleiev ther are things contained in many of the supplements that are not consumed and do not need adding, thus they build up and can become detrimental. Water changes can also reduce some of these but others are cumulative and once in the rocks and sand do not go away no matter how much or how often you change water. Its best to not ad them in the first place.

 

[Azurel]

I beleiev ther are things contained in many of the supplements that are not consumed and do not need adding, thus they build up and can become detrimental. Water changes can also reduce some of these but others are cumulative and once in the rocks and sand do not go away no matter how much or how often you change water. Its best to not ad them in the first place.

That could very well be true no argument there....To bad some studies havn't been done for stuff like that I guess ot enough money would be recouped for those things though.

 

[Harry_Y]

I would never use Kent products period.

Why???

 

[Ike]

That could very well be true no argument there....To bad some studies havn't been done for stuff like that I guess ot enough money would be recouped for those things though.

Plus why would a supplement company go out of their way to research if the things they sell are really needed. It has been proven time and time again that people in this hobby will pay a lot of money for crap they don't need and then needlessly dump it in their tanks. Then some of those people even go around suggesting it to others when it probably didn't do any of the things they're attributing it to.

 

[Azurel]

Plus why would a supplement company go out of their way to research if the things they sell are really needed. It has been proven time and time again that people in this hobby will pay a lot of money for crap they don't need and then needlessly dump it in their tanks. Then some of those people even go around suggesting it to others when it probably didn't do any of the things they're attributing it to.

They wouldn't but some of these top guys in the industry could, but like I said not enough money coming back to those that would finacially back the research.....That was the point.

 

[stunreefer Verified Sponsor]

Never add supplements of additives unless you have good test kits for each and every ingredient in the supplement and use those kits before hand to know for certain the substance is first needed and second depleted or lacking in your system.

I think suplements, with the exception of calcium, alkalinity and magnesium in a heavily stocked hard coral system, are a waste of money. Much like snake oil.

Most if not all elements needed are found in a good salt mix prepared with RO/DI water.

Right on :nerd:

 

[maus42]

Kent saltwater products tend to be pretty poor and not worth the money. I'd say don't use it... if you're going to use additives I recommend the zeovit additives Phols Extra, Sponge Power, and Amino Acids. You should also have test kits to make sure everything is in line when adding additives.

 

[victorsteven1]

Supplements

I be to differ with some on here who let their opinions get in the way of sense about supplements. The don't waste your money answer really doesn't bring out legit reasons for using supplements. First of all the word supplement is used not" main source". So, anybody looking to replace good habits of water quality by water changes is going about it wrong, second you aren't "wasting you money" if you use a product that is sold as a supplement as a supplement are you? The product has its uses when you want to ensure you are not depleted of nutrients or have only time to replace water with no salt mix . Skimming takes these nutrients out also...of course the most "perfect way" is testing but then you just threw time into the picture that some are not finding a lot of these days.
So...supplement have their place... as a supplement.... not as regular practice, just as vitamins don't replace regular meals but help add "insurance"

 

[AZDesertRat]

They don't add anything that a good salt mix can't add and do add things that are not needed or are not tested for on a regular basis. Waste of money. If you cannot test for it and do so on a regular basis then don't put it in your tank period. Good common sense applies here. If I can't demonstrate I have a demand for something, and know that substance is in fact necessary for the success of my reef than I'm not going to risk overdosing or adding something that could be cumulative. Kent and the others don't tell us everything that their miracle potions contain nor at what levels so keep it simple and leave that stuff on the shelf where it belongs.