Need help with Red Sea color ABCD

[X.M.Chen]

I just order a Red Sea coral color ABCD pack. I need help on how to use it? If dose by calcium. Did that mean I dose each ABCD same amount? Can some one help me. Thank you so much.

 

[Martin Kuhn]

The instruction that redSea provides in my eyes is fluffy

For mixed LPS /SPS reefs they suggest to dose
1 ml of Color supplement per each 20 mg/l of Ca consumption per 100 l water Volume

So you have either to measure your Ca consumption OR better calculate it back from what you dose from your 2 part Ca dosing


It gets simpler if you dose the redsea foundation 2/3 part stock solutions.
The dose for the ABCD IS 10% of the Ca dose in MK


They don't tell us in their instruction, but I expect that is the total dose for all 4 traces together, not for each of it

 

[BigJohnny]

IMO you should not be dosing any of it unless you test for it, and even then I would only monitor potassium (not sure if that's a b c or d).

 

[FugeTown]

IMO you should not be dosing any of it unless you test for it, and even then I would only monitor potassium (not sure if that's a b c or d).

This is a really old post I'm bringing it back. You say don't dose Red Sea trace colors unless you test for all the elements being dosed but instructions clearly say you can dose depending on calcium consumption. Do you think Red Sea didn't research this before putting it on the label?

 

[Randy Holmes-Farley Verified Community Expert]

This is a really old post I'm bringing it back. You say don't dose Red Sea trace colors unless you test for all the elements being dosed but instructions clearly say you can dose depending on calcium consumption. Do you think Red Sea didn't research this before putting it on the label?

Do you assume all aquarium companies know what the are doing?

Some definitely do not always make reasonable recommendations/claims/statements/products. Some are just outright incorrect.

There are issues and limitations with both approaches to trace elements and I don't have any perfect solution:

1. Not measuring trace elements and using something that was (at best) designed to be appropriate for an average aquarium with a average mix of organisms based on calcium demand alone (which obviously can be way off since the demand for trace elements in some tanks comes primarily from organisms that use no calcium, such as soft corals or macroalgae, while in others it may come primarily from calcifying corals)

or

2. Try to measure everything frequently (expensive) and likely find that the mixtures available in a program like Colors ABCD do not allow you to adjust levels independently (say, if you want fluoride and iodide and not bromide). So then you may need a different supplement for each element. That's basically the Triton method, with lots of expensive testing and possibly many expensive supplements.

or

3. Do water changes and hope for the best.

or

4. Some mixture of the above methods.


Pick your poison.

 

[BigJohnny]

This is a really old post I'm bringing it back. You say don't dose Red Sea trace colors unless you test for all the elements being dosed but instructions clearly say you can dose depending on calcium consumption. Do you think Red Sea didn't research this before putting it on the label?

No, I'm sure they did and they came up with the best general dosing guidelines they could. I know that there are probably a ton of people out there who dose them that way and have awesome tanks, and others who dont. Consistently dosing something that may not be lacking can lead to significant issues, but so can not having enough obviously. How will you ever know where you stand without testing? I personally wouldn't take that risk.

Every tank is different, and there is no way that one trace element dosing regimen in relation to calcium consumption will lead to ideal parameters for everyone. There are way too many other factors that influence fluctuations in those parameters. I could go into further detail for each of those ABCD components if you want, but just take my word for it, there are way too many factors.

The only "trace element" I dose and test for is potassium (it is not a trace at all, it is one of the 4 main components of saltwater). I can easily do this with sufficient accuracy with the salifert potassium test kit. I only test for potassium because I have learned from experience that low potassium causes poor coloration and even stn/rtn in acropora (many other reefers will attest to this as well), and my current salt mix is still part of a bad batch that had low potassium.

I also do a triton test every few months (I don't run triton method, just want to confirm my hobby grade test kits from time to time and check for accumulation of contaminants or low values).

If I were you, and I wanted to dose ABCD per red seas instructions, I would at least get a triton test every few months to calibrate my dosage. I would also use a salifert potassium test kit to monitor that more regularly since imo it is much more important.

I just don't dose anything I can't test for, because I want to know and control (or try my best to control) everything I can in my reef tank. Good luck!

 

[BigJohnny]

Do you assume all aquarium companies know what the are doing?

Some definitely do not always make reasonable recommendations/claims/statements/products. Some are just outright incorrect.

There are issues and limitations with both approaches to trace elements and I don't have any perfect solution:

1. Not measuring trace elements and using something that was (at best) designed to be appropriate for an average aquarium with a average mix of organisms based on calcium demand alone (which obviously can be way off since the demand for trace elements in some tanks comes primarily from organisms that use no calcium, such as soft corals or macroalgae, while in others it may come primarily from calcifying corals)

or

2. Try to measure everything frequently (expensive) and likely find that the mixtures available in a program like Colors ABCD do not allow you to adjust levels independently (say, if you want fluoride and iodide and not bromide). So then you may need a different supplement for each element. That's basically the Triton method, with lots of expensive testing and possibly many expensive supplements.

or

3. Do water changes and hope for the best.

or

4. Some mixture of the above methods.


Pick your poison.

Well said^

 

[Martin Kuhn]

Do you assume all aquarium companies know what the are doing?
... more ...
Pick your poison.

I absolutely agree.

Anyhow, looking at what we can achieve with a little bit of knowledge and the right husbandry is just amazing.

I never understood how as many people change to super fancy looking and totally outpriced products which have a usability that is far off from „easy to use „