We’re talking about the Trace color program which is ABCD (4 bottles) that all have various elements.
“Provides the 31 minor and trace elements required by corals in 4 - 100 mL bottles.”
The ratio in the bottle is determined by Red Sea. There is no way to change that ratio. If one element is starting to elevate you can decrease the dose, but it will decrease everything else in the bottle. The same will happen if one element is becoming depleted. You can increase the dose, but you’ll increase everything else in the bottle. There is no individual control, and unfortunately that is the problem with most of these programs. Ask me how I know! Wink Wink. Once you start putting several elements in one bottle (or a few bottles), you loose the ability to tweak as needed.
These companies avoid telling you that. They market the product like it’s the best thing on earth. This does not work for advanced reefers.
Not to worry though, there’s better ways to run a reef.
Now I see what you're saying. I thought you meant you can't adjust A, B, C, D individually. Because you definitely can. But agreed, as far as "sub elements" included in the primary element on the bottle, you're stuck with what the ratios they give you.
That being said, these sub elements are typically not going to be overdosed and typically are underdosed resulting in deficiencies, at least in my experience using ICP with the product's main focus on Fe, I, and K. I guess that could vary from tank to tank and elevated levels would be problematic if you fall into that category.
I've stopped dosing Iodine, because my levels were overly inflated when doing so, and are just fine with regular water changes.
I am still dosing K, Fe, and the Bioactive traces or whatever it's called (I think that is B, C, and D). With regards to the deficiencies in some of the very minor traces, I'm going to stop concerning myself with that. They're being introduced through dosing as well as water changes, and are clearly being used by the occupants of the tank. If I'm putting them in and they're either low or not detected, they must be being metabolized by something.
I know there are other systems such as reef moonshiners or reef blueprint where you do regular ICP testing and dose individual elements accordingly. I tried the reef blueprint method for a while and found it to be too much work adding 5 drops of this and 2 drops of that on a daily basis for 12-15 elements. I'm just too lazy and have had great tanks where I did nothing other than water changes and regular Ca and Alk dosing.
So for now, I'll keep doing the red sea B, C, and D and see where that leads me. My ICP's look "ok" these days, well except for elevated aluminum which was taking place before I was using the A,B, C, D and I'm convinced it's the marine pure blocks so I've pulled half out and will pull the other half a couple of weeks from now.
How are you managing your tank? Just curious, you seem pretty knowledgable and I'm always looking for more great ideas.
