Where as other trace element dosing methods lump several or all of the elements together, the Reef Moonshiners method takes an individual, targeted approach for the dosing of each trace element utilizing ICP testing and a dosing calculator.
For example, the Red Sea Trace Colors ABCD system has four different supplements in which the minor and trace elements are grouped together. The Trace A supplement has Iodine, Bromine and Flourine. Trace B has Potassium and Boron. Trace C has Iron and other elements. Trace D has a blend of 18 other trace elements.
While these methods can and do work just fine, I like the fact that the moonshiners method targets each element individually. With other methods, by lumping several elements together you can be overdosing one element while under-dosing another.
Andre has developed this method over years and has made his own DIY elements which you can purchase from him for dosing in your tank. (Some of the elements he recommends are already widely available products like Seachem's Iodide or Brightwell's Potassion-P.) He's also developed a calculator which you use with your ICP test results to determine how much of each individual trace element you need to dose. Some elements need to be dosed in small amounts daily, while others only require monthly correction doses. Each month you'll need to do another ICP test to see how the levels are responding to your dosing and adjust accordingly. Long-term users typically dial back the monthly testing once they get a feel for their tank's consumption rates.
While for the most part the method targets natural sea water levels for each element, Andre has tested elevated levels for various elements to try and determine what produces the best growth and coloration for corals. His manual goes into pretty good detail of some of the results he's experienced (both good and bad) by elevating different elements during his experiments.
Overall, I really like this method as it just makes sense to me. If we are already trying to target specific levels of alkalinity, calcium and magnesium (the major elements) in our tanks, why wouldn't we try and do the same with minor and trace elements, especially if doing so results in better growth and coloration. And again, I like the fact that it targets each element individually as every tank is going to consume these elements at different rates.
You can download his manual and the dosing calculator for free off of his website. I recommend at least giving it a read and seeing if the method is something you'd like to try. It can be expensive up front to buy all of the elements, but most tanks are not going to need all of the elements (at least at first), so you can split up the cost over time when you first get started.
