The most importance trace element(s) for Zoa's?

Edgecrusher28 · Dec 14, 2022

This is an extremally subjective question here; however! Gauging from everyone's past experience, if you had to pick one or two minor/trace elements that were do or die regarding your zoa success, what would you say they are? Follow up question: What lead you to believe or what problems were you having that you felt were solved by adding or supplementing various elements?

Thanks in advance!

Reefer Matt · Dec 14, 2022

I just do water changes regularly. Haven't dosed anything additional for zoas. But I have heard iodine is one to watch for peak coloration.

Edgecrusher28 · Dec 14, 2022

Reefer Matt said:
I just do water changes regularly. Haven't dosed anything additional for zoas. But I have heard iodine is one to watch for peak coloration.

What salt mix do you use, and how many soft corals do you have?

Spare time · Dec 14, 2022

Don't bother focusing on specific trace elements. Just replenish them via water changes or using some trace element mix if the demand is enough.

Edgecrusher28 · Dec 14, 2022

Spare time said:
Don't bother focusing on specific trace elements. Just replenish them via water changes or using some trace element mix if the demand is enough.

I left out some information in my original post I suppose. However, water changes are not my personal answer as my weekly ICP test show a significant amount of consumption both in iodine, iron, and manganese that can not be managed with 30% weekly water changes with a 100 gallon system heavily stocked with Zoa's.

Spare time · Dec 14, 2022

Edgecrusher28 said:
I left out some information in my original post I suppose. However, water changes are not my personal answer as my weekly ICP test show a significant amount of consumption both in iodine, iron, and manganese that can not be managed with 30% weekly water changes with a 100 gallon system heavily stocked with Zoa's.

In that case, I would try some mixture. Do you happen to have a refugium?

Also, out of curiosity, which icp test did you use?

Edgecrusher28 · Dec 14, 2022

Spare time said:
In that case, I would try some mixture. Do you happen to have a refugium?

Also, out of curiosity, which icp test did you use?

No fug but I am running a turf scrubber that is doing a nice job growing algae. As for the ICP test I am sending in weekly ones from ICPanlyaisis.com and monthly ones with ATI.

Spare time · Dec 14, 2022

Edgecrusher28 said:
No fug but I am running a turf scrubber that is doing a nice job growing algae. As for the ICP test I am sending in weekly ones from ICPanlyaisis.com and monthly ones with ATI.

ICP analysis .com has some iffy reviews by Randy on here lol (there is an entertaining thread about it on here somewhere). ATI seems decent from my experience and understanding. The turf scrubber could definitely be a sink for iron and manganese. You might want to check out chaetogro. It contains a mixture of trace element (including what you listed as being low)

PS I mispelled turf scrubber as turg scrubber, which made me glad I didn't accidentally type turd scrubber as I don't think those are reef safe XD

stephj03 · Dec 14, 2022

Iodine.

shakacuz · Dec 14, 2022

iron/manganese is probably being actively consumed by your algae/macro algae.

iodine seems to be what is mentioned more often with zoas, as well as potassium/strontium

besskurz · Dec 14, 2022

stephj03 said:
Iodine.

Nothing to add.

Edgecrusher28 · Dec 14, 2022

besskurz said:
Nothing to add.

What tank/volume size do you have and what is your daily/weekly dosage amount? How many soft corals do you have?

besskurz · Dec 14, 2022

Edgecrusher28 said:
What tank/volume size do you have and what is your daily/weekly dosage amount? How many soft corals do you have?

Well my tank is aproximately 5gal. It's a jaubert bowl.

I'm dosing once a week 0.5ml / 0.1 teaspoon. It's almost nothing but results are impressive.

GSP tissue is growing more than before and I see 1 new zoa head growing almost every other week.

I had great success in the past propagating pulsating xenia as well with same method.

But this is not a rocket science. I would stick to the recommendations in the bottle and you might have success as well - if tank is stable.

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Mr. Mojo Rising · Dec 14, 2022

I don't dose anything to my tank, just weekly water changes, my zoa's and pally's all grow like weeds.

Reefer Matt · Dec 14, 2022

Edgecrusher28 said:
What salt mix do you use, and how many soft corals do you have?

I use Reef Crystals. Lost count of softies.

Edgecrusher28 · Dec 14, 2022

Reefer Matt said:
I use Reef Crystals. Lost count of softies.

Hard to argue those results, everything is looking excellent in that picture.

littlebigreef · Dec 20, 2022

Lugols and then vitamin-c dosing for zoas.

Otherwise I just use basic Instant Ocean and I don’t bother to dose a 2 part or mag on my trough.

thatmanMIKEson · Dec 20, 2022

Rubidium

Pico bam · Dec 20, 2022

My answer isn't really witch trace element is most important to zoas but coral in general. The most often depleted trace elements in my experience are iodine and potassium. It's hard to say witch ones are most important but these are the two most commonly consumed trace elements in my experience and will harm coral slowly over time if left unattended.

So iodine and potassium, potassium especially In red corals.

Edgecrusher28 · Dec 20, 2022

Pico bam said:
My answer isn't really witch trace element is most important to zoas but coral in general. The most often depleted trace elements in my experience are iodine and potassium. It's hard to say witch ones are most important but these are the two most commonly consumed trace elements in my experience and will harm coral slowly over time if left unattended.

So iodine and potassium, potassium especially In red corals.

I think you are absolutely correct, Iodine dosing has seem to make an immediate improvement regarding some of my trouble zoa colonies; albeit a small improvement, it at least appears to be going in the right direction. I am about 4 or 5 ICP tests into this project and am currently dosing 3.86mL weekly of ATI iodine and have only been able to keep levels at .03ppm which suggest I may need closer to 8mL weekly to sustain levels around .06ppm. Where I am left confused is how do certain tanks with large collections of soft corals seem to have a tremendous amount of success without adding iodine and other tanks needs large amount of supplementation.