trace elements for non reef aquariums ?

[nikhil]

Hello,

does it make sense adding trace elements like Mg, Calcium, Iodine and Alkalinity to my non reef aquarium? There is some live rock in the 75 gallon tank i have, and some fish and anemones. No coral. Is the trace elements a waste of money ?

 

[Tahoe61]

You need to test for those trace elements before you add them. For a simple reef tank water changes are all you really need.

Trace are not a waste of money for an established tank with stoney corals that is utilizing trace elements at a rate that water changes can not keep up with it.

I use a ton of trace elements but I have all stoney corals, the consumption on my tank is high.

 

[nikhil]

well i never "change" the water in my marine setup, i just top up the water every two weeks replacing the evaporated amount. is that what you mean ?

do you mean that if i dont have corals in my aquarium, it doesnt make sense to add the trace elements?

 

[Tahoe61]

I suppose since you never do a water change and want to keep anemones you could use a basic trace element like Kent.

If you want to keep anemones you're going to have to top off with fresh water daily or get an ATO/automatic top off. The swings in SG/specific gravity will eventually catch up to you. The SG should consistently stay between 1.024-1.026, if you're only topping off weekly your SG is climbing. Anemones will not tolerate that.