Trace Elements

[miller75]

Since setting up my tank I have struggled with trace element, I am using Red Sea blue bucket salt and currently dosing double the recommended dose of Tropic Marin A & K but all my ICP test come back with undetectable levels of:

Chromium
Cobalt
Copper
Iron
Nickel
Selenium
Vanadium
Zinc

Are these trace elements worth dosing or should I not be worried?

 

[Randy Holmes-Farley Verified Community Expert]

what icp company? Some icp methods cannot detect natural levels of some trace elements.

 

[miller75]

what icp company? Some icp methods cannot detect natural levels of some trace elements.

Reef Zlements over here in the UK

 

[Randy Holmes-Farley Verified Community Expert]

Reef Zlements over here in the UK

They mention ICP-OES, which can barely detect some trace elements and cannot detect others (e.g., iron) at natural levels. Further, concentration alone does not indicate bioavailability since there are different chemical forms of many of the trace elements, and the different forms can have different bioavailability and toxicity.

Thus, you might or might not benefit from dosing of these.

 

[jda]

I have a healthy disdain for most ICP testing and trace worrying, so take this with a grain of salt. I have had 30 years of success with just water changes, calcium reactor and dosing iron. Many of the best tanks on the planet do it this way too.

If you have macro algae, then you might need to dose some iron. Otherwise, change water and forget about the rest, IMO.

 

[miller75]

Thanks everyone, I will just keep dosing my A & K and not worry about it