TRACE ELEMENTS

[laverda]

Just saying trace elements is pretty vague. I think we need to be more specific as far as the elements dosed to have a meaningful discussion about it.
I have not done any significant water changes in 2 years on my 325 gallon system, so dosing is critical. By significant I mean more then 5 gallons a month. I typically remove a few gallons to adjust my salinity down monthly. I also occasionally do a 5 gallon water change to my qt system to aclamate the fish there before moving them to my display.
I dose ALK, Ca, Magnesium, vinegar, iron, potassium, strontium, iodine, and boron if I remember correctly. I also add some bottled “trace elements” in small amounts on occasion.

 

[RudyB]

Since I stop doing water changes about 2 years ago I began to use supplements. But I was not very regular back then. About 5 months ago I started using the Red Sea Coral Colors and Red Sea Reef Energy. I use less than sudgested for my tank size but I did add two dosers so it can be done every day. I do send out to Triton to test my water every 3 months. I do weekly regular water test to make sure everything is in order Cal, Alk, Mag. Since starting to use the supplements regularly I have noticed a change in coloration and growth of my corals for the better. I am as of this month completely free of chemical filtration. I have gone with a larger Chato area in my fuge, and I changed the regular light to grow lights. Since I have been doing the changes slowly everything seems to be going fine. Kind of my take on the Triton Method.

 

[rosshamsandwich]

what about introducing trace elements through more feeding?? is it possible to support a reef tank with just extra feeding and a huge protein skimmer and fuge for nitrate and phosphate export?

 

[Randy Holmes-Farley Verified Community Expert]

what about introducing trace elements through more feeding?? is it possible to support a reef tank with just extra feeding and a huge protein skimmer and fuge for nitrate and phosphate export?

Maybe, but I would guess not for all elements. Elements coming in with foods (organism tissues) and basically being exported in organism tissues (macroalgae and corals, for example) is sort of like a closed loop, and since there are likely additional losses from other means (such as binding to mineral surfaces, or simple precipitation), the additions may not be able to keep up with the loses.

 

[rosshamsandwich]

which specific elements are lacking in foods that we absolutely must dose?

 

[Randy Holmes-Farley Verified Community Expert]

which specific elements are lacking in foods that we absolutely must dose?

I can't say about lacking in foods, but there are a bunch that are absolutely needed. Iron, vanadium, manganese, molybdenum, etc.

 

[rosshamsandwich]

what Trace Element Product do you use in your own tank? I want to copy you.

 

[Randy Holmes-Farley Verified Community Expert]

what Trace Element Product do you use in your own tank? I want to copy you.

I did 1% daily water changes plus iron and silicate dosing, and a Triton test showed some other trace elements may have been low:

http://www.reefedition.com/my-triton-testing-results-by-randy-holmes-farley/

 

[laverda]

Salifert has a Boron test.

I know they do. I was not able to locate a source in the US when I looked for it.

 

[laverda]

The trace elements in a biological sense are only the essential trace elements which are iron, manganese, copper, zinc, chromium, cobalt, nickel, vanadium, molybdenum, selenium, boron, iodine and fluorine. Strontium and barium are incorporated into the skeletons but may not be essential. A few other elements may be essential for specific organisms like arsenic for some kind of diatoms and tungsten for bacteria and maybe other organisms.

Thank you That is exactly my point. People say they are dosing trace elements, but not saying what ones. I suspect a lot are using bottled trace element products and have no idea what they are actually dosing. That is a lot of different elements. How many of them are included it what you dose? I am guessing a lot more then most people dose? Are using Triton tests regularly to watch the levels of each?

 

[Hans-Werner]

The trace elements I enumerated to barium are included in our trace elements solutions. I do no regular Triton testing, I look at the corals, especially in the medium and long term.

 

[laverda]

The trace elements I enumerated to barium are included in our trace elements solutions. I do no regular Triton testing, I look at the corals, especially in the medium and long term.

Thank I will look for them.

 

[balajeek15]

Since I stop doing water changes about 2 years ago I began to use supplements. But I was not very regular back then. About 5 months ago I started using the Red Sea Coral Colors and Red Sea Reef Energy. I use less than sudgested for my tank size but I did add two dosers so it can be done every day. I do send out to Triton to test my water every 3 months. I do weekly regular water test to make sure everything is in order Cal, Alk, Mag. Since starting to use the supplements regularly I have noticed a change in coloration and growth of my corals for the better. I am as of this month completely free of chemical filtration. I have gone with a larger Chato area in my fuge, and I changed the regular light to grow lights. Since I have been doing the changes slowly everything seems to be going fine. Kind of my take on the Triton Method.

in addition to the red sea coral color and reef energy are you dosing Ca and Alk, which one/what method?