Trace Minerals for beginners.. Where to begin?

[EvolvedMonkey]

Hello!

I feel like I have the basics of reef chemistry mostly automated and under control at this point. Corals are surviving, but not thriving.

For a beginner, what's the best way to go about beginning to dose for trace elements? My plan was to buy Marin A+ and K-, because most of those seem like trace elements I'm in need of based on my ICP report. I want to keep this as simple as possible, and as risk free as possible until I start learning more.

Can it be as simple as that to get started with trace elements - certain trace elements are low, Marin A+ and K- has them, and I can just dose based on the instructions on the bottles and do another ICP test in a month or so?

Is there an easy way to put A- and K+ into a doser, or does it have to be done by hand due to the instability or viscosity of the formulas?

Appreciate any basic guidelines you all can give. Thanks.

Redsea XXL 625 165 gallon.
1.5 years old.. Mixed reef- 15 fish or so Tang, Wrasses, Fox Face, clowns, blennys, Mandarin, Royal Gramma, Cardinals.. Coral: Many, but small Zoas, duncans, torches, hammers, gonis, leathers, RFAs, Ricordias. Inverts: Crabs, Snails, Shrimp, Conches.

20% water changes every other week. Filter socks and floss, refugium with chaeto.

Phosphates Today: 0.05 ppb (not sure why this is showing up on all my home tests and didn't on ICP, but ICP results were from a few months ago)
Nitrates: 25 ppm

 

[Randy Holmes-Farley Verified Community Expert]

Tropic Marin A and K is likely a good way to go.

I’d start by reading this article of mine:

Randy's Elements to Dose

In a previous article I discussed my thoughts on trace elements https://www.reef2reef.com/ams/randys-thoughts-on-trace-elements.951/ This article expands on that discussion by providing specific guidance for all elements one might dose. First...

www.reef2reef.com

And

Randy's thoughts on trace elements

Randy's thoughts on trace elements in reef aquaria.

www.reef2reef.com

 

[MrMaTTpaT]

if i was dosing 2.5 ml of afr, and i had 18 corals, could i divide 2.5/18 and get a number of consumption per coral, and add the number of new corals to get a base number of what i should dose? say i had 18 and have 32 now, would i dose 4.5 ish according to my math?

 

[Randy Holmes-Farley Verified Community Expert]

if i was dosing 2.5 ml of afr, and i had 18 corals, could i divide 2.5/18 and get a number of consumption per coral, and add the number of new corals to get a base number of what i should dose? say i had 18 and have 32 now, would i dose 4.5 ish according to my math?

Way overthinking this. Track alk. If alk is lower than you want, dose more.

 

[EvolvedMonkey]

Tropic Marin A and K is likely a good way to go.

I’d start by reading this article of mine:

Randy's Elements to Dose

In a previous article I discussed my thoughts on trace elements https://www.reef2reef.com/ams/randys-thoughts-on-trace-elements.951/ This article expands on that discussion by providing specific guidance for all elements one might dose. First...

www.reef2reef.com

And

Randy's thoughts on trace elements

Randy's thoughts on trace elements in reef aquaria.

www.reef2reef.com

Read em all. Beautifully concise and written, but still alot to take in for someone new to all of this..

Think I'm going to go with the K and A in half the recommended dose and ICP again in a month or so.


Is there any 'easy' way to dose those automatically, or do you pretty much have to eye dropper them in daily?

 

[slingfox]

I made the lower iodine version on Isol8 MT described in this thread:

https://www.reef2reef.com/threads/isol8-mt-custom-mix-kalkwasser.1037136/

The recipe there makes what is likely several years of supply for me since the solution is super potent (ie, the dosing instructions for Isol8 MT is one drop per 25 gallons per day to start).

I mixed the solution, added it to RODI to make 1L of diluted solution and hooked it up to my doser.

 

[slingfox]

Edit: Double post

 

[Dan_P]

Read em all. Beautifully concise and written, but still alot to take in for someone new to all of this..

Think I'm going to go with the K and A in half the recommended dose and ICP again in a month or so.


Is there any 'easy' way to dose those automatically, or do you pretty much have to eye dropper them in daily?

The hobby seems to have created the notion that trace element concentration needs to be precisely controlled. Vendor claims are likely fueling this fad. Add trace elements once a week if the daily routine doesn’t fit your life.

 

[Randy Holmes-Farley Verified Community Expert]

Read em all. Beautifully concise and written, but still alot to take in for someone new to all of this..

Think I'm going to go with the K and A in half the recommended dose and ICP again in a month or so.


Is there any 'easy' way to dose those automatically, or do you pretty much have to eye dropper them in daily?

Once daily manual is fine. One could use a dosing pump or add it to other additives.

 

[EvolvedMonkey]

Once daily manual is fine. One could use a dosing pump or add it to other additives.

Can you mix an and k, dilute it, and then dose it? Or does that create all sorts of issues with forming new compounds?

 

[Randy Holmes-Farley Verified Community Expert]

Can you mix an and k, dilute it, and then dose it? Or does that create all sorts of issues with forming new compounds?

I would not mix A and K.

 

[Pod_01]

Is there an easy way to put A- and K+ into a doser, or does it have to be done by hand due to the instability or viscosity of the formulas?

You can dose A and K with dosers. You just need 2 heads, and shake the container every so often.

You can add A to your alkalinity and K to your calcium. (I believe I got that correct)

You can add A and K to TM AFR.

 

[MrMaTTpaT]

Way overthinking this. Track alk. If alk is lower than you want, dose more.

youre right, i just didnt wanna be dosing less than what i needed and seeing a huge alk drop overnight or something

 

[Randy Holmes-Farley Verified Community Expert]

youre right, i just didnt wanna be dosing less than what i needed and seeing a huge alk drop overnight or something

New corals often do not take up much alk or calcium for a good while after adding them.

 

[EvolvedMonkey]

You can dose A and K with dosers. You just need 2 heads, and shake the container every so often.

You can add A to your alkalinity and K to your calcium. (I believe I got that correct)

You can add A and K to TM AFR.

Interesting.

I just had a really good talk with Lou at Tropic Marin.

Currently I'm using Fritz elements, but I might switch over to the True Balling method or the BRS hybrid method before I go down the trace element path.

 

[EvolvedMonkey]

Does anyone know if Fritz Elements are compatible with mixing A and K as long as I get the dosing right?