What Trace Elements to use...

mikelush78

mikelush78

AC Members
Jun 30, 2006
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I have seen lots of different trace elements to use for the reef aquarium... Most descriptions are either the same, confusing or vague.

I Dose my reef with Coral Accel 2 times a week when I dose my live phytoplankton. Those are the things I add to my tank...

My LFS told me I should start adding Kent Marine Coral-Vite. Which when I compare the Coral Accel to the Coral-Vite they read almost the same...

What should I use for my trace elements any why is my question?
 
10% weekly water changes with a quality salt :D
 
I agree with Fishieness. Unless you can measure a deficiency don't add anything. I need to update my website (its been years). I used to dose iron, iodine, and strontium. I got lazy and didn't do it for a while to see the effects. Nothing different happened. If you don't do water changes you might need trace elements put back into the system as they are used up. However, I would prefer a steady, consistent water change schedule over dosing things you don't need to waste money on.

Mike
 
The only things i would worry about testing and supplementing are CAL and KH. Ant that is only if you have corals that need / and or use a lot of calcium.
 
I use Kent marine Calcium and Kent Marine Coral Vite, with an occassional dose of Iodine for kicks and grins. I have a 100 gal. with a ton of live rock, I found that I could not keep my Calcium level consistently at 375 - 400 on Coral Vite alone, that is when I went to pure Calcium. I use the coral vite in much smaller quantities now, about every other day, and that gets me what I need. As soon as I finish up this last supply of Iodine that I have left, I do not plan on buying it anymore, because I don't believe it is really helping me all that much.

I perform a 15% water change every two weeks.
 
Test and use what you need accordingly
 
i use tone of supplimints in my tank as u can seen on the blog link under my sig i would swear by them that they help out stuff but agree with everyone that they arnt needed at all if you do good water changes with a quality salt. they only different things ive noticed is increased growth, color, reproduction of corals, survival or tunicates and other "impossible inverts" and te ability for all my organisms to live and healthy and happy.
 
Well, the LFS will be happy with you as a customer.
Other than major elements, calcium and magnesium, plus alkalinity chems, I haven't used other chems like trace elements or iodine in 13 yrs and haven't had a problem because of it.
What I save in not buying unneeded trace elements and iodine, I can put into my tank in terms of inhabitants. That goes for all ten tanks.
 
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