Aqua Apothecary: Do you dose these elements into your reef aquarium?

[Peace River]

Aqua Apothecary: Do you dose these elements into your reef aquarium?

Randy Holmes-Farley, chemist and R2R expert contributor, recently posted a couple of articles on dosing trace elements and what elements to dose and what not to dose. While many reef keepers dose some elements into their reef tank, they may not necessarily dose all the necessary elements. The following is a list of recommended elements to dose if the levels are sufficiently low: carbon, nitrogen, magnesium, phosphorus, potassium, calcium, manganese, and iron. Do you dose these elements into your reef? Please let us know about your experience with dosing elements into your reef and feel free to share any tips or recommendation in the related discussion!

Image by @Randy Holmes-Farley


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[Reefkeepers Archive]

I dose calcium and alk, as well as iron, potassium and iodine. All I need to sustain my no-water-change 120 gallon LPS dominant

 

[Troylee]

Only allows a single vote @Peace River

 

[steveschuerger]

Picked magnesium, and I’ll add more if the voting buttons are fixed. Also add calcium, potassium, iodide, plus a 4 part microelement 2x week.

 

[Daniel@R2R]

Only allows a single vote @Peace River

Fixed it!

 

[reef tank 2.0]

When I had my last tank up, I dosed magnesium, alkalinity, and calcium

 

[JayM]

I dose whatever is in Ready 2 Reef.

 

[shakacuz]

ALK, CAL, MAG (rarely), NO3, PO4, iron, manganese, iodine, strontium, potassium, and many others.

#reefmoonshinermethod

 

[d2mini]

I follow the ReefMoonshiner's program so I dose all elements, more than listed above.

I know there is debate on which minor trace elements are needed in our tanks and which aren't, but I'd rather just keep everything at nsw levels which removes that whole set of variables.

 

[Floyd-]

Just 5ml of all for reef a day and thats it.

 

[Arkardios]

All for reef and NPK keeps everyone happy over here.

 

[Seansea]

I use all AFR which keeps alk rock solid but does not give enough magnesium, iodine or manganese so have to dose those seperatley as well as sodium carbonate in my ATO so as to use less AFR which tends to run the calcium up high. Magnesium tends to get used up quite a bit in my system. If i dont test for a few weeks it will drop below 1200 and i can see my euphelia looking rough. Its not testing either as i use salifert compared with regular icp testing and shows the same.

 

[Dburr1014]

Couldn't vote. Currently nothing.

Edit: well, not really nothing.. I have a calcium reactor and a AWC, so theoretically, I'm dosing everything?
Sometimes these questions are confusing. LOL

 

[Sump Crab]

None

 

[Bitcoin Reefer]

I dose 5 things normally:

**B Ionic 2 part Cal/Alk which I think has all trace elements also.
*Nitrate
*Phosphate
*Silica

I wonder, does B Ionic or All For Reef have higher trace elements like Magnesium. My Magnesium has been slightly low around 1150-1200 for a while now. I really don’t want to dose more things I already maxed out my 5 channel doser.

If All For Reef has higher of trace, I could dose it once a week and that would lower the amount of b ionic calcium alkalinity 2 part I’d dose?

 

[Labridaedicted]

Running Reef Moonshiner Method, so I dose all of these with the exception of phosphates (And nitrates are only when they bottom out). I also dose many more elements on an as needed basis.

 

[Labridaedicted]

Also, to those that don't dose potassium, I'd recommend adding it to your testing and dosing of the big 3 of Calcium, Mg, and Alk. Its pretty critical to a number of biological processes and a fair number of tanks tend to be deficient in it (Speaking from past experience). Only dose it if you're gonna test for it, though.

 

[nano reef]

I am so surprised that 38% dose carbon. I did that once and got dinos but I am sure I over did it!

I am so stoked about this and will be reading the Randy Holmes Farley articles. I have been thinking of dosing Iodine, trace elements and amino acids. I am surprised those wert some of the options. The only other thing besides the standard alk, mag and calcium is MB7 and DR Tims refresh!

 

[vin's tank]

i dose all for reef but had to cut back.it ran my alk up to 11.5.

 

[Gino]

I only dose what I can monitor. Calcium, Alk, Mag, SG and I add salt directly to the sump filter sock when the salt runs low from the Skimmer pulling out waste water. I guess I might have a little unbalance on minor trace elements. But, until I send a new ICP test to see where I am with those elements, I prefer not to dose anything just by eye balling, like trace elements or what ever any other supplements that might be low.
By the way, I run a no water change 185 gal Tank almost on cruise control.