Does managing minor and trace elements become more important as your tank progresses?

[living_tribunal]

One thing that has always kept me on edge is managing trace elements. The simple fact that you can’t test for them (without consistent icp tests) just always has me thinking “where are they at?”

Some of the papers @Randy Holmes-Farley has published have eased some of my concerns but the thought still lingers: I know the breakdown of the salt I use but what happens in between? Do 10% weekly wc restore the necessary elements to healthy levels? What are the necessary minor and trace elements? Should I be icp testing more often? Should I consider supplementation? Am I supplementing too much, or too little?

I guess for more straight-forward questions:

What are the more important minor and trace elements that when depleted could cause undesirable consequences on coral health, if any at all?

Contingent upon your tanks growth/stock/dynamic, is a 10% weekly wc sufficient for most people to maintain healthy levels of the important minor and trace elements?

Aside from constant water changes, is there a more systematic way of managing minor and trace elements where there isn’t much of a concern of them being overdosed?

Should I consider bi-annual icp testing just to be sure?

Is there a semi-strong correlation between the rate of major element consumption and the rate of minor/trace element consumption? I.e. a tank that consumes high levels of Alk/calc is absorbing higher levels of certain trace elements.

Thanks.

 

[Nano sapiens]

Most good artificial salt mixes contain more than enough trace elements. On top of that, food also adds many. 10% WC is plenty, IMO, and it is what I've done for 12+ years on my current nano (my one and only ICP test after 10 years showed most trace elements in the green with just a few yellow...so not an issue).

Not something I've ever really worried about in decades of reef keeping.

 

[HuduVudu]

I am just starting to run into this problem. It seems that my gonipora are depleting something from the water and only water changes seem to bring whatever that thing is back up to normal. I am doing almost 50% per week to get whatever it is back up. My other corals don't seem to be concerned but the gonipora don't like it, whatever it is. I don't like the big water changes and it doesn't help with stability so until I can get solid ICP tests I have ordered TM Balling C to throw the kitchen sink at it.

I know that @Lasse is running essentially a closed system and he doses traces regular. He also has specific corals that seem to be consuming something and he is working to try to find which trace element it is that is being depleted.

I have to say that this is a very essoteric topic and I hope that people can be civil in this discussion.

 

[Nano sapiens]

I am just starting to run into this problem. It seems that my gonipora are depleting something from the water and only water changes seem to bring whatever that thing is back up to normal.

I may have something for you. In 'The Reef Aquarium, Vol 3' (Delbeek/Sprung) on pg 187 they talk (and have berfore/after photos) of Goniopora recovering health and color with the addition of iron and manganese:

"This goniopora sp. responds to the addition of iron and manganese by expanding it's polyps and developing intense coloration. These metals may be essential to it's mechanism for coping with photosynthetically-produced oxygen free radicals"

 

[HuduVudu]

I may have something for you. In 'The Reef Aquarium, Vol 3' (Delbeek/Sprung) on pg 187 they talk (and have berfore/after photos) of Goniopora recovering health and color with the addition of iron and manganese:

"This goniopora sp. responds to the addition of iron and manganese by expanding it's polyps and developing intense coloration. These metals may be essential to it's mechanism for coping with photosynthetically-produced oxygen free radicals"

Wow tyvm

I bought some maganese nitrate and tried dosing that. Maybe I didn't get enough in. I am flying blind without an ICP. Also I have a pipe organ I and I had some black sand in in hopes of getting some iron.

This helps a bunch I will work and see what I get with it.

 

[HuduVudu]

Found a video:

 

[ReefPig]

This is exactly why I'm a strong advocate for Triton Method.
Water changes alone are NOT enough for a well stocked tank which consumes a lot, in particular SPS.

Small frags and LPS/Softies do not benefit quite the same, with the exception of Goni's which LOVE manganese.

I'm running full Triton Method, I do a once every 4-6 weeks ICP (although I don't really need that frequent, but I like them), and I then dose additional elements as recommended.

It's called evolution, practises from 10-20 years ago, things have moved on.

 

[Randy Holmes-Farley]

I think the need for supplementation depends a lot on water changes, what you use to change the water, foods you feed (which contain some amount of all needed minor and trace elements) and which organisms you keep.

Is it useful? At least in some cases, yes.

Is it critical? Apparently not in many cases as there are many folks who do not do it and are happy with their reef aquaria.

FWIW, iron and manganese are important trace elements that are among the most rapid to deplete.

 

[Reefer45C]

I am going to throw in a curve ball here, well maybe a curve ball... with everything stated above with water changes and minor/major trace elements... what about either the Balling method or the BRS hybrid balling method ( dosing ALK & Cal with the K- & A+ elements from Tropic Marin) Also dosing Tropic Marin part C. Would the typical 10% weekly water change still need to be done? Or would someone just change the schedule and amount of that water change.