Help me understand trace element "overdosing"

[JayM]

I have not overdosed trace elements, but I've seen quite a few posts where others have and it got me thinking - How is overdosing harmful? My very basic understanding is that trace elements are taken in by corals as needed, and I envision it as having 3 steaks in front of me vs. one. I don't need to eat #2 or #3 even though they are available. My guess is that corals don't feed that way or going from X amount of trace to Y amount of trace immediately wouldn't be a problem.

Can/do coral selectively pull out what they need, or do they take in everything and have to sort it out internally? My assumption is the latter, but I honestly don't know.

 

[Randy Holmes-Farley Verified Community Expert]

I have not overdosed trace elements, but I've seen quite a few posts where others have and it got me thinking - How is overdosing harmful? My very basic understanding is that trace elements are taken in by corals as needed, and I envision it as having 3 steaks in front of me vs. one. I don't need to eat #2 or #3 even though they are available. My guess is that corals don't feed that way or going from X amount of trace to Y amount of trace immediately wouldn't be a problem.

Can/do coral selectively pull out what they need, or do they take in everything and have to sort it out internally? My assumption is the latter, but I honestly don't know.

Think of steaks piled on top of you, smothering you. The good steak becomes a bad steak when too many are around.

Many elements, such as copper, are needed at one concentration and toxic at a higher level.

Each will be unique in how and why it becomes toxic, but organisms cannot always keep from taking them up.

 

[KrisReef]

The unbalanced amounts of elements and the impact of too many or too few is what we have to deal with. A little copper is natural and "a lot" is used to kill pests in qt and it will kill corals and inverts in the dt.

Same concepts, different results for different elements. I can't keep track of them all but that's the concept.

Dose makes the poison or cure.

 

[*GAREEF*]

Coral absorbs and processes saltwater.
When the balance of certain elements in the water is off it has affect on the corals. To much copper in the water will kill your corals and inverts but small trace amounts are still needed by the coral.
Think of your body. It needs sugar to survive but to much and your organs get damaged and leads to declining health.
Your body also needs zinc to properly function
But if you consumed a certain amount it could kill you.
Same with coral they need zinc but if exposed in to high of a concentration it will kill the coral.