How much Trace Elements to dose in place of water changes?

[ihateSpirorbids]

I have been doing bi-weekly 20% water changes for a long while, but reef salt has gotten so insanely expensive that I don't think I can afford keeping this up unless absolutely necessary. I have a wrasse, a goby, several snails, a hermit crab, and some zoas + 2 stony corals in a 40 gallon.

If I reduce water changes to 20% every month, should I dose Trace Elements once in the middle of each month? Unfortunately I don't have equipment to measure Trace Elements, I have always relied on water changes for replenishment. So I'm not sure what a general recommended dosing regimen should be.

Marine Trace by Seachem has directions stating 1 capful for every 20 US gallons twice a week. That would mean 4 capfuls every week for me, but since I have a low bioload in my tank, maybe I can reduce that to 2 capfuls in the middle of every month instead? Just to avoid possible overdosing.

What do you guys think? Or do you think dosing is unnecessary here?

 

[blaxsun]

10% every 2 weeks is fairly standard, so if you're dropping to this I wouldn't even bother with trace elements.

I don't perform water changes (at all), but I do add/test for trace elements weekly.

 

[bushdoc]

Short answer-dose no trace elements.
Longer answer-your bioload is small, fish and inverts gets trace elements from food.
Start dosing microelements when your coral population becomes sizable and growing substantially, usually around 8-12 months from establishing your tank.

 

[Randy Holmes-Farley]

I think that trace element dosing based on time and tank volume is largely guess work (both by the manufacturer and the user), and IMO, water changes do little for rapidly depleting trace elements such as iron and manganese. Foods add much more of those.

That said, using a lower dose of a commercial trace element supplement is a fine experiment, as is a full dose, IMO.

 

[yurisreef]

I used to do water changes every week
10% slowly over a few months I start to do it every two weeks and now I’m doing every ones
But it’s all depends how is your number if your numbers are good you don’t have to do water changes often
But you got a watch your tank how he will reacts to that