- Joined
- May 12, 2019
- Messages
- 406
- Reaction score
- 106
I have a one year (and change) old SPS tank that is a do-over from the last one that crashed. Probably 6 or 7 torch heads and 15 SPS frags at this point.
I started out using all Red Sea products again. However, my local LSF (Reef Masters) recently launched an ICP testing service (Reef Labs) and my first few ICP tests were not great. Deficient in most trace elements... In Red Sea's defense, I was not using Red Sea's trace element program as it always felt weird to dose trace elements based solely on Ca consumption and I just assumed water changes would buffer up most of the traces.
Reef Masters also carries a new line of products called Reef Blueprint (unrelated to them). It was developed by the former owner of Brightwell Aquatics after he sold Brightwell.
About 3 months ago, I decided to switch over to the entire Reef Blueprint line (salt, Ca, Alk, Mg, K, and the full line trace elements) and have continued to do ICP tests almost weekly. I'm both stubborn and impatient, and am trying to get the tank in line with a dosing program that puts everything in range, sooner than later.
I'm shocked at how many things that I'm still deficient in despite literally dosing specific trace elements daily... But I am getting closer. I'm slowly and methodically upping my trace element dosages and tracking it all with a spreadsheet after each ICP. I'm hopeful to get most everything in range here in a few more weeks and targeting the high end of the range so I can go to quarterly testing and make adjustments for the coral growth without actually dipping below the bottom threshold.
For those that simply ICP once in a blue moon and still get strong results with most trace elements in range, how are you doing it??? This is a ton of work and I would love to find an easier way. I suspect my last tank went sideways after what was probably years of missing or deficient trace elements.
I started out using all Red Sea products again. However, my local LSF (Reef Masters) recently launched an ICP testing service (Reef Labs) and my first few ICP tests were not great. Deficient in most trace elements... In Red Sea's defense, I was not using Red Sea's trace element program as it always felt weird to dose trace elements based solely on Ca consumption and I just assumed water changes would buffer up most of the traces.
Reef Masters also carries a new line of products called Reef Blueprint (unrelated to them). It was developed by the former owner of Brightwell Aquatics after he sold Brightwell.
About 3 months ago, I decided to switch over to the entire Reef Blueprint line (salt, Ca, Alk, Mg, K, and the full line trace elements) and have continued to do ICP tests almost weekly. I'm both stubborn and impatient, and am trying to get the tank in line with a dosing program that puts everything in range, sooner than later.
I'm shocked at how many things that I'm still deficient in despite literally dosing specific trace elements daily... But I am getting closer. I'm slowly and methodically upping my trace element dosages and tracking it all with a spreadsheet after each ICP. I'm hopeful to get most everything in range here in a few more weeks and targeting the high end of the range so I can go to quarterly testing and make adjustments for the coral growth without actually dipping below the bottom threshold.
For those that simply ICP once in a blue moon and still get strong results with most trace elements in range, how are you doing it??? This is a ton of work and I would love to find an easier way. I suspect my last tank went sideways after what was probably years of missing or deficient trace elements.