ICP Testing – Finding the Balance Without Chasing Every Number

[Popeye_ali]

@Randy Holmes-Farley

I really value the insight you’ve shared over the years, and I’d love to get your thoughts on something I’ve been wrestling with.

I’m getting back into reefkeeping and planning a new tank—my priority is to keep things as simple and stable as possible. I want to enjoy the ecosystem I create without feeling like I’m constantly chasing numbers or managing a chemistry lab in my living room.

I’ve been looking at the Triton method, Reef Zlements, ATI, and other trace element systems. I understand you’ve expressed that not all trace elements need to be dosed just because they’re low on an ICP test, and that water changes still play an important role in removing unknowns.

Do you have any guidance for someone like me trying to choose a method that balances ease, long-term stability, and coral health without overcomplicating things? I’m happy to test occasionally, but I don’t want to fall into the trap of unnecessary tweaking.

Thanks so much in advance for any advice you might be able to share.

Best regards,

Alistair

 

[Randy Holmes-Farley]

For ease of use, All for Reef by Tropic Marin is the clear winner. I use it myself.

But if you use something else for alk and calcium, which is fine, I’d recommend a trace mix such as Tropic Marin A and K to hit all the important needs without constant measuring and dosing. :)

 

[rtparty]

All for Reef dosed based on alkalinity and 10% weekly water changes

 

[rishma]

I dose AFR too, based on alkalinity. I don’t test calcium or magnesium. I run the occasional ICP to double check, but the only action I can recall taking based on ICP is dosing some iodine every couple weeks because my tank runs a little low otherwise (not sure it’s doing anything helpful).

 

[Popeye_ali]

For ease of use, All for Reef by Tropic Marin is the clear winner. I use it myself.

But if you use something else for alk and calcium, which is fine, I’d recommend a trace mix such as Tropic Marin A and K to hit all the important needs without constant measuring and dosing. :)

Thanks Randy

Yes I must say the All for reef looks great.

How often do you water change with this method. Is weekly unnecessary?

Also would you still ICP or again not strictly necessary also?

Thanks again

 

[p1u5h13r4m24]

Hi I also use all for reef. I use a skimmer and water changes to control my DOC. Water change amounts vary depending on my available Nutrient levels (N&P) Typically I’ll aim for 10% wc a week, but if my nutrients are staggering I’ll only do 5%

 

[Randy Holmes-Farley]

Thanks Randy

Yes I must say the All for reef looks great.

How often do you water change with this method. Is weekly unnecessary?

Also would you still ICP or again not strictly necessary also?

Thanks again

I use AFR and change 1% daily by auto water change.

I don’t think icp is necessary, but may be useful. I plan to get one once my tank has been running in its current form
For around the 1 year mark. Before that, too many things are changing as I add organisms. I’d do it weekly if it was free.

 

[RelaxingWithTheReef]

FWIW - I have been using AK on my LPS tank for around a year, and Oceamo ICP-MS testing shows that it does a pretty good job at replenishing trace elements.

Critical elements like Cobalt, Iron, Copper, Manganese, Nickel, Vanadium, Chromium, and Zinc are fairly well maintained. These levels are night and day better than not dosing AK.

Strontium increases over time, and is currently 14 ppm. The seawater I use has around 8 ppm.

Iodine decreases, and is currently 19.7 ug/L. The seawater I use has around 71 ug/l.

And saving the most interesting element for last... Other AK users have reported low Potassium, and this tank has surprisingly also tested quite low at 326 ppm. The seawater I use has around 415 ppm. It should be noted that AK does not add potassium. But the puzzle here is my other 3 tanks that are individually dosed elements all have normal potassium levels without potassium supplementation. In fact, for many years I have never needed to add potassium to any of my other tanks. The overall situation suggests that for some unknown reason, AK use might result in increased potassium consumption over time?! If this is true, I have absolutely no idea how this can be possible. Regardless of the cause, my potassium declines over time.

Bottom line, AK is a great product for maintaining trace elements, but it’s important to maintain a reasonable water change schedule so the water parameters don’t diverge too far from natural seawater over time.

 

[UMALUM]

FWIW - I have been using AK on my LPS tank for around a year, and Oceamo ICP-MS testing shows that it does a pretty good job at replenishing trace elements.

Critical elements like Cobalt, Iron, Copper, Manganese, Nickel, Vanadium, Chromium, and Zinc are fairly well maintained. These levels are night and day better than not dosing AK.

Strontium increases over time, and is currently 14 ppm. The seawater I use has around 8 ppm.

Iodine decreases, and is currently 19.7 ug/L. The seawater I use has around 71 ug/l.

And saving the most interesting element for last... Other AK users have reported low Potassium, and this tank has surprisingly also tested quite low at 326 ppm. The seawater I use has around 415 ppm. It should be noted that AK does not add potassium. But the puzzle here is my other 3 tanks that are individually dosed elements all have normal potassium levels without potassium supplementation. In fact, for many years I have never needed to add potassium to any of my other tanks. The overall situation suggests that for some unknown reason, AK use might result in increased potassium consumption over time?! If this is true, I have absolutely no idea how this can be possible. Regardless of the cause, my potassium declines over time.

Bottom line, AK is a great product for maintaining trace elements, but it’s important to maintain a reasonable water change schedule so the water parameters don’t diverge too far from natural seawater over time.

Nailed it...

 

[kevinf]

Sorry to hijack. I just got my first ati results back the other day.

I plan to dose Redsea B for alkalinity
And Redsea iodine +
My pH is around 8-8.25 so hopefully it'll stablize

 

[Randy Holmes-Farley]

FWIW - I have been using AK on my LPS tank for around a year, and Oceamo ICP-MS testing shows that it does a pretty good job at replenishing trace elements.

Critical elements like Cobalt, Iron, Copper, Manganese, Nickel, Vanadium, Chromium, and Zinc are fairly well maintained. These levels are night and day better than not dosing AK.

Strontium increases over time, and is currently 14 ppm. The seawater I use has around 8 ppm.

Iodine decreases, and is currently 19.7 ug/L. The seawater I use has around 71 ug/l.

And saving the most interesting element for last... Other AK users have reported low Potassium, and this tank has surprisingly also tested quite low at 326 ppm. The seawater I use has around 415 ppm. It should be noted that AK does not add potassium. But the puzzle here is my other 3 tanks that are individually dosed elements all have normal potassium levels without potassium supplementation. In fact, for many years I have never needed to add potassium to any of my other tanks. The overall situation suggests that for some unknown reason, AK use might result in increased potassium consumption over time?! If this is true, I have absolutely no idea how this can be possible. Regardless of the cause, my potassium declines over time.

Bottom line, AK is a great product for maintaining trace elements, but it’s important to maintain a reasonable water change schedule so the water parameters don’t diverge too far from natural seawater over time.

One main way that potassium can deplete is in a tank using calcium chloride and sodium bicarbonate/carbonate/hydroxide that is not also using a product like Tropic Marin Balling Part C. Every time you correct salinity for the accumulating sodium and chloride, potassium gets pushed down.

 

[rishma]

Strontium increases over time, and is currently 14 ppm.

That’s interesting. I’ve been using AFR for a long time and I have had high strontium for the past year and half. I assumed it was my salt. Maybe it’s the AFR.

 

[rishma]

Sorry to hijack. I just got my first ati results back the other day.

I plan to dose Redsea B for alkalinity
And Redsea iodine +
My pH is around 8-8.25 so hopefully it'll stablize

I use the Red Sea iodine for the past 18 months after my ICP showed it was low a couple times in a row. I dose based on the instructions in the bottle (based on calcium dose, which probably doesn’t make sense) but it has kept my iodine in range. That said…I don’t notice any benefit. I have a near lifetime supply so I’ll keep dosing it.

 

[RelaxingWithTheReef]

One main way that potassium can deplete is in a tank using calcium chloride and sodium bicarbonate/carbonate/hydroxide that is not also using a product like Tropic Marin Balling Part C. Every time you correct salinity for the accumulating sodium and chloride, potassium gets pushed down.

Yes, but that would be too easy.

All of the tanks here used B-Ionic two part. The AK LPS tank only consumes around 0.6 dKH a day, and if I removed water to manage salinity, it wasn’t very much.

One of my LPS / SPS tanks in the mix (that is trace managed with individual elements) went 130 days without a water change, and consumes 4 dKH per day. That’s 520 dKH of B-Ionic alkalinity added during the period. I have to remove water to reduce salinity every other week. At day 130 the ICP-MS potassium level was remarkably 409 ppm with no additional K dosing. This is what I’m used to seeing, and I’m quite surprised B-Ionic balances K so well.

Unfortunately the unusual potassium consumption remains a mystery.

 

[Randy Holmes-Farley]

Yes, but that would be too easy.

All of the tanks here used B-Ionic two part. The AK LPS tank only consumes around 0.6 dKH a day, and if I removed water to manage salinity, it wasn’t very much.

One of my LPS / SPS tanks in the mix (that is trace managed with individual elements) went 130 days without a water change, and consumes 4 dKH per day. That’s 520 dKH of B-Ionic alkalinity added during the period. I have to remove water to reduce salinity every other week. At day 130 the ICP-MS potassium level was remarkably 409 ppm with no additional K dosing. This is what I’m used to seeing, and I’m quite surprised B-Ionic balances K so well.

Unfortunately the unusual potassium consumption remains a mystery.

Two other ways K can decline are

1. for folks who dose N and P, that drives growth of organisms that take up K, and is not accompanied by K additions they way foods are

2. I have a theory that rinsing frozen foods washes away K that previously was inside cells. Freezing breaks cells open, releasing the contents, including K.

 

[rishma]

2. I have a theory that rinsing frozen foods washes away K that previously was inside cells. Freezing breaks cells open, releasing the contents, including K.

That’s interesting. Would be easy to test by doing a potassium test on the rinse water. That would tell us something. I don’t have a potassium test but others do.

I rinse my frozen for a different reason. I need to defrost the cubes and divide
the food into smaller portions.

 

[Randy Holmes-Farley]

That’s interesting. Would be easy to test by doing a potassium test on the rinse water. That would tell us something. I don’t have a potassium test but others do.

I rinse my frozen for a different reason. I need to defrost the cubes and divide
the food into smaller portions.

Might need some fine filtration, and it might need a seawater rinse, since I don’t know if the kits will work in fresh, but yes, it’s a fairly easy thing to test. :)

 

[ssster2020]

For ease of use, All for Reef by Tropic Marin is the clear winner. I use it myself.

But if you use something else for alk and calcium, which is fine, I’d recommend a trace mix such as Tropic Marin A and K to hit all the important needs without constant measuring and dosing. :)

I use Allforreef in my nano, love it. In my larger tank I use Red Sea 3 part. I’m happy this way except my ICP’s come back in usually low in a number of elements. I dose individual elements as instructed but a month later I repeat the same process. I dose Fauna Marin Colours once a week when I do my weekly water change. But I continue to chase the numbers.
I am tempted to try All for Reef but I don’t know how to start. Presently I dose 70ml/day Alk buffer and 26 ml/day Ca.
What would be the method to start all for Reef
Thanks for any help

 

[Randy Holmes-Farley]

I use Allforreef in my nano, love it. In my larger tank I use Red Sea 3 part. I’m happy this way except my ICP’s come back in usually low in a number of elements. I dose individual elements as instructed but a month later I repeat the same process. I dose Fauna Marin Colours once a week when I do my weekly water change. But I continue to chase the numbers.
I am tempted to try All for Reef but I don’t know how to start. Presently I dose 70ml/day Alk buffer and 26 ml/day Ca.
What would be the method to start all for Reef
Thanks for any help

Assuming the alk part of your system is Reef Foundation B Alkalinity,

Red Sea's KH/Alkalinity | Foundation B -Balanced Coral Skeleton formation

How much KH/Alkalinity to supplement? Check out our new MyRecipe™ Wizard, which recommends the optimal Alkalinity level that is best for your

redseafish.com

then you can replace all parts of the red Sea based on the alk used.

1 mL of the Red Sea alk part means to use 1.7 ml of AFR to replace all the parts.

If you dose 70 mL of alk part, that means use 119 ml per day of AFR.

 

[ssster2020]

Thanks, I’m going to try it when I use up my Red Sea Alk