hey @blasterman,No Wally, water changes don't replenish trace elements, at least in any consistent form.
I will explain this again: salt mix makers don't agree on what constitutes trace elements let alone what ratios they need to be in . This is a fact of the salt manufacturing industry. Is iron a trace element? How about silica ? How about Iodine? How about Potassium? They can't even get calcium levels consistent from batch to batch so how are they going to get Strontium right? I've seen what few ICP tests have been done on salt mixes and they are all over the place.
Most of us don't use ESV either. I just use regular baking soda and calcium chloride. I haven't done a water change in a year either and have more SPS growth than I can deal with.
So for starters, we need to make a list of what are minor vs major trace elements and get the entire reef industry to agree to it. Not just what those two guys over at BRS say.
I will make a counter statement in the same train of thought as trace elements: it is not possible to grow coral in acrylic tanks - period. Since I don't have an acrylic tank and the universe only consists of what my understanding is nobody can grow coral in a non glass tank. Doesnt matter than people have acrylic tanks with coral. I will ignore them to validate my statement.
I can understand your reasoning about lack of proper trace element levels in cheap Salt or simple products like ESV.
It does make me scratch my head since my ICP tests have alway come back in spec.
However that was when I was using Tropic Marin Pro salt, something I've discontinued over the last couple of years to cut down on costs (Possibly a mistake).
At looking at my old bucket of TMP this is the guarenteed analysis of contents.
The question is are the quantities and ratio's proper.
Sure some if not all salt mixed may not be perfect, however daily small water changes must be better than monthly since you are consitantly replenishing elements that may be absorbed quickly, and diminish in concentrations over hours, or a day or two.
However what's your reasoning for Acrylic Tanks being inadequate for corals within. The water and light is within the walls of acrylic, so are you suggesting acrylic leaches, or absorbs something?
Last edited: