Need Help with DIY Manganese

Ashish Patel · Feb 20, 2025

Hey everyone,

I recently switched to DIY iron dosing using Randy’s recipe, replacing Red Sea Color C, which I had been using successfully for six years. While Red Sea Color C primarily contains iron, it also includes other trace elements like manganese, chromium, and aluminum. I suspect that some of these minor elements contributed to my tank’s overall health.

Before putting my DIY iron on a dosing pump, I want to find a good diy manganese supplement to mix with it. However, after searching on Amazon, I found many different types of manganese, and I’m not sure which one is best for reef tanks.

Does anyone have a good DIY manganese solution? Also, at what concentration should I mix it if my iron solution is 1 mg Fe per 1 ml?

Appreciate any guidance!

Randy Holmes-Farley · Feb 20, 2025

I'm certain the aluminum is not a beneficial additive, but the others certainly may be.

The DIY archive has a bunch of manganese recipes. I think manganese gluconate is a better bet than the others, especially when mixing with iron.

DIY Chemistry Archive

I thought it would be useful to have an archive of DIY chemistry methods. I'll add to it as things come up. Calcium and Alkalinity DIY method comparison https://www.reef2reef.com/threads/randy-recommended-diy-two-part-recipes.984604/ Three Part using Sodium Hydroxide (including Balling Part...

www.reef2reef.com

Ashish Patel · Jun 15, 2025

Randy. For few months I have been dosing your diy iron. I got the managense but don't know how much to weight or scoop per 1 iron pill. This stuff is seem so light weight what would be a good amount to mix in with iron so Im not over dosing

Randy Holmes-Farley · Jun 17, 2025

I use that material. Do you have a target amount you want to dose?

Both iron and manganese are usually dosed in large amounts since it is both consumed and precipitated reasonably rapidly.

Just for comparison, Tropic Marin uses these levels in AFR and its supplements:

I sent Tropic Marin K+ for ATI ICP RO/DI testing

I took the recipe posted here by Hans, and the ICP results in the first post, and scaled both of them by the Zn result. (ICP does well at Zn, and the concentration of Zn tested was well in the comfort zone of ICP). It gives a very satisfying result. The tested values are almost the exact...

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Ashish Patel · Jun 18, 2025

Randy Holmes-Farley said:
I use that material. Do you have a target amount you want to dose?

Both iron and manganese are usually dosed in large amounts since it is both consumed and precipitated reasonably rapidly.

Just for comparison, Tropic Marin uses these levels in AFR and its supplements:

I sent Tropic Marin K+ for ATI ICP RO/DI testing

I took the recipe posted here by Hans, and the ICP results in the first post, and scaled both of them by the Zn result. (ICP does well at Zn, and the concentration of Zn tested was well in the comfort zone of ICP). It gives a very satisfying result. The tested values are almost the exact...

www.reef2reef.com

I am not sure exactly how much to dose i just know it was in the red sea color C. However, they dont mention how much was in there. do you weigh the manganse or use a different measuring amount? I prefer to mix it with the iron so i eventually can just add it on a doser and have it go in the tank daily. currently i am dosing every thursday, which i dont think is beneficial but its a schedule thats worked for me for years so i stick with it. I also dose 20 drops of lugols weekly. Probably not enough for a system as large as mine but since ive not gotten a ICP test for a while I always go with the mindset of just not being completely depleted of this minor elements..I think corals are fine with some amount in the water.