Red Sea Reef Colors Pro Supplement Bundle

[JNalley]

So, in reading the directions, it says to dose a set amount every time you dose your calcium. I assume that means that the 4 things it includes get absorbed at the same rate as calcium, but then why make a Potassium and Iron test kit (2 of the elements provided)?

Is it better to dose them as they deplete? or follow the directions and dose the set amounts with calcium? I definitely wouldn't want to overdose anything...

 

[Spare time]

Unfortunately tanks do not drain those elements all equally as red sea likes to say. The iron test kit can only be used soon after dosing, and their potassium test kit seems a bit more difficult than it needs to be. I think they make the kits so that you can test them if you want to do so. I don't think you will dramatically overdose the trace elements by following their directions, especially if you still do water changes to fix the numbers if they go out of wack.


That being said, the salifert potassium kit is simple and I use it. I don't test iron as I don't think it is useful to test nor practical (but still beneficial to dose)

 

[JNalley]

Unfortunately tanks do not drain those elements all equally as red sea likes to say. The iron test kit can only be used soon after dosing, and their potassium test kit seems a bit more difficult than it needs to be. I think they make the kits so that you can test them if you want to do so. I don't think you will dramatically overdose the trace elements by following their directions, especially if you still do water changes to fix the numbers if they go out of wack.


That being said, the salifert potassium kit is simple and I use it. I don't test iron as I don't think it is useful to test nor practical (but still beneficial to dose)

Yeah, I'm trying to get away from water changes, which is largely more difficult in reef than it was in my previous FOWLR tanks... But my end-game is no water changes... Thanks for your insight, I'll pick up a Salifert Potassium test just to be on the safe side. As far as Iron goes, I'll try and research it a bit more, I've read a couple of posts that state certain algae or bacteria like iron-rich environments, but I am not sure if those people were talking using anecdotal evidence or real studies.

 

[Gtinnel]

If you want to not do water changes you could look into a system like the reef moonshiners system. I've never done it and I honestly don't even know much about it, but I've heard several other hobbyists rave about it.

It seems to me like if you're trying to dose trace elements to eliminate water changes you'd be better off dosing them individually and not using additives that add multiple trace elements in a single additive.

 

[JNalley]

If you want to not do water changes you could look into a system like the reef moonshiners system. I've never done it and I honestly don't even know much about it, but I've heard several other hobbyists rave about it.

It seems to me like if you're trying to dose trace elements to eliminate water changes you'd be better off dosing them individually and not using additives that add multiple trace elements in a single additive.

Yeh, possibly (to the dosing combinations), but I could only afford 8 pump heads this go-round >.< lol so maybe if I pick up more in the future I can dose each thing individually. Thankfully the potassium is just potassium and boron, the iodine is iodine, bromine, and flourine, it's the iron and the "other trace elements" ones that have a ridiculous amount of things in them. I'll take a look at the moonshiner's system and see what's all involved, thanks for the heads up.

 

[Spare time]

Yeah, I'm trying to get away from water changes, which is largely more difficult in reef than it was in my previous FOWLR tanks... But my end-game is no water changes... Thanks for your insight, I'll pick up a Salifert Potassium test just to be on the safe side. As far as Iron goes, I'll try and research it a bit more, I've read a couple of posts that state certain algae or bacteria like iron-rich environments, but I am not sure if those people were talking using anecdotal evidence or real studies.

@Randy Holmes-Farley has written about Iron on here a lot and said that it's really hard to overdose and it gets used up very rapidly.


I personally do no water changes. I use all for reef, potassium, extra iron and, and the occasional magnesium. I run carbon, a refugium, and filter socks. The only time I do water changes are if I want to clean some section of the sand, the sump, or I'd there is an emergency