Trace and their individual roles

legacy2mj · Apr 12, 2024

I’m just looking for a list or place to find each individual trace elements role in the reef tank. I think it’s fair to assume that they each play a part since they are tested for.

I just would like to reference said list or article to help me understand what exactly low or high of an element means.

Hopefully this makes sense. Thanks!

Randy Holmes-Farley · Apr 12, 2024

Many trace metals play the same fundamental roles in most organisms. There obviously are some differences, but there's not a big list of specific needs by marine organisms that are not similarly apparent in people, bacteria, trees, etc. Iron, for example, in DNA synthesis, electron transport phenomena, and oxygen transport. One can look up each element individually to see the sometimes lengthy list of roles it plays in various organisms. Iron, for example:

Iron in biology - Wikipedia

en.wikipedia.org

Most also become toxic at high enough concentrations, but since we do not even know the chemical forms present in a reef tank, and do not have much info on the toxic threshold of each chemical form for most marine organisms we keep, the ability to give detailed interpretations is very limited.

You definitely will not find support in the science community for the wild claims of supplement makers about certain elements bring out certain colors in corals.

I discuss trace elements to some extent in these articles:

Randy's Elements to Dose

In a previous article I discussed my thoughts on trace elements https://www.reef2reef.com/ams/randys-thoughts-on-trace-elements.951/ This article expands on that discussion by providing specific guidance for all elements one might dose. First...

www.reef2reef.com