Trace elements and chromoproteins

[Spare time]

Often I hear from companies that x element aids in the production or is necessary to the production of y color pigments (chromoproteins). Be that iodine and halogens with pink, potassium with red, certain metals with green, etc. However I am skeptical about this. Many of these elements that are listed as used by corals for the production of certain pigments seem to be unlikely in the process given how incredibly rare they are.. For example, Red Sea's bioactive elements (trace element D) claims it aids in the production of purple/blue pigments in corals. Some of the ingredients are tungsten, vanadium, silver, and gold. I can't imagine that there is enough gold just floating around in the ocean that corals had evolved in an environment where they use it for necessary functions. Even in regards to other living organisms other than corals that could benefit from trace elements in an aquarium, elements like these seem ridiculous.

So I guess my question is, what evidence is there for some of these odd elements use in marine life that may be relevant in our aquaria (especially in chromoprotein production) and if there is none why do we add these to our tanks with the assumption that very little uses them and that they can become toxic went built up overtime?

 

[Pistondog]

There is gold, but it is in ppt, parts per trillion, making it difficult to mine, but available for efficient organisms to use.

Is there gold in the ocean?

Yes, there is gold in the ocean

oceanservice.noaa.gov

 

[Randy Holmes-Farley]

While a great many trace elements are needed for life, and I recommend maintaining, or at least experimenting with them in your own tank for that reason, I have never been convinced that specific color changes can be associated with specific compounds dosed to a reef aquarium.

Some companies take the mere presence of an element in a colored compound to indicated that dosing that compound will boost that color.