Iodine, Strontium & Molybdenum????
- Thread starter 9supratt4
- Start date
9supratt4
Active Member
No worries.....Everything I supplement with I test for. I have 2 corals right now, both frags, button polyps and anthelia. I am upgrading to a 180 with the Coralife Auqalight Pro - 3x150 MH & 4x96 Actinics, so I am going to start adding more corals once I get the new tank up and running so I want to be prepared.
I use Instant Ocean Reef Crystals salt. But right now I use tap water (I know I know....I need to use RO/DI.....I'm just waiting for my LFS to have their big sale in 2 weeks) and the tap is connected to a Water Softener system so I think a lot of the calcium is removed becuase of that. It has been very difficult for me to raise the calcium level to more than 340-350.
I have heard a lot of conflicting theories regarding Iodine. Some feel you need it others feel you don't. And some feel it harms the tank.
Strontium & Molybdenum I know nothing about.
I use Instant Ocean Reef Crystals salt. But right now I use tap water (I know I know....I need to use RO/DI.....I'm just waiting for my LFS to have their big sale in 2 weeks) and the tap is connected to a Water Softener system so I think a lot of the calcium is removed becuase of that. It has been very difficult for me to raise the calcium level to more than 340-350.
I have heard a lot of conflicting theories regarding Iodine. Some feel you need it others feel you don't. And some feel it harms the tank.
Strontium & Molybdenum I know nothing about.
spanko
Active Member
Well like I said until you get into say SPS and clams that have a high calcium usage rate then the water changes should help to take care of your water parameters. I think reef crystals has an inherently low calcium level so you may want to do some research on salts and what are the best. Other wise here is a chart of water chemical parameters. Hope it helps you.
Ammonia (NH3-4)
Natural Seawater Value: 0.010 mg/L
Acceptable Range: 0.000 to 0.050 mg/L
Any ammonia level above 0.05 mg/L is a cause for
concern, and the source should be found and corrected.
Nitrite (NO2)
Natural Seawater Value: 0.010 mg/L
Acceptable Range: 0.000 to 0.100 mg/L
Levels of 0.05 or less are
of little concern. If the levels are higher than this, the source should be found
and corrected.
Nitrate (NO3)
Natural Seawater Value: 0.050 mg/L
Acceptable Range: 0.000 to 25 mg/L
Nitrate is not toxic in and of itself, but a rising level is
indicative of deteriorating water conditions, and any level above 5.0 mg/L in
reef aquariums is a reason for concern.
Phosphate (PO4)
Natural Seawater Value: 0.030 mg/L
Acceptable Range: 0.000 to 0.250 mg/L
The use of a phosphate absorbing resin is recommended to keep phosphate
levels below 0.05 mg/L.
Silica (Sio2-3)
Natural Seawater Value: 0.040 mg/L
Acceptable Range: 0.000 to 0.500 mg/L
Any level above 0.3 mg/L may cause a diatom bloom in
the aquarium.
Potassium (K)
Natural Seawater Value: 390 mg/L
Acceptable Range: 350 to 450 mg/L
Potassium is an important constituent of seawater, being found in
almost the same concentration as calcium. Potassium is important for
neurological functions in fishes, as well as being a critical plant nutrient
required by zooxanthellae and macro algae.
Calcium (Ca)
Natural Seawater Value: 400 mg/L
Acceptable Range: 350 to 450 mg/L
Calcium is a critical parameter for coral growth in reef aquariums, and
chronically low levels will cause coral mortality and loss of coralline algae and
other invertebrate species.
Boron (B)
Natural Seawater Value: 4.6 mg/L
Acceptable Range: 3.0 – 6.0 mg/L
Boron is a
significant portion of your aquarium pH and water buffering capacity, and is
crucial to maintaining appropriate calcium levels, as well as being essential to
several biological processes, including macro algae growth.
Molybdenum (Mo)
Natural Seawater Value: 0.01 mg/L
Acceptable Range: 0.0 to 0.12 mg/L
Molybdenum is important to microbial activity in
the aquarium filter, and may also be important to stony coral health and
reproduction.
Strontium (Sr)
Natural Seawater Value: 8.1 mg/L
Acceptable Range: 5.0 to 12.0 mg/L
Strontium is
important to coral growth, as they incorporate strontium ions into their
skeletal mass, particularly SPS corals. It is also important to coralline algae
growth.
Magnesium (Mg)
Natural Seawater Value: 1280 mg/L
Acceptable Range: 1100 to 1400 mg/L
Magnesium is a very important part of the water buffering system, and is
incorporated into coral skeletons. It is also critical to any photosynthetic
processes.
Iodine (I¯)
Natural Seawater Value: 0.060 mg/L
Acceptable Range: 0.030 to 0.090 mg/L
Please be advised that many iodine supplements are difficult to dose
accurately, and “above normal” readings are easy to achieve with common
iodine additives.
Copper (Cu++)
Natural Seawater Value: 0.030 mg/L
Acceptable Range: 0.000 to 0.030 mg/L
Copper is fatal to marine invertebrates at levels as
low as 0.05 mg/L for many species.
Alkalinity (meq/L)
Natural Seawater Value: 2.5 meq/L
Acceptable Range: 2.5 to 5.0 meq/L
Maintaining an appropriate alkalinity is crucial to maintaining a
healthy aquarium. A fluctuating alkalinity will lead to serious problems in
maintaining an appropriate pH, as well as problems keeping calcium and
magnesium levels within required ranges.
Ammonia (NH3-4)
Natural Seawater Value: 0.010 mg/L
Acceptable Range: 0.000 to 0.050 mg/L
Any ammonia level above 0.05 mg/L is a cause for
concern, and the source should be found and corrected.
Nitrite (NO2)
Natural Seawater Value: 0.010 mg/L
Acceptable Range: 0.000 to 0.100 mg/L
Levels of 0.05 or less are
of little concern. If the levels are higher than this, the source should be found
and corrected.
Nitrate (NO3)
Natural Seawater Value: 0.050 mg/L
Acceptable Range: 0.000 to 25 mg/L
Nitrate is not toxic in and of itself, but a rising level is
indicative of deteriorating water conditions, and any level above 5.0 mg/L in
reef aquariums is a reason for concern.
Phosphate (PO4)
Natural Seawater Value: 0.030 mg/L
Acceptable Range: 0.000 to 0.250 mg/L
The use of a phosphate absorbing resin is recommended to keep phosphate
levels below 0.05 mg/L.
Silica (Sio2-3)
Natural Seawater Value: 0.040 mg/L
Acceptable Range: 0.000 to 0.500 mg/L
Any level above 0.3 mg/L may cause a diatom bloom in
the aquarium.
Potassium (K)
Natural Seawater Value: 390 mg/L
Acceptable Range: 350 to 450 mg/L
Potassium is an important constituent of seawater, being found in
almost the same concentration as calcium. Potassium is important for
neurological functions in fishes, as well as being a critical plant nutrient
required by zooxanthellae and macro algae.
Calcium (Ca)
Natural Seawater Value: 400 mg/L
Acceptable Range: 350 to 450 mg/L
Calcium is a critical parameter for coral growth in reef aquariums, and
chronically low levels will cause coral mortality and loss of coralline algae and
other invertebrate species.
Boron (B)
Natural Seawater Value: 4.6 mg/L
Acceptable Range: 3.0 – 6.0 mg/L
Boron is a
significant portion of your aquarium pH and water buffering capacity, and is
crucial to maintaining appropriate calcium levels, as well as being essential to
several biological processes, including macro algae growth.
Molybdenum (Mo)
Natural Seawater Value: 0.01 mg/L
Acceptable Range: 0.0 to 0.12 mg/L
Molybdenum is important to microbial activity in
the aquarium filter, and may also be important to stony coral health and
reproduction.
Strontium (Sr)
Natural Seawater Value: 8.1 mg/L
Acceptable Range: 5.0 to 12.0 mg/L
Strontium is
important to coral growth, as they incorporate strontium ions into their
skeletal mass, particularly SPS corals. It is also important to coralline algae
growth.
Magnesium (Mg)
Natural Seawater Value: 1280 mg/L
Acceptable Range: 1100 to 1400 mg/L
Magnesium is a very important part of the water buffering system, and is
incorporated into coral skeletons. It is also critical to any photosynthetic
processes.
Iodine (I¯)
Natural Seawater Value: 0.060 mg/L
Acceptable Range: 0.030 to 0.090 mg/L
Please be advised that many iodine supplements are difficult to dose
accurately, and “above normal” readings are easy to achieve with common
iodine additives.
Copper (Cu++)
Natural Seawater Value: 0.030 mg/L
Acceptable Range: 0.000 to 0.030 mg/L
Copper is fatal to marine invertebrates at levels as
low as 0.05 mg/L for many species.
Alkalinity (meq/L)
Natural Seawater Value: 2.5 meq/L
Acceptable Range: 2.5 to 5.0 meq/L
Maintaining an appropriate alkalinity is crucial to maintaining a
healthy aquarium. A fluctuating alkalinity will lead to serious problems in
maintaining an appropriate pH, as well as problems keeping calcium and
magnesium levels within required ranges.
privatejoker
Member
Just do weekly water changes and you shouldn't have to dose anything. If your Ca is done then use something like B ionic 2 part solution. Great stuff. Other than that good lights, skimmer and flow is a must.
texasmetal
Active Member
Originally Posted by 9supratt4
http:///forum/post/2715883
So in everyone's opinion.....I don't need to dose anything?? I'd really like to get my coralline growth going and I always thought that in order to do that the calcium needed to be increased.
Just good routine water changes will do the trick. If any of your live rock has a speck of coralline on it you won't need to dose anything. It will spread over time.
We don't dose anything in our 140. Most of the rock in it came with the tank when we bought it. It was dead, dried out live rock. We introduced about 20lbs of nice, colorful live rock, and within 4 months ALL of our rocks are just about completely coated in coralline. We don't dose ANYTHING. Just water changes.
http:///forum/post/2715883
So in everyone's opinion.....I don't need to dose anything?? I'd really like to get my coralline growth going and I always thought that in order to do that the calcium needed to be increased.
Just good routine water changes will do the trick. If any of your live rock has a speck of coralline on it you won't need to dose anything. It will spread over time.
We don't dose anything in our 140. Most of the rock in it came with the tank when we bought it. It was dead, dried out live rock. We introduced about 20lbs of nice, colorful live rock, and within 4 months ALL of our rocks are just about completely coated in coralline. We don't dose ANYTHING. Just water changes.
aztec reef
Active Member
Originally Posted by 9supratt4
http:///forum/post/2715883
So in everyone's opinion.....I don't need to dose anything?? I'd really like to get my coralline growth going and I always thought that in order to do that the calcium needed to be increased.
You get everything u need via regular water change rituals..All u need to worry about is maintaining good water quality & maintain cal/alk levels...which They don't necessarily need to be increased but rather maintained close to NSW's range...
http:///forum/post/2715883
So in everyone's opinion.....I don't need to dose anything?? I'd really like to get my coralline growth going and I always thought that in order to do that the calcium needed to be increased.
You get everything u need via regular water change rituals..All u need to worry about is maintaining good water quality & maintain cal/alk levels...which They don't necessarily need to be increased but rather maintained close to NSW's range...
stanlalee
Active Member
Virtually the only thing you'll EVER need to dose are calcium and bicarbonate (buffer). For 95% of people dosing ANY trace elements are just a waste of money and for the few that need to occasionally be dosed those arent it (low mg from some salts is the only one I can think of and its utilized slowly. I tested my last established tank once and it was 1400. needless to say I wont even bother testing Mg anymore except for kicks or way down the road).