Really dangerous things for your fish and corals---

[Sk8r]

Nmhs2, that's grape caulerpa. I have exactly the same situation in my fuge. Guess which end I am about to cut off to turn in to my lfs for trade? Caulerpa will follow the current and grow in the direction of the flow. So it will be more at one end of the ball than the other.

First, have a spare bulb for your refugium light. THat way you won't get caught short when the bulb goes out.

As long as it is lit 24/7 it is safe. It's during a bulb going out for a few days that people have trouble.

Re: the question about trace elements: I absolutely concur. Use a high-quality salt mix and trust it will have a good blend of 'trace elements' that will supplement what your corals need, particularly when you are just starting out and not feeding as many corals as say, the Tank of the Month type tank. When you are really, really into mega reef, you may test for, say, strontium, et al., but when you have under 20 corals in a small tank, no sweat. Don't even bother, if your water changes are kept up on the weekly basis recommended. At least monthly.
You'll occasionally read a post from somebody who says "I never do water changes and I'm fine..." Yep, that can happen. You've got stuff that's not too sensitive, it's getting nutrients from various sources, from rock, from food, from light, etc. BUT there are other tanks that go south in a much shorter time with exactly the same procedures. After you've been in the hobby a while, you'll know tanks differ wildly. In general, don't ride on "what you can get away with." Do the recommended thing---especially when starting out.

[nmhs2]

as far as not adding say strontium. Right now I was reccommended to add ESV Potassium Iodide and ESV Strontium Chloride Solution. I am not testing for these but my LFS said to add them weekly, is it neccessary/safe?

[Sk8r]

It's not only not necessary, unless you have the test for Iodine and the test for Strontium, it's not safe. Also, keep out of the reach of children.

A 10% water change weekly or a 20% monthly will do all you need. Pick a good salt, stay with it, and keep those bottles for the day you really, really [somewhere in your reef's third year] figure you oughta test trace element levels. THose tests are futzy, costly, and generally something you just don't have to do, because your reef salt is a lot more than NaCl. It's stuff all the way down to things there AREN"T common tests for, because the amount involved per gallon is just tiny beyond all common reckoning.
Water changes, water changes. WHich reminds me, I have one overdue while I was messing with the kalk reactor.

[nmhs2]

Great thanks sk8r, only dosed it twice withing a month gonna stop that now! As far as the grape caulepra etc.. are they great nitrate/phosphate eaters like chaeto or it it worth buying a bulk or chaeto and ridding this extra stuff?

[Sk8r]

I'd get rid of any caulerpa I could: if it breaks off and roots in your main tank it's a PITA [give or take a fuge will starve it out up there]. I'd say pure cheato is best. Mine isn't. It has caulerpa tangled in it too. One thing you can say: caulerpa is an efficient weed...but dangerous, as aforesaid, and I hope to trim mine out, next haircut I give it.

[nmhs2]

What does this look like on mine? its like decaying brown particles or sumthing brown dust. Check out the picture

[nmhs2]

I shook the stuff off the plant thats why its on the sand bed

[rkelman]

Great thread sk8r. Very well done.

[Sk8r]

Thank you.

I'd say it's just decaying stuff, like dead leaves, probably from lack of light in some area...it's not the dreaded sporing, which just turns caulerpa transparent and the water to milk....so don't worry about that.
Put some snails in there and let them do their thing. Just don't get any that could mess with a topoff float or anything else vulnerable in the fuge. [My float is in there, but snail proof].