Trace elements to add?

[orcafood]

Right now I am keeping my Calcium and Alkalinity in check.
What other chemicals are you guys dosing? Is it a good idea to dose Strontium or Iodine?

What other suppliments should I add for the best coral growth/coloration?

[rustybucket145]

Nope, Calcium Alkalinity and Magnesium are the only additives MANY people dose. Nothing else is necessary and many believe dosing others such as 'Essential Elements', Iodine...etc could be bad for your tank.

You have no way of testing 'essential elements' or iodine so how do you know they are low in your tank? What would be a good level? Do the corals actually even need them? How much do they need?

All of these questions are pretty much un-answered in the hobby and there are so many tanks that do NOT add them that are very successful it's hard for me to justify spending hundreds of dollars on something that 'may' help.... when in actually it 'may' do more harm than good.

I'd suggest checking out Randy Holmes Farley's articles on reef chemistry.. I don't have the link on me but I'm sure somebody will chime in with it.

[tcilmo]

Use a product called purple up, I like it and it worked well in my opnion. Some will get cross info some people love it other people hate it. Heres a link to check it out . . . http://www.fish.com/itemdy00.asp?T1=710013

[Diver4life]

I use iodine in my tank cause i have a couple of shrimps and crabs, just use less than the instructions said. I add iodine once a week.I use trace elements every 2 weeks, and helped with the coraline algae on my LR.

[Toddrtrex]

I only add Cal, Alk and Mag to my tank. Have been doing it that way for years.

Any other trace elements that would be needed are taken care of by water changes.

[hyrumbradshaw]

I have been adding calcium and iodide, not sure if either helps, I dont even have coraline on my glass! The Calcium, Alk, and Mag, are they pretty much NEEDED for soft corals???

[AZDesertRat]

DO NOT add anything whatsoever unless you have a test kit for it and use it religiously.
Normally calcium and alkalinity adjustments are all that is needed as everything else you will need is in the salt mix. Do periodic water changes and you stay ahead of the consumption.

[bertoni]

This article discusses what's worth dosing:

http://reefkeeping.com/issues/2007-04/rhf/index.php

I stopped dosing iodine years ago, since it might cause problems and the need for it isn't clear:

http://www.advancedaquarist.com/issues/mar2003/chem.htm