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I do remember Craig's article. I cannot see any chemical better for dosing fluoride than sodium fluoride, perhaps at higher dilution before adding it.
I don't know that I would conclude it typically gets depleted very fast. Is that what you observed? Plenty of folks not dosing it see fluoride at some level. The Triton test I used years ago did not check it.
I thought it did have iron?Makes me really wish all for reef had iron and potassium....
I thought it did have iron?
Ok thanks. I just went and look for a list of ingredients to compare to what you would dose. Will probably look closer when I get to a computer.It apparently has some:
The yellow or pale-brownish color of All-For-Reef is caused by iron, manganese and maybe iodine while the colors of K+ and A- Elements is achieved with a minute amount of a harmless dye.
Help mixing Tropic Marin All-For-Reef Powder
So shouldn't the bottle be more than 2/3 full then? Did you add 160g to 1L of water? Looks like not enough water in the photo? And was the water very hot? 100f isn't very hot.. that's barely warm to the touch. I use a hot plate and it feels warm but I can keep my hand on the container...www.reef2reef.com
**B Ionic 2 part Cal/Alk which I think has all trace elements also.
I really appreciate your posts Randy. Thanks for all you do. The sooner we all begin to think like chemists and biologists who look at, or at the very least attempt to grasp the entire system's element cycling, the better off we will be as reefers.
I guess the way I thought of B-Ionic 2 part is:Don't be confused by the elements in ESV B-ionic. They ARE NOT a way to offset any consumption of those elements. Same applies to Balling Part C. Using each of these methods may actually lower an element if it is higher than NSW concentrations, and both act exactly like a tiny water change each day.
Here's how that works.
The main ingredients in ESV are sodium carbonate and calcium chloride.
After a coral uses the calcium and carbonate, sodium and chloride are left, raising salinity.
Since folks maintain salinity, there is a slight salinity correction needed.
Each time you make such a correction (whether you realize making the correction or not, but, say, skimming), the concentrations of ALL ions declines. For example, potassium declines from that salinity correction.
ESV (and TM in Balling Part C) add back exactly that amount of, say, potassium, lost by the salinity correction, and potassium is back to normal, In fact, everything is ideally back to normal.
Not all two parts act this way. Some claim to add extra trace elements, and that is fine, but ESV and Balling do not are thus are not ever intended to compensate for consumption of, say, potassium, by organisms.
Thus, ESV B-ionic does not contribute to overdosing any trace elements.
I guess the way I thought of B-Ionic 2 part is:
Corals use up calcium and carbonate as well as magnesium etc, trace elements
You dose B Ionic based on Calcium and Alk measurements, and it's replenishing a rough amount of the other elements based on consumption of calc/alk.
Sorry I edited my post I think after you replied. Can you check bottom part about water changes please And thanks for the information as always Randy!Nope. That is incorrect, but it is a common misunderstanding. What is correct is what I posted above, and ESV B-ionic is not useful nor is it intended to be a way to offset any trace element consumption.
The nuance of what you're saying is confusing for me lol. When we add 2 part, it adds magnesium etc, corals use this right? So what you're saying seems technically true, but my brain is having trouble understanding how if we add elements to the tank, we can also concurrently say, they're not "making up for" elements used by corals. But the corals are using them right? I'm sorry I'm confused here lol. I read your explanation like 8 times now and still don't understand. If these elements coming from 2 part "aren't making up for consumption of elements", then what is ? I guess just water changes? And you're saying 2 part just maintains levels in between water changes, but that the water changes or additional dosing are what are supplying the elements to the corals?Nope. That is incorrect, but it is a common misunderstanding. What is correct is what I posted above, and ESV B-ionic is not useful nor is it intended to be a way to offset any trace element consumption.
The nuance of what you're saying is confusing for me lol. When we add 2 part, it adds magnesium etc, corals use this right? So what you're saying seems technically true, but my brain is having trouble understanding how if we add elements to the tank, we can also concurrently say, they're not "making up for" elements used by corals. But the corals are using them right? I'm sorry I'm confused here lol. I read your explanation like 8 times now and still don't understand. If these elements coming from 2 part "aren't making up for consumption of elements", then what is ? I guess just water changes? And you're saying 2 part just maintains levels in between water changes, but that the water changes or additional dosing are what are supplying the elements to the corals?
Very interesting. Thanks for the responses.In terms of trace element adding and removal, using B-ionic to add 1.1 dKH and 8 ppm of calcium per day is the same effect as about a 0.08% water change each day, or about 2.4% per month using natural seawater..
That water change can add some tiny amount of trace elements, or it can serve to very slowly lower those that are elevated.
Hey Randy, this may be off topic but I’m curious about Iodide in reef tanks. How exactly does it convert to Iodine and is there any benefit to dosing Iodide over Iodine? I was under the impression that it’s “safer” yet I’d like to hear your take on it.